Students in the Bluefield State College Honors Program recently hosted a panel discussion designed to provide depth to the students' understanding of the impact of World War II. Pictured (left-to-right) are Honors Program member Dana Cochran, BSC faculty member Dr. Charles Pickeral (who moderated the forum) and forum participants Ms. Eugenia Hancock and Mr. Buddy Warden.

(BLUEFIELD)--Students in the Honors Program at Bluefield State College were joined by members of the College community during a recent "Honors College Seminar Luncheon" that featured two well-known area residents who recounted their experiences during the time of World War II.

Buddy Warden of Bluewell and Eugenia Hancock of Bluefield shared their memories and insights with students during the program. "The 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor was the most unifying event that ever happened to the United States," Hancock observed. "World War II was accompanied by a tremendous upheaval. Nobody knew what the next day would bring. However, there was throughout the nation a unified commitment to the war."

Warden, who enlisted in the Navy, served on an attack transport, first in the European theatre, then in the Pacific. "There were times when, every day, we would bury two-to-fifteen sailors per day at sea," he remembered. "The only news we heard was from Tokyo Rose."

Hancock and Warden agreed that World War II triggered some major changes in the lifestyles of Americans. "The soldiers who returned from the war were much more mobile, moving from place to place," Hancock stated. "The G.I. bill made it possible for post-war soldiers to go to college.' "The economy was strong, and there was a sense of optimism," Warden added. The longtime Bluewell municipal official and businessman distributed samples of war rations and other artifacts of World War II.

Students in the Honors College Program meet throughout the academic year, taking part in academic enrichment activities and community service initiatives.

November 18, 2003