Students in the seventh and eighth grades of Rancho del Ray Middle School in Chula Vista, California had several important reasons to be part of the Pennies for Pearl Harbor Program: they wanted to play a part in keeping this important WWII battleground available to the public, and they wanted to honor some very important people.

 Vicki Jones-Pittman, lead teacher for this project at the school, introduced the program to the entire school with videos, interviews, and information about the December 7th attack and the need for a new visitor center and museum at Pearl Harbor.   They exceeded their goal of one dollar per student and raised a total of $2,845.12.

By doing the Pennies for Pearl Harbor Project, they also honored two very special WWII survivors: Jones-Pittman’s father, Gordon Edward Jones (CPO) VP14, NAS Kaneohe, and Andrew Partch (CPO) USS Raleigh, Pearl Harbor, the father of a staff member of the school. Both men were on duty during the attack. 

What moved Vicki Jones-Pittman to get involved? ‘History is best learned when you can experience it at the site of the incident. I would like to think our students and their families will be able to go to the new visitor center and museum in the future and realize they had a part in saving this piece of history.’ Supporting the museum and honoring two special Pearl Harbor survivors is something that had to be done.

Thank you, Vick Jones-Pittman and everyone at Rancho del Ray Middle School for keeping the memory alive. You Remembered, Understood, and Gave from the Heart.