RED, WHITE AND BLUE: TEACHER PAYS TRIBUTE TO PATRIOTISM

CAPE GIRARDEAU -- Cape Central High School teacher Jack Grisham believes in the red, white and blue and his classroom is a colorful and effective testimony to that belief.

Grisham, a retired Army officer, long on patriotism and short on young people who fail to realize what a precious commodity freedom is, has turned his classroom into an art gallery. The subjects are many and varied, reflecting the nation's history and pride in the United States.

On one wall, a pencil sketch of "Rosie the Riveter," is beginning to show through.

On another wall is a color mural of happenings in the 1980s, which depicts Chernobyl, the Black Monday stock market crash, Savings and Loan problems, and other notable events.

On yet another wall are U.S. and Missouri flags, and over the door is a painting that combines the images of the tiger mascot of the school and the U.S. flag.

Another section of the wall is blank, but scheduled to be decorated soon with a patriotic Cape Central Tiger, with the words, "I Want You," resembling James Montgomery Flagg's famous World War I recruiting poster.

And just started is a mural that will be entitled "Desert Storm."

"Each of the murals here represent something or some era in history," said Grisham, a history instructor at Cape Central High School since 1977. "There's Uncle Sam, an eagle and the U.S. flag, a space rocket, and, of course, Rosie the Riveter from the World War II era, and a recent drawing depicting the Persian Gulf War."

The artwork is done by students who are attending, or have attended Grisham's history classes. Grisham provides the paint.

"One of the first pieces of art was the tiger/flag combination," said Grisham. "The student who did the mural Kelly Hankins graduated from Central, spent two years in the service, and is now a student at Southeast Missouri State University."

In 1986, another student Carl Heise requested permission to paint an eagle/flag combination.

"Heise submitted a drawing to me, the school approved it, and the second piece of artwork was accomplished," said Grisham.

Since then, the art list has grown each year and now totals about 20, added Grisham.

He said that today's teenagers are generally patriotic, and he enjoys teaching history classes.

And when the former Army officer starts discussing certain phases of World War II and Vietnam, he really doesn't have to open a history book.

The Anna, Ill., native spent 28 years in the Army, seeing combat as an enlisted man during World War II and commanding a battalion as a lieutenant colonel during the Vietnam conflict.

"I was in the military through three war actions World War II, and the Korean and Vietnam conflicts," said the patriotic Grisham.

"One of the things that I stress in my classes here is for students to keep up with current events and issues in the world today."

"Right now, one of the things we've been keeping up with is the recent space shot," said Grisham. "With a local person aboard the spaceship, it takes on a special meaning."

Aboard the 100-ton shuttle Atlantis, which is expected to touch down at Edwards Air Force Base in California today, is Dr. Linda Godwin, who attended high school at Jackson and college at Southeast Missouri State University.

"We've already had a lot of history to keep up with in 1991," said Grisham, who wears a yellow-ribbon pin commemorating Operation Desert Storm and the Persian Gulf War. He added that he will wear the ribbon until all of the troops are home."

Another reminder of the most recent war is a sign that is on the Cape Central marquee. It reads, "Welcome Home Men & Woman of Desert Storm. Well Done."

The sign is the work of the Central Patriotic Club, which was founded by Grisham in 1984.

The club was established when Grisham was asked to head a committee of teachers to foster patriotism and encourage more student interest in government.

"I posted interesting facts about the flag and etiquette points about showing respect for the flag on the bulletin boards," he said. "One day, a student asked why there were no students on the committee and, soon after, we founded the Patriotic Club."

Grisham said he has had as many as 45 members in the club during a school year, and as few as 15.

The Patriotic Club has adopted Hankins' tiger/flag as its club motto.

"One of the primary duties of the club is flag maintenance," he said. "We paint and keep the flag pole in good repair, maintain the marquee in the front school yard, lead the Pledge of Allegiance during school assemblies, and speak up for patriotism in general."

What Grisham and the patriotism committee set out to accomplish is working. Grisham frequently hears from former students who send special clippings or thoughts about patriotism, and a club that began as a "let's try it and see" venture is now an active unit whose influence is felt throughout the student body.

There are still few blank spaces on Grisham's walls, but those, he said, are likely to fill up soon.

Thanks to Grisham's efforts, the color of patriotism at Cape Central is not likely to fade.