"Until the millennium arrives and countries cease trying to enslave others, it will be necessary to accept one's responsibilities and to be willing to make sacrifices for one's country - as my comrades did. As the troops used to say, "If the country is good enough to live in, it's good enough to fight for." With privilege goes responsibility".

When I teach this class face-to-face, I take students on a field trip when we get to World War I. From campus we walk thirty minutes east to the shore of Lake Michigan and visit Milwaukee's War Memorial. There is a reflecting pool and around it are inscribed the names of local men and women who gave their lives in our World Wars. Not far away rises the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial comprised of three red granite columns. We use crayons and large sheets of paper to trace the names from around the pool. We hang the tracings in our classroom as a reminder for the rest of the term. Students hate the long walk, but in the end they understand why it is important to pay respect to those who fought so that we may be free. Learn this from me my friends: Freedom is not free.

Emily, Joe & Kelly Mulvenna in front of "FREEDOM IS NOT FREE" at Washington's Korean War Memorial.

Imagine you are driving down a highway with people standing shoulder-to-shoulder on both sides. Do you know that you would have to drive for two hours - at 60 miles per hour - before you would pass every American who has sacrificed their life for this great nation? Think about it again: Freedom is not free.

Do you think I am being silly and overly sentimental? Then go to the next Veteran's or Memorial Day parade and see how few of your fellow citizens show up to honor our fighting men and women. It's simply disgraceful. If you live with, or are related to, someone who spent time in our armed forces, please do me a favor; Tell them your teacher said, "thanks". Enough said.

So about these "World Wars". Well there have been two and each began in Europe before the United States got involved. During both the Russians (Soviet Union) were our allies. Students find this strange since they grew up thinking about the "evil empire" as described by Ronald Reagan. The fact is, that for the first 50 years of the current century, we were on the same side. World War II is a war we fought in two places: Europe and the Pacific (Japan). But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Here's the reading for this assignment

Below you will find five groups of words. For each group you will write a single sentence describing events of the war using each of the terms. When you have completed the five sentences, you must arrange them in chronological order, i.e. what came first, second, etc.

This is my grandfather Alex Mulvenna who immigrated from Ireland and then enlisted for WWI as an American soldier. That is how he earned his U.S. citizenship. He fought in France and was wounded twice before returning to Chicago to meet and marry grandma.

1. Selective Service Act, 4 million, 2  million, Draftee

2.  Woodrow Wilson, 128, Neutrality, Lusitania, Submarine warfare