WSHS Senior Takes on Extensive Video Project
In an effort to preserve the stories of area veterans in their own words for years to come, Wessington Springs High School senior Carissa Scheel is embarking on a project to interview and record veterans and their stories, creating a cherished video library for vets and their families.
“I’m focusing mostly on Jerauld County veterans and also my veteran, Ron Gilbert, who I went with on the Midwest Honor Flight,” Scheel said. “I’m looking at doing recorded videos with 20 veterans.”
Employing the help of her mentors Craig Bennett, Connie McLaughlin and her grandpa Dennis Scheel, she is compiling a database of local veterans that includes the era they served and where.
“I want to cover each branch of the military and as many different conflicts as I can,” she added.”
Scheel said she has access to high-quality video and sound equipment that was purchased by the Legion in Sanborn County for a similar student-led project.
“Paula Linke in Sanborn had a student do this several years ago. The Legion there bought the video and sound equipment for that project and is allowing me to use it,” Scheel explained. “I will record and edit the interviews then give them back to veterans on jump drive in hopes they will share their stories and interviews with their families.”
Scheel acknowledges that some veterans have a hard time sharing their stories of service and aims to be incredibly sensitive about that reality.
“I will talk to the veterans individually about if they want to share their stories with the public,” she said. “My hope is to make a video from clips of multiple veterans and play it at the Veterans Day program at school next year.”
