(North
Bergen—June 19, 2015) Wendy Ide, a senior in the High Tech National Honor
Society (NHS) and resident of West New York, under the guidance of veteran instructors
David Polito and Joan Marie Bellotti, participated in the Veterans History
Project, an enterprise sponsored by the American Folklife Center of the Library
of Congress, announced Dr. Joseph Giammarella, Principal of High Tech
High School.
The
Veterans History Project collects, preserves, and makes accessible accounts of
American war veterans so that future generations may better understand the
realities of war. Ide participated in
this project by interviewing her grandfather, Ernest R. Vierk, a World War II
veteran, at High Tech’s radio station. Her
interview, recorded over the phone with the assistance of Chris DePierro and
Robert Meyer, members of High Tech’s Broadcasting and Video Production
Departments, revealed how Vierk served in the 44th Infantry Divison
and participated in a specialized Army German language training program. One of his duties included interviewing
prisoners of war.
The
recorded log of the interview and personal World War II artifacts donated by Ide’s
grandfather have been sent to the permanent collection of the Library of
Congress. The interview had proved a truly
moving experience for Ide and her family.
Prior to the interview, Vierk had never shared his World War II experiences
with his own family. As a member of the
Greatest Generation, Vierk leaves behind a new and permanent artifact of World
War II history.
