POQUOSON, Va. (WVEC) — Joe Kelly has stories that force people of all ages to stop and listen. The World War II veteran isn't afraid to crack a joke or recall memories with his friends from the war, and at Poquoson High School, more than 70 students say they're excited to learn more.
Kelly, one of more than 50 veterans involved, is participating in the Poquoson Veterans Project, a community outreach program started by teacher Becky Morrison at the high school.
Poquoson High junior Bailey Green said he almost couldn't believe what Kelly had experienced during World War II.
"I learned that his ship was shot down and he had to swim to an island and then he got sick and had to be sent back to Pearl Harbor," Green said.
Kelly's stories can fascinate people for hours. He's even willing to share some of the honest ones from his days of service about drinking with his friends and then getting caught and punished, much to the laughs of the high school students.
"It wasn't long before we were both stinking drunk and we got into very big trouble for that," Kelly said as the table laughed.
But, stories of valor and bravery also stand out.
"I can't imagine a guy being so courageous like he was," Kelly recalled about his friend.
For all these high school students born after the year 2000, the Poquoson Veterans Project offers the opportunity to hear from veterans who lived through the experiences that students read about in textbooks.
High schoolers can learn about history from textbooks, but it's something else to hear about it from the people who were actually there.
"Experience from somebody else and what they went through is definitely more valuable," said student Jack McKenna.