WARTIME MEMORIES VETERANS DETAIL SACRIFICES AT SCHOOL.

Byline: Peggy Hager Staff Writer

LITTLEROCK - In Audrey Poole's hometown during World War II, all the businesses shut down on Sundays - meaning servicemen on leave had nothing to do.

So Poole's family, and other townsfolk, started inviting servicemen into their homes on Sundays. Poole estimates her father gave rides to thousands of servicemen.

``Through every conflict, wherever there has been servicemen ... our house was open all the time for any serviceman who wanted to stay, for as long as he wanted,'' Poole said.

Two wars after World War II, Poole's oldest son was in the military - but he didn't come home.

Her son died in Cambodia during the Vietnam War. She buried him one day before his 21st birthday.

``I just couldn't bury him on his birthday,'' Poole said.

Poole and her husband, Tom, an Army veteran whom she married after World War II was over, were among six speakers who came Friday to Littlerock High School to speak about their wartime experiences.

More than 2,400 students heard testimony from veterans of World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War, as part of their history classes on Friday.

It was teacher Bruce Galler's idea to bring the veterans to Littlerock High School. A 10th-grade teacher of world history, he felt it was important that students learn about the holiday firsthand.

``Hopefully, they understand that freedom is not free, that a dear price is paid by those who gave their lives so that we could have the freedom to lay on the couch on Veterans Day,'' Galler said.

Tom Christner, now a quality assurance manager for British Aerospace, served in the U.S. Army during the Vietnam War.

``The mission of servicemen is to willingly, without hesitation, put themselves in harm's way,'' said Christner, who walked out into the campus theater audience to talk to students.

Christner urged students to shake the hands of World War II and Korean veterans and take a moment to thank them.

``We've lost track of who we really owe a debt of thanks,'' said Christner.

Eighty-three-year-old John Spence, a deep-sea diver on the battleship USS Idaho and later a Navy frogman, showed a World War II training film of him and his teammates exercising, attaching explosives to the hull of a ship and riding on a two-man motorized raft that was used to transport the men close to the ships.

Fifteen-year-old Jamie Munyon said she enjoyed listening to the veterans' stories.

``I think it's really great when people come out and talk,'' Munyon said. ``I kind of get emotional just listening to them.''

Both Munyon and friend Kristina Karpinski, 15, felt it was important to have veterans speak about their experiences to teen-agers.

``I think we need to learn about our history to respect it,'' said Munyon.

Karpinski added, ``Kids nowadays aren't very respectful to elders.''

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2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) John Spence shows Littlerock High School students a World War II training film from his days as a Navy frogman.

(2 -- color) Tom Christner

Vietnam War Army veteran

Jeff Goldwater/Staff Photographer