The ultimate goal of a school is to broaden the horizons of their students, moving them from not just a concern of the self, but to an awareness needs, views and rights of others so that every student can make a difference in the world. Fortunately, the study of American History, there is at the ready people, events and documents that open up a students’ world not only to the joy of exploration, but can inspire generosity and commitment to one’s local community, state and nation. Moreover, when the study of American History is coupled with service learning, a genuine civic commitment to those from the past and the present can blossom. The Bayard Wilkeson Project created by South Middle School students has done just that.

As part of South’s extended learning time (ELT) and using Google Cultural Institute, thirty-four students studied Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address. This interactive teaching tool introduced the seven documents that surrounded the Gettysburg Address. The first document was a dramatic newspaper dispatch from Sam Wilkeson, the father of a fallen son.

Bayard Wilkeson was an artillery officer in the Civil War that died on the first day of Gettysburg. His bravery and courage was displayed hours before his death when he amputated his own leg in efforts to save his own life. His father, a war correspondent for the NY Times, was also at the battle of Gettysburg and found his son on July 4^th, 1863, the day after the end of the battle. In his editorial the father wrote: “Who can write the history of a battle whose eyes are immovably fastened upon a central figure of transcendently absorbing interest—the dead body of an oldest born…My pen is heavy. Oh, you dead, who at Gettysburgh have baptised with your blood the second birth of Freedom in America, how you are to be envied!” Just over four months later, standing on a hill not far from where young Bayard Wilkeson had died, Abraham Lincoln invoked a similar sentiment: “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain — that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom.”

Being moved by the unimaginable pain of a son’s death and inspired by Lincoln’s words, Alyssa Etheridge and Lauren Lonas created the Bayard Wilkeson Project. In memory of “these honor dead”, these middle school historians worked every day since the end of October to honor all of the 142 soldiers from Oregon that have died in Afghanistan and Iraq so that Oregonians know that they “shall not have died in vain.” The Bayard Wilkeson Project website (www.bayardwilkesonproject.org) and interactive map has a picture of each fallen Oregonian, a brief biography, and a hyperlink to each soldier’s obituary. “The unfinished work remaining before us” is to present the “gift of honor” next fall to the parents of Oregon’s fallen. Our four year plan is to have students from the other forty-nine states create interactive Google maps of their fallen soldier for our website so that we “take increased devotion to that cause for which they her gave the last full measure of devotion.”

The Bayard Wilkeson Project was posted on Facebook to recruit other states to their mission to honor fallen soldiers. It was picked up by a partner of the Civic Renewal Network, Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, and was subsequently chosen to represent Oregon’s representative on Constitution Day in Washington D.C. Alyssa Etheridge and Ms. Lois MacMillan presented the project to Congressman Greg Walden on Capitol Hill. Senator Ron Wyden missed the meeting on Capitol Hill, so he visited South Middle School to honor Alyssa and Lauren to honor their civic project. This project has not only broaden the horizons of South Middle School, but is an example of how the study of history can inspire students to serve their nation.