Rhode Island Educators Selected for National History Day Silent Heroes® Program
Students and Teachers To Research Untold Stories of Local U.S. Navy and Coast Guard Veterans from World War II
COLLEGE PARK, MD – November 11, 2026 – In honor of Veterans Day, National History Day® (NHD) is proud to announce the 56 teachers selected for its newest Silent Heroes® program, Silent Heroes: Untold Stories of the U.S. Navy and Coast Guard in World War II, sponsored by a grant from the Veterans Legacy Program in the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs. This fall, the selected teachers and more than 800 students will research over 120 Veterans who served during World War II, continued to serve their communities after returning home, and are currently buried or memorialized in a U.S. national or state Veterans cemetery. The teachers selected for the 2027 Silent Heroes program represent 32 states and 50 U.S. national or state cemeteries.
The Rhode Island Historical Society is pleased to announce that two Rhode Island Educators will be participating in this project.
Ms. Maureen McGuirl at Jamestown Lawn Avenue School, Jamestown, RI, will be researching U.S. Navy Gunner’s Mate First Class Francis “Tiny” Earl Clark & U.S. Navy Lieutenant Walter George Swistak from Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, RI.
Mrs. Christina O’Brien at North Providence High School, North Providence, RI, will be researching U.S. Navy Electronic Technician’s Mate Second Class Judge Thomas Domenic Pucci & U.S. Navy Construction Electrician’s Mate Chief Petty Officer William Orville Grimshaw from Rhode Island Veterans Memorial Cemetery in Exeter, RI.
“The Silent Heroes Program is important to me because it connects my students to historical events through the lens of their community,” says McGuirl. “As we dug into historical newspapers, the community engagement in the war effort surprised my students, who enjoyed reading about the role of students their age…”
“The reason I applied to this grant in the first place is that real-world application of history is what I value most as a teacher,” says O’Brien. “I love that my students are getting to research the everyman – and in this case, we are researching two WWII Veterans who contributed immensely both in their military positions as well as in their communities through their careers. The students in my RI History elective at North Providence High School have been looking through census records and newspapers in order to find information about these men. The use of primary sources in order to find out more about our past is the exact kind of work that historians do, and if I can introduce my students to the type of work that makes me passionate as a teacher, then maybe there is potential inspiration for these kids to pursue a preservationist career path.”
Teachers and students will meet monthly with historian Christopher Hamner, Ph.D., of George Mason University, to study the history of the Navy and Coast Guard, World War II, and the experience of Veterans who returned home to their communities. Supported by nine NHD research mentors, the student-teacher teams will use NHD-created materials and other resources such as Ancestry Classroom, Fold3, Newspapers.com, local libraries and historical societies, and Official Military Personnel Files requested from the National Personnel Records Center to guide their research.
The participants will research their chosen Veterans’ lives, military service, and community contributions this fall, and tell the story of their Veterans’ service and life by creating and publishing a profile on the Veterans Legacy Memorial and NHD’s Silent Heroes website.
“We are excited to continue the work of our Silent Heroes program in partnership with the National Cemetery Administration and tell the individual legacies of those who served in the Navy and Coast Guard during World War II,” said National History Day Executive Director, Dr. Cathy Gorn. “Silent Heroes is a unique and rewarding experience for students to learn the history of World War II through the experiences of their Veterans, and in return, tell their untold stories. Not only do students gain historical thinking and research skills, but they also become connected to the personal and local histories that they have contributed to.”
About the Rhode Island Historical Society
The Rhode Island Historical Society, the state’s oldest and only state-wide historical organization, welcomes everyone to engage with Rhode Island’s complex and significant past through its collections,
museums, and educational initiatives. Founded in 1822, the RIHS is an advocate for history as a means to develop empathy and 21st-century skills, using its historical materials and knowledge to explore topics of timeless relevance and public interest. As a Smithsonian Affiliate, it is dedicated to providing high-quality, accessible public programming and educational opportunities for all Rhode Islanders through its four sites: the Museum at the John Brown House, the Museum of Work & Culture, the Mary Elizabeth Robinson Research Center, and the Aldrich House.
The headquarters of the Rhode Island Historical Society are located at 110 Benevolent Street, Providence, RI 02906. Information: (401) 331-8575. Website: rihs.org. Follow the RIHS on Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.
About National History Day
NHD is a non-profit organization based in College Park, Maryland, that seeks to improve the teaching and learning of history. Established in 1974, NHD currently engages more than half a million students each year in conducting original research on historical topics of interest and supports teachers through professional development opportunities. Students present their research as a documentary, exhibit, paper, performance, or website. Projects compete first at the local and affiliate levels, where the top entries are invited to the annual National Contest at the University of Maryland at College Park. NHD is sponsored in part by the Joyful Noise Charitable Foundation, The Better Angels Society, Bezos Family Foundation, Library of Congress, Dr. Scholl Foundation, Behring Global Educational Foundation, and the National Park Service. For more information, visit nhd.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS: mary@nhd.org / DKCNHD@dkcnews.com