Mount Pleasant, South Carolina. — On the deck of the historic USS Yorktown at Patriots Point, history is not only preserved, but also shared by people who lived it. Many of the volunteers who meet visitors aboard the aircraft carrier are veterans who have continued to serve long after their uniforms have been decommissioned.
“I just heard about it and decided to come and give it a try about 10 years ago, and it really turned out to be something special,” said Carl Herscher, a volunteer and U.S. Navy veteran of 31 years.
Patriots Point’s volunteer program brings together over a hundred people who give their time onboard the USS Yorktown, the USS Laffey, and at the Vietnam Experience exhibit. They assist guide tours, preserve exhibits, and share tales with students and tourists from all around the world.
“Everyone is always glad to be here. “Most of them are on vacation, and you’d be surprised how little they know about World War II,” Herscher added. “They ask very interesting questions, most of which I can answer.”
Herscher’s work is extremely personal. “I just think it’s important for people to remember what our military does for us and the sacrifices they make, not just for us but also for their families.” “It’s truly an honor to be here,” he remarked.
That message of memory motivates many of the veterans who serve at Patriots Point. According to Herscher, speaking with visitors, particularly younger generations, helps to guarantee that historical lessons are not forgotten.
“It really is kind of alarming to realize how little people remember about World War II and the Navy,” he told me. “It’s really an honor to talk to them about it.”
Herscher and others use the Veteran Speakers Bureau to attend schools and community events around the Lowcountry, sharing their experiences and keeping stories of service and sacrifice alive.
“We need to never forget it because they were incredible people,” she remarked. “And when we talk about it, it’s almost harder to comprehend what they went through.”
Herscher recounts his own military service with a sense of pride and fun. “I was the [executive] on duty on the East Coast when there was a war on the West Coast in Vietnam. We had very little money, so we had to do a variety of things to survive,” he explained. “It was always a funny experience, we had a management system where we’d have a crisis, we’d solve the crisis, we’d have a party, and tomorrow it would be a new crisis and we’d start all over again.”
He also enjoys discussing the magnitude and history of the Yorktown to curious visitors.
“A lot of them are amazed about the size of the ship,” Herscher remarked. “I talk to them about how big it is and how many people were on board during World War II, and compare it to aircraft carriers today, which are about twice as big.”
Herscher and his fellow volunteers’ current objective echoes the one they held in service: to preserve and protect something greater than themselves. “Those of us who have served will probably always tell you that we’d do it again in a minute,” Herscher joked.
Patriots Point is always seeking for new volunteers, both veterans and citizens, to assist share history with future generations.
Visit patriotspoint.org for more information on volunteering or to apply for the Veterans Volunteer Program.
Patriots Point is celebrating Veterans Day by offering free entry to veterans and their families, as well as sponsoring a donation drive in support of Operation Homefront, which provides veterans with nonperishable food and household necessities. Visitors who bring an item for the drive will receive a reduced entrance.
