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The stories of Grenfell's veterans will be preserved for future generations through a new project led by students at St Joseph's Primary School.
The school's Tales of Hope project, funded through a Department of Veterans' Affairs grant is giving students the opportunity to learn firsthand about military service while creating a lasting digital record of local veterans' experiences.
Teacher and project coordinator Natalie Caruana said the initiative was designed to help students develop a deeper understanding of the people they honour each year on ANZAC Day and Remembrance Day.
"Last year we applied for a grant from the Department of Veterans' Affairs to create a project that remembers and commemorates our veterans and service people," Ms Caruana said.
As part of the project students visited the Australian War Memorial to gain a greater appreciation of Australia's military history before Year 5 and 6 students developed their own interview questions for local veterans.
Seven veterans visited the students last term for an extended question-and-answer session sharing personal stories, photographs, medals and memories from their years of service.
The interviews will now be transformed into a digital archive that will be launched later this year and shared with the wider community.
"We're hoping to invite the community along to the launch so everyone can share in these stories," Ms Caruana said.
She said one of the project's greatest achievements had been the genuine engagement shown by students throughout the interviews.
"I've never seen our students so engaged," she said.
"They were in there for three hours with the veterans and I don't think one of them twitched or moved. It was just an amazing experience."
Students asked thoughtful questions about topics including the age at which veterans enlisted, conscription, life in the services and the differences between the experiences of men and women who served.
Rather than focusing on combat, the students were more interested in the personal journeys and sacrifices made by those who served Australia.
"They were very moved, particularly by our Vietnam veterans and just understanding how much they sacrificed to take on those roles," Ms Caruana said.
One student's reflection particularly stood out.
They said: "It was very moving to hear their stories, but it made me feel proud of them and what they did."
Ms Caruana said the experience had also been rewarding for the veterans, many of whom appreciated having the opportunity to reflect on experiences they had not spoken about for decades.
"The veterans said it was lovely that they felt heard and respected," she said.
"They were very impressed by the level of the questions the students asked."
Some veterans had initially been concerned the discussion would focus on combat, but were pleasantly surprised by the students' curiosity about service, community and personal experiences instead.
Ms Caruana hopes the project leaves students with a lasting appreciation of the meaning behind community commemorations.
"Our students see these people around town, but now they understand what ANZAC Day is about and why Remembrance Day is important.
"I think it's definitely given our students that insight," Ms Caruana added.
The completed digital record will preserve the stories of Grenfell's veterans while ensuring future generations continue to learn from their service and sacrifice.
What students had to say about the experience:
“I felt proud that they came to our school and grateful that we live in our wonderful country, Australia.” – Trinity
“I felt sad that the veterans had to go through what they did, but also proud that they are here with us today.” – Luke
“It was sad to hear what they went through, but they were so brave.” – Abby
“It made me feel proud of them for sharing their stories from such a scary time in their lives.” – Heidi
“It made me feel both happy and sad. It was so kind of them to talk to us about their lives.” – Serenity
“I felt grateful that we had the opportunity to speak to them and learn about their stories firsthand.” – Adelaide
“I felt grateful that they risked their lives for us.” – Robin
“I felt grateful for their service and sorry for all the things they went through.” – Jack