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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; At age 18, Michael Weber said he&#8217;s not sure he would be ready, but he is more than willing to answer the call of duty when and if the time ever comes.</p><p>Weber is one of 75 Wilkes University students who participated in the sixth annual Heroes Brunch for Veterans, an oral history project where students interview veterans from World War II to the Gulf War and document their stories.</p><p>&#8220;This experience was a real eye-opener for me,&#8221; Weber said, sitting across from John Witchin, 86, Freeland, the World War II veteran Weber interviewed. &#8220;Am I ready to serve, no, but I am willing if called. I realize we all have to do what our country asks of us.&#8221;</p><p>About 250 veterans, students and guests attended the Heroes Brunch on Tuesday in the Henry Student Center, hosted by the Wilkes freshmen who are in First-Year Foundation classes. The project was started by Marcia Skeeba Balester, professor and coordinator of the First Year Foundation program.</p><p>&#8220;We are here today to celebrate the relationships between our students and veterans,&#8221; Balester said.</p><p>She said the conversations are transcribed into individual booklets and three copies are given to each participating veteran. She said she keeps copies of all the booklets that have been done over the years and she uses them in her classroom.</p><p>&#8220;We have to perpetuate the appreciation of veterans and the sacrifices they have made,&#8221; Balester said.</p><p>Wilkes President Pat Leahy said he is proud to be president of a university that brings its students together with veterans.</p><p>&#8220;We hope our students will realize their potential for greatness should our nation need them one day,&#8221; Leahy said.</p><p>Weber said he was amazed to hear Witchin&#8217;s story about how he began his military service at age 18.</p><p>&#8220;I&#8217;m 18,&#8221; Weber said. &#8220;I can&#8217;t imagine what he and so many others were going through when they enlisted in the military. I have friend who enlisted in the military, but I never gave it much thought. After hearing these stories, I think all the students have a much greater appreciation for their service and for what all of them did for all of us.&#8221;</p><p>Witchin said he served in the Army anti-aircraft artillery for 12 years and he enjoyed every minute.</p><p>&#8220;It&#8217;s nice that these students participate in this program with us,&#8221; he said. &#8220;They don&#8217;t know what war is like.&#8221;</p><p>At another table, veteran Ruth Duda was sitting with six students, including interviewer Sarah Covert.</p><p>Duda is 97 and grew up in New York City. She served in the Army Air Corps during World War II before becoming a speech teacher.</p><p>Covert said she was nervous at first, but soon got comfortable talking to Duda.</p><p>&#8220;It really was eye-opening to hear all of the stories the veterans told us,&#8221; Covert said. &#8220;And what was amazing to me is that Ruth said she didn&#8217;t regret anything she ever did in her life. I hope I can say that someday.&#8221;</p><p>Duda said she just wanted to let the students know what it was like to live during World War II &#8212; not just through the eyes of a soldier, but also how civilians dealt with it.</p><p>&#8220;After World War I, I think the country became a bit too complacent,&#8221; Duda said. &#8220;Everybody thought everything was just fine. And then came World War II.&#8221;</p><p>The other students at the table &#8212;Rachel Windhorn, Dylan Kostak, Chris Pelchar, Ryan Griffin and Deryn Seltzer &#8212; all said they gained even more respect and appreciation for veterans than they had before their interviews.</p><p>&#8220;The veteran I interviewed said it was his duty to serve and he said it was an honor for him to go,&#8221; Windhorn said.</p><p>Balester said since the oral history project began in 2012, more than 350 oral histories have been recorded by Wilkes students. For the second year in a row, Robert Dolbear, who served in World War II, was the oldest veteran attending at age 102.</p><p><ins>&#8221;I would like to thank all of those attending today, veterans, to whom we owe an enormous debt we can never repay, and spouses of veterans, all of whom graciously shared their histories with our Wilkes students,&#8221; Balester said in her opening remarks. &#8220;This event is an annual win-win for us at Wilkes. You as veterans and spouses &#8212; and those who supported them &#8212; help our students to gain an appreciation for the sacrifices of those who came before them so they could enjoy the blessings of liberty. You teach them more than we can about honor, respect, courage, perseverance in the face of adversity, and just doing what you need to do.&#8221; </ins></p><p><ins>Leahy urged the students to continue to tell their stories as they go forward in life. </ins></p><p><ins>&#8220;I ask you all to tell the stories of these veterans to your children and grandchildren so the appreciation we all have today continues on in future generations,&#8221; Leahy said. </ins></p><p><ins>Covert summed it all up by saying, &#8220;I will always be able to say that I had the opportunity and the honor to interview a World War II veteran.&#8221; </ins></p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Jim Fawcett, of Mountain Top, a 93-year-old veteran, stands for &#8216;The Star-Spangled Banner&#8217; during the Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University on Tuesday. About 75 freshmen students participated in the First Year Foundation class and were paired with veterans to interview and learn their story. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517veteran-brunch1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Jim Fawcett, of Mountain Top, a 93-year-old veteran, stands for &#8216;The Star-Spangled Banner&#8217; during the Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University on Tuesday. About 75 freshmen students participated in the First Year Foundation class and were paired with veterans to interview and learn their story. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517veteran-brunch2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Wilkes University freshman Josh Embly listens to Navy veteran Harold Evans, of Exeter, during Tuesday&#8217;s Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517veteran-brunch2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Wilkes University freshman Josh Embly listens to Navy veteran Harold Evans, of Exeter, during Tuesday&#8217;s Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University. </caption1><photoCredit1></photoCredit1></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517veteran-brunch3.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Greater Pittston AMVETS Honor Guard Post 189 Vice Commander Tom Skrzysowski stands at attention while posting the colors before the Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University on Tuesday. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo2>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/web1_TTL111517veteran-brunch3.jpg</photo2><caption2>Greater Pittston AMVETS Honor Guard Post 189 Vice Commander Tom Skrzysowski stands at attention while posting the colors before the Heroes Brunch at Wilkes University on Tuesday. </caption2><photoCredit2></photoCredit2></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Bill O&#8217;Boyle</p><p>boboyle@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Bill O&#8217;Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Wilkes students get to know veterans at Heroes Brunch