Taylor High School History teacher Don Bennett puts a second coat of paint on the camper. Taylor High School's historical society and art club joined forces during their fall break to work on sprucing up a camper they bought for a local Vietnam veteran who has been involved in veteran programs at Taylor.

KOKOMO, Ind. — Students at a high school in northern Indiana took their fall break to give back to someone they respect: a Vietnam veteran.

Students in the Historical Society at Taylor High School in Kokomo, about 60 miles north of Indianapolis, spent their fall break fixing up a camper for a veteran. The group attends the annual Howard County Vietnam Veterans Reunion and hosts a program each year for Veterans Day.

At an assembly Friday, the students presented Charlie Morgan with the keys to the camper. Morgan and his wife, Tracie, will be able to use it when they attend the annual Vietnam Veterans Reunion in nearby Greentown.

“I’m very proud of these students, of these young adults,” Morgan said. “I thank them from the bottom of my heart.”

Morgan will pass the camper on to another veteran in the future when he is no longer able to attend the reunion, which Don Bennett said is a way of keeping it in the veteran family.

Bennett, a government and history teacher at Taylor and adviser for the historical society, told the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune that Morgan has been very active with the Taylor students, helping organize trips and speaking with them about the Vietnam War.

During the reunion earlier this year, several veterans thanked Bennett for bringing the students, and they thanked the students for attending.

“They’ll say ‘thank you’ to these guys,” Bennett said. “They just appreciate the fact that you guys are recognizing them. They go ‘Why are they thanking us? We’re supposed to be thanking them.’ They just appreciate the fact that these guys are recognizing them.”

The camper is a new way the students are giving back to the veterans, and they hope to be able to keep it within the veteran family. The veteran they’ll donate it to has agreed to pass it on to another veteran when he no longer needs it.

This year, the historical society teamed up with the school’s art club, and several art club students also donated their time over fall break to help refurbish the trailer. They helped with the interior mostly, working on design and painting.

Madi Keene, a senior in the art club, said she’s been involved with the historical society for two years. She attended the reunion last year, and knew she wanted to continue to help give back to veterans.

“I’m very proud to use my time to come do this,” she said.

And Dishon said she was proud to see her students using their fall break to give back.

“It’s their break, so I’m very proud that they’re using the time to come do good for others,” Dishon said.

Pemberton writes for the Kokomo, Indiana Tribune.