History: American battles
I wrote this story for the Minidoka County News about upcoming classes at a local community college.
By LISA DAYLEY
Minidoka County News
A Heyburn man’s love of history inspired him to teach others about famous American battles.
This fall Joe Coleflesh starts his second year teaching enrichment classes at the Mini-Cassia College of Southern Idaho (CSI).
“I’m a firm believer that the better we understand history, the better we can live our lives,” he said.
Unlike traditional history classes that focus on common facts, Coleflesh instead focuses on little known human-interest stories.
“We examine every day people and anonymous heroes. There are a lot of individual stories,” he said.
In October, Coleflesh will oversee a two-week course about the Pearl Harbor attack. During that course he will discuss a young pilot he knows only as Lieutenant Welch.
“He successfully shot down four Japanese planes during the attack,” Coleflesh said.
The 1970s movie “"Tora! Tora! Tora!” briefly mentioned Welch. The 2001 Ben Affleck movie ‘Pearl Harbor,’ Welch’s heroism was briefly talked about.
“They talk about his feat, but they don’t mention the man’s name. He’s an anonymous person,” Coleflesh said.
In late October, Coleflesh plans a three-week course on the Civil War Gettysburg battle. The three-day fight began on July 1, 1863 and ended with 52,000 casualties.
A Yankee and Maine college professor named Joshua Chamberlain helped the North win the famed battle.
“He taught himself how to be a military officer. He used some obscure military moves on the field to save the day,” Coleflesh said.
In November, Coleflesh will review the famed 1944 World War II Battle of the Bulge. He will highlight the Allies 101st Airborne which helped secure the embattled city of Bastogne, Belgium
“They fortified the town and held it,” he said.
Next year Coleflesh will again teach those courses, but will teach eight-week courses on the Civil, a favorite subject of his.
During his course on the famed war, Coleflesh will discuss everything from food to music to medicine.
“We’ll have period recipes. We’ll do music. We’ll have (author) Sherry George who’s spent a decade researching Civil War medicine talk to us,” Coleflesh said.
Many of Coleflesh’s students have ancestors who served during the Civil War. Originally, Coleflesh planned to spend only a short amount of time on genealogy. He expanded that after learning many of his students were descended from Civil War veterans like Yankee Joshua Miller and Confederate soldier Luke Kidd.
“I had students who were very interested in what their ancestors did,” he said.
Coleflesh now teaches students how to contact national archives for information and helps them look up additional information on the Internet.
Coleflesh says he likes teaching and especially enjoys working with adults.
“It’s kind of refreshing to teach adults in community education. They want to be there,” he said.
And unlike public school teachers who follow state mandated curriculums, Coleflesh creates his own.
“I get to set my own syllabus. It’s kind of spoiled me,” Coleflesh said.
Coleflesh uses money earned at CSI to buy Civil War artifacts such as authentic pictures.
“This money is getting reinvested into history,” he said.
The son of a military father, Coleflesh visited Gettysburg as a child and only thought of the famed field as a vast playground.
“I played on the cannon,” he said.
While studying the Civil War in elementary school, Coleflesh learned of a family connection to the conflict.
“Dad eventually mentioned to me that I had an ancestor who served in the Civil War. That’s all he could tell me,” he said.
Eventually, Coleflesh learned he had not one but 12 progenitors who fought in the war.
“Two of them were killed (in battle),” he said.
From there Coleflesh’s interest in the famed war intensified. He went on to join Civil War groups and served as an extra in the movie “Glory.”
“I honestly thought my Civil War research would taper off or level out but it has geometrically expanded. It’s developed a momentum of its own,” he said.
As for learning about history, by doing so today you may protect your tomorrow.
“The better you understand the past, the better you will live for your future,” he said.
For exact times and dates on Coleflesh’s classes call 678-1400
Also check out the following "Quilting in Idaho" The Bonneville Flood in Cassia County The History of Shorthand WWII Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
Minidoka County News
A Heyburn man’s love of history inspired him to teach others about famous American battles.
This fall Joe Coleflesh starts his second year teaching enrichment classes at the Mini-Cassia College of Southern Idaho (CSI).
“I’m a firm believer that the better we understand history, the better we can live our lives,” he said.
Unlike traditional history classes that focus on common facts, Coleflesh instead focuses on little known human-interest stories.
“We examine every day people and anonymous heroes. There are a lot of individual stories,” he said.
In October, Coleflesh will oversee a two-week course about the Pearl Harbor attack. During that course he will discuss a young pilot he knows only as Lieutenant Welch.
“He successfully shot down four Japanese planes during the attack,” Coleflesh said.
The 1970s movie “"Tora! Tora! Tora!” briefly mentioned Welch. The 2001 Ben Affleck movie ‘Pearl Harbor,’ Welch’s heroism was briefly talked about.
“They talk about his feat, but they don’t mention the man’s name. He’s an anonymous person,” Coleflesh said.
In late October, Coleflesh plans a three-week course on the Civil War Gettysburg battle. The three-day fight began on July 1, 1863 and ended with 52,000 casualties.
A Yankee and Maine college professor named Joshua Chamberlain helped the North win the famed battle.
“He taught himself how to be a military officer. He used some obscure military moves on the field to save the day,” Coleflesh said.
In November, Coleflesh will review the famed 1944 World War II Battle of the Bulge. He will highlight the Allies 101st Airborne which helped secure the embattled city of Bastogne, Belgium
“They fortified the town and held it,” he said.
Next year Coleflesh will again teach those courses, but will teach eight-week courses on the Civil, a favorite subject of his.
During his course on the famed war, Coleflesh will discuss everything from food to music to medicine.
“We’ll have period recipes. We’ll do music. We’ll have (author) Sherry George who’s spent a decade researching Civil War medicine talk to us,” Coleflesh said.
Many of Coleflesh’s students have ancestors who served during the Civil War. Originally, Coleflesh planned to spend only a short amount of time on genealogy. He expanded that after learning many of his students were descended from Civil War veterans like Yankee Joshua Miller and Confederate soldier Luke Kidd.
“I had students who were very interested in what their ancestors did,” he said.
Coleflesh now teaches students how to contact national archives for information and helps them look up additional information on the Internet.
Coleflesh says he likes teaching and especially enjoys working with adults.
“It’s kind of refreshing to teach adults in community education. They want to be there,” he said.
And unlike public school teachers who follow state mandated curriculums, Coleflesh creates his own.
“I get to set my own syllabus. It’s kind of spoiled me,” Coleflesh said.
Coleflesh uses money earned at CSI to buy Civil War artifacts such as authentic pictures.
“This money is getting reinvested into history,” he said.
The son of a military father, Coleflesh visited Gettysburg as a child and only thought of the famed field as a vast playground.
“I played on the cannon,” he said.
While studying the Civil War in elementary school, Coleflesh learned of a family connection to the conflict.
“Dad eventually mentioned to me that I had an ancestor who served in the Civil War. That’s all he could tell me,” he said.
Eventually, Coleflesh learned he had not one but 12 progenitors who fought in the war.
“Two of them were killed (in battle),” he said.
From there Coleflesh’s interest in the famed war intensified. He went on to join Civil War groups and served as an extra in the movie “Glory.”
“I honestly thought my Civil War research would taper off or level out but it has geometrically expanded. It’s developed a momentum of its own,” he said.
As for learning about history, by doing so today you may protect your tomorrow.
“The better you understand the past, the better you will live for your future,” he said.
For exact times and dates on Coleflesh’s classes call 678-1400
Also check out the following "Quilting in Idaho" The Bonneville Flood in Cassia County The History of Shorthand WWII Women's Auxiliary Volunteer Emergency
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