INDIANAPOLIS — It's become difficult to find a World War II veteran since the youngest surviving veterans are approaching 100-years-old.
North Central High School students got the rare opportunity to hear their stories firsthand on Wednesday.
Living History Day featured more than 70 war veterans, but only two of them served in WWII: Army radar operator Alex Rearick and Navy electronics technician Bob Begeman, who saw the end of the war on the USS George Clymer.
"The war ended two days before my 21st birthday," said Begeman, who is turning 100 this year. "I have a great-granddaughter who is older than these students are."
North Central social studies teacher Chris Vermillion has continued the Living History Day tradition at the school for twenty years.
"It's an understanding of what the men and women who are here today did to provide the freedoms they have today," Vermillion said.
Begeman and Rearick both opened up to students about the particulars of their service during WWII.
"We anchored on a sunken Japanese freighter that was out in the harbor," Begeman recalled. "The deck was above water, so we just tied to the side of it. Since we were tied to it, there was nothing to keep you from climbing over the rail, so I got on the sunken ship."
The National WWII Museum estimates only about 100,000 of America's 16 million World War II veterans — less than one percent — are still alive.
Instead, most of the service members were Vietnam War veterans, who still left students with unforgettable lessons.
"As a sophomore, I can't imagine having to go prepare and protect the country and do everything you can at 17 years old," said North Central student Julia Eynon. "You're not even out of high school, you haven't left home yet. It's just really eye-opening."
Begeman said one question from students stopped him in his tracks: when did he find joy during the war?
"I don't think I ever answered that," Begeman said. "I think my answer is the end of WWII."
Watch the full conversation with the students in the player below:
