November 17, 2005

Bittersweet remembrance

A tribute to soldiers taken too soon

By Kymberli W. Brady
Staff Writer

As critical as we are about our own accomplishments, deciding how to edit our life stories down to five-minute snippets would be incredibly daunting. Doing the same for a husband, a son, or a brother after suddenly losing them to a hail of gunfire or a roadside bomb is merciless—yet, healing.

Karen Meredith (left), along with sisters Cathy Palton and Michel Meredith produced a digital movie about her son Ken Ballard—a legacy of the man they say was so much more than what has been written about him or shown on TV, “more than just a name to be remembered on Memorial Day.”

As local World War II veterans took their seats inside the Montgomery Theater Thursday afternoon, a very different group of war-torn civilians took their places backstage.

It was a day to honor all veterans, and yet the sad, happy, loving, unforgettable stories of seven soldiers taken too soon resonated on nearly 200 tear-stained faces as they filed out of the theater two hours later.

“They put the lives of other Americans ahead of their own,” said Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren. “I’m glad and grateful that I am able to thank these brave men who gave everything for us in Iraq. God bless you.”

Last year, Stories of Service, a project of the Digital Clubhouse Network, presented a special digital tribute to World War II veterans in honor of the 60th anniversary of the end of the war. The unique pairing of teens and seniors resulted in unions that bridged not only the digital divide, but the generational divide as well.

“History is useless if it cannot be used to heal,” said David Crossen, president of History San Jose and History Park, the new home of the Digital Clubhouse Network. What we’re seeing here is the ability of history to heal, and the result—a group of young people that I have no doubt will become the next ‘greatest generation,’ as they continue the healing, bridge the generations and make sure that history continues to do the type of life-changing work that it can do.”

“They are digital pioneers,” added Jerry Rosenthal, president of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County. “They are digital historians, gathering and preserving our past for the future. We are thrilled to be associated with this wonderful joint venture in inter-generational storytelling, for it is that which binds our community together.”

This year’s presentation put young, human faces on the current war in Iraq by paying tribute to seven Bay Area soldiers who will never return home but who live on in short digital movies produced last summer by many of the same tech-savvy teens. Only this time, they poured through photo albums, memory boxes, scrapbooks, and personal mementos with family members still dealing with the grieving process. The final result; seven digital vignettes honoring those who gave their lives for a nation, including Marine Lance Cpl. Jeramy A. Ailes, 22, of Gilroy; Army 1st Lt. Kenneth Michael Ballard, 26, of Mountain View; Marine Lance Cpl. Wesley J. Canning, 21, of Friendswood, Texas; Marine Lance Cpl. Kyle D. Crowley, 18, of San Ramon; Army Sgt. Adam W. Estep, 23, of Campbell; Army Chief Warrant Officer 1 Erik C. Kesterson, 29, of Santa Clara; and Marine Lance Cpl. Travis J. Layfield, 19, of Fremont.

Jerry Rosenthal, president of the California Pioneers of Santa Clara County and DCN partner praised the work of the tech-savvy teens he called digital pioneers and digital historians, for their work gathering and preserving the past for the future.

Those of us who didn’t know Army 1st Lt. Ken Ballard will not soon forget the image of the young man poised in the opening of a tank, wearing his favorite Hawaiian shirt—a stark contrast to the dessert sand colored fatigues underneath, or the 4-year-old boy with a penchant for making cranberry sauce on Thanksgiving—or the sound of the 21-gun salute that echoed through the hall as his mother Karen Meredith was presented the American flag that draped his casket.

“We had Ken for only 9,810 days, but oh what 9,810 days we had,” she said. “Each one of those days was a priceless gift…”

Then there was the undeniable pain of Mark Crowley, a single father who never got the chance to mend fences with his estranged 18-year-old son Kyle, but who now holds on to the images of better days captured during fishing trips together and the realization after so many people came to Kyle’s funeral that he did a “good job, despite the division.”

Crowley and Diane Layfield were drawn together in grief, as their two sons served in the same battalion and died in the same ambush on the same day. Her story gets even more chilling when she discovers at her son Travis’ funeral that the tattoo of an Indian feather on his forearm did not stand for “first born son,” as he thought. It was the traditional symbol for “Fallen Warrior.”

For the families, it was painful and salutary at the same time, the surrender of heart-splitting loss to digital diaries turned legacies. For the teens, it was an emotionally draining, yet fulfilling journey into lives they would never have otherwise known.

“It was an amazing experience to be able to use the technology that I’ve learned over the past few years to be able to create these high quality films,” said Nick Mollet, a sophomore at West Valley College and the clubhouse’s premier editor. “It’s an excellent tribute to these families and their fallen soldiers—to get to know these soldiers who we were never able to speak to or see in person. All we have are the memories of them and their memories are tribute enough.”

“As a veteran, I appreciate the fact that this clubhouse has done so much to preserve the stories of people who have served in the military,” acknowledged Council-man Chuck Reed. “As a parent, I’m deeply grateful that my daughter and son-in-law went off to serve in the war and came home safely, but I know there’s nothing I can do to solve the pain and grief that the families are suffering today, and I am happy to be able to honor the service of their sons and to honor the sacrifices of the families through this Digital Clubhouse project.”

This year also marked another first, with the bi-coastal debut that enabled a DCN youth delegation to travel to New York, participate in the Veteran’s Day Parade, and present a simultaneous screening of the same movies aboard the USS Intrepid.

“The trip to New York was amazing,” said 14-year-old Yeun Byun, a freshman at Saratoga High School. “Seeing everyday normal people crying and looking up to our veterans on the floats, thanking them for their service made me respect the veterans more. It made me realize how privileged I was to be able to know and meet these people—even more to preserve their stories.”

Vietnam Veteran and Councilmember Chuck Reed, who is also running for Mayor, stands with Karen Meredith and WWII veterans in honor of the fallen during a Digital Clubhouse event on Veteran’s Day at the Montgomery Theater in downtown San Jose.

“I have never experienced a trip of this magnitude in the time that I have been on this earth,” added Filbert Zhang, 17, a senior at St. Lawrence Academy. “To see people come from all over the United States to honor those who served and those who are serving is just phenomenal. The trip gave me a new perspective of how many people honor them because of the number of people in the crowds, which formed alongside the parade path and seemed to be almost countless. Being a part of this project really means a great deal to me because I feel a sense of accomplishment and gratitude.

“We bring people of all ages and backgrounds together to share skills and life experiences,” said DCN Executive Director Anita Long MackFarland “I’m so deeply touched and amazed by the way our students dedicated so much of their time, talent, and youthful prospective for the good of our communities. They are making history and preserving it at the same time. I am the one who is honored to work with them.”

“There’s one thing that never ceases to amaze me and it’s the talent of the young men and women, boys and girls who have come together to put this tribute together,” said Silicon Valley San Jose Chamber of Commerce President Pat Dando to the families. “The tributes that have been paid to the families are very heartfelt and I know that it has been difficult for many of you to see some of these messages, but it has been very meaningful to the people in the audience. It is important to remember not only what your family members have given, but what you also have given—people that you love have been taken from you much too soon.”

“We are so fortunate to be able to bring together the youth, the age of technology and the history,” she added.

“Whether it’s a war from years ago or recent times, it’s important that we remember and that we bring those many aspects of our community together.”

For more information on the Digital Clubhouse Network and Stories of Service project, visit www.digiclub.org or www.stories-of-service.org.