“Telling His Story:” A Year of Gratitude, Legacy, and Service Honored through Veterans Day and Thanksgiving

As the nation reflects on a season of remembrance and gratitude, “Telling His Story” stands at the forefront of a year defined by honor, education, and heartfelt connection. Marking the significance of both Veterans Day and Thanksgiving, the work continues to inspire audiences across communities, classrooms, and stages nationwide through its enduring message: every veteran’s story matters, and every story deserves to be heard.

Throughout the year, “Telling His Story” has expanded its educational and community outreach, deepening its mission to preserve the lived experiences of America’s veterans. From school assemblies to civic events and intergenerational forums, the program has fostered meaningful dialogue between and among veterans and civilians, bridging understanding through storytelling, reflection, and gratitude.

At its core, the initiative reaffirms a simple truth: history is not only written in books, but it is also carried in the voices of those who lived it.

A cornerstone of this year’s outreach has been the continued success of Hill’s Veterans Tribute Speaking Tour, a powerful platform that brings firsthand accounts of service, sacrifice, and resilience directly to audiences across the country.

Through deeply personal storytelling and immersive presentations, the tour has helped audiences, especially young learners, better understand the human dimension of military service. Each stop serves as both a tribute and a teaching moment, ensuring that the legacy of veterans is preserved not only in memory, but also in action and awareness.

As the nation gathers in reflection for Thanksgiving, “Telling His Story” extends its gratitude to veterans, families, educators, and community partners who have made this year’s mission possible. The season serves as a reminder that gratitude is not confined to a single day, but lived through ongoing recognition and service.

This year’s dual observance of Veterans Day and Thanksgiving has underscored a shared theme: remembrance and gratitude are inseparable. One honors sacrifice; the other celebrates the enduring strength of community.

Building on a strong year of engagement, “Telling His Story” will continue expanding its speaking tour, educational programming, and community partnerships into the coming year. New initiatives will focus on increasing school-based outreach, expanding veteran participation, and developing additional multimedia storytelling resources.

The mission remains steady and clear: to preserve legacy, to elevate truth, and to ensure that the stories of veterans continue to inspire future generations.

“Telling His Story” is a narrative-driven initiative dedicated to preserving and sharing the lived experiences of military veterans. Through storytelling, education, and live speaking engagements, the program seeks to honor service, to strengthen community understanding, and to inspire gratitude across generations.

“Telling His Story: POW #1000 - The Bataan Death March and Japanese POW Camps” by J.C. Pardue and Dr. Janis Pardue Hill is now available on Amazon and for presentations and book talks and can be reached by email janisphill@gmail.com.

About the Author
Janis Pardue Hill, PhD, a retired university professor and lifelong educator, holds a BS in English education, an MA in literature, and a PhD in Curriculum Theory. She has taught in secondary and university classrooms, served as a Program Coordinator in the Louisiana Department of Education, and worked as a Curriculum Coordinator in the Ouachita Parish School System.

Dr. Hill retired from Louisiana Tech University in 2010 to dedicate herself to family, with the publication of her father’s notes and journals her top priority. She spent the last two years of her father’s life talking with him and interviewing him about the plethora of journals and notes about his experiences on the Bataan Death March and in Japanese POW camps which he had recorded after he returned from the war. That memoir, entitled “Telling His Story: POW #1000 The Bataan Death March and Japanese POW Camps,” was published on December 2, 2022; and since that time, Dr. Hill has spoken at numerous events, including the 2023 Louisiana Book Fair where the memoir was one of the featured books. “Telling His Story: POW #1000” is currently in republication. “BUG: The Story of a Special Bug and His Little Boy” is Dr. Hill’s first children’s book.

Dr. Hill and her husband, Charles A. Hill, Jr., have two children, Trey and Amy; three grandchildren, Jack Hill, Harper Bourgeois, and Emma Bourgeois; and a son-in-law, Bartley Bourgeois. Dr. Hill and her husband live in North Louisiana.

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