A former Army National Guard medic and YouTube star based in Iowa with several million followers has a message for Veterans Day and beyond.
Nic Flood, a journeyman electrician and father of two, told Fox News Digital that when people “learn about America’s war heroes, you’re learning about some of the best, bravest individuals that have ever existed on the face of the planet. And if you can draw from those experiences and learn those lessons, it’s going to help you in life.”
Flood has built an online following by telling the stories of American military heroes, from their childhood to their service and on through their later-in-life experiences.
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“If you forget what these men sacrificed, then ultimately you’re going to wind up forgetting what they sacrificed for, too,” Flood said.
“It’s easy to forget how important that is when you aren’t reminded of the cost of it.”
Flood said his concern about how military history is taught partly comes from his own experience in school, though he says that may or may not be typical.
He said he frequently hears from viewers who once thought they disliked history, only to become interested in it when they begin hearing the stories of the people who lived it.
To look beyond his own experience, Flood created a survey that drew more than 1,100 responses from 49 states. He focused in particular on 81 eighth graders whose teachers administered the survey in class and whose families did not watch his videos.
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The results showed a striking divide between their knowledge of pop culture and military history. Among eighth graders, 98% of those who took the survey knew that Travis Kelce married Taylor Swift — while just 6% could name a Medal of Honor recipient, Flood said.
Only one in eight could name an American hero from World War II — while nearly a third selected actor Woody Harrelson when asked to identify a war hero.
At the same time, 64% of the students said someone in their own family had served in the military.
The students did not appear uninterested in history. Most rated their history class a four or five out of five, and one student offered an idea about how to make the subject more meaningful.
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“It should feel less like a memory test and more like we’re learning about real people,” the student wrote.
Flood said that is why he believes storytelling can make history resonate in a way that memorizing dates and locations may not.
“You can still teach the big picture of World War II, but you can teach it through the lens of an individual,” he said.
“And not only is it more entertaining, it’s more compelling, but it also makes it easier for kids and people in general to relate to.”
One story very much on Flood’s mind is that of Vietnam War Medal of Honor recipient Roy Benavidez — who recovered from a severe injury, returned to military service and later helped save fellow service members during a lengthy firefight.
Flood said he has drawn on lessons from Benavidez’s story while dealing with injuries in his own life.
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“If Roy Benavidez could live through what he did, I mean, I can get through this,” Flood recalled thinking. “I think hearing these lessons, especially at a young age to kids, is very powerful.”
The response to Flood’s online work ultimately helped inspire “Heroes Erased,” his children’s book series focused on 10 American heroes from World War II. He said viewers had repeatedly asked for versions of his stories that they could share with their children.
Flood said he hopes the project encourages others to keep telling the stories of the people behind American military history.
“Everybody wants to hear these stories,” he said. “Everybody wants to be excited about history.”
For Flood, the message extends beyond Veterans Day.
“I don’t think that you should just go out and learn these stories because you’re supposed to honor veterans,” he said.
“I think there’s actual value to be learned from hearing these stories and taking them in.”