Gary Fords’s Esperance Historical Society Program

In  “Capturing Their Pasts - My Heroes, Their Stories” I present some of the stories that veterans shared with my students as part of an Oral History Project.  We interviewed over 120 veterans from WWII to the present and each one of those veterans is a hero to me, and each story is a tribute to their service and their sacrifices.   I speak for them now because so many of them no longer can.  I am humbled to be able to do this presentation the week after Memorial Day.

Gary Ford – VITA

• Taught American History in Rome for 33 years

• Helped create the Veterans Oral History Project which interviewed and archived the stories of over 120 local

veterans

• Chosen 3 times as “Most Influential Educator” and twice

as “Teacher of they Year”

• Received the “Medal of ’77 Award” from the Rome

Historical Society

• Trustee for the Genesis Group of the Greater Mohawk

Valley

• Former Councilman in the Town of Marshall and founding

member and Chairman of the Southern Oneida County

Council of Governments

• Facilitator for Legacy NOW Leadership Program

• Created and presented two plays for the Rome

Community Center, “Three Conversations” and “Voices

From the Wall”

• Whimsical Woodworker