Name: Cody Wilkerson Class Section/Meeting Time: HUMA 1100, MW – 8:00 AM

FINAL PROJECT REFLECTION

I chose to do my final project about my great-grandfather Orburn K. Flowers. He died serving in WWII
with the Army Air Corps. This relates to the “Experiences of War” theme we covered in class. I chose my
great-grandfather because he has a really unique story in that he is the great nephew of the Wright
Brothers and he was also a pilot. He wasn’t drafted into the war either, he voluntarily went when he
could’ve stayed as a flight instructor for the Army Air Corps. I think that says a lot about the kind of man
he was. Most of my adult life, I’ve tried to model myself to be that selfless and courageous. Also, being
that I am a veteran, I thought that would give me great perspective into his story.

I learned a lot while doing this assignment and was very surprised the more I researched about it. For
instance, when I was first was thinking of who I would chose for this assignment, he came to my mind.
My grandmother has told me since growing up that we were related to the Wright Brothers. I never
knew however that it was through my great-grandfather Orburn. I never cared to have her elaborate on
the relation, I just kind of thought to myself “that’s cool”. But when I learned Orburn, a WWII pilot, was
the great nephew of the Wright Brothers and even was named after them, the story became more
interesting. Then I found out that his middle name was “K” and that was after Katharine Wright. When I
researched the Wright’s, I was captivated by their story. Especially Katharine because she basically
became the mom of the house when their mother died. She took care of her brothers and really pushed
them to develop their ideas. She was very influential to the invention. I could’ve done a totally different
project just focused on Katharine and relating it to women’s suffrage and equality.

When I learned more about Orburn’s service, it was very fascinating. I always assumed that he was shot
down by Nazi’s in Europe. I had no idea he was flying over India and was shot down by the Japanese.
When I found that out, we had just finished a journal reading about the aggressive Imperial Japanese
Army, so I was familiar that Japan was at war with China and why they were at war. When I found out
that my great-grandfather was supplying the Chinese during that time, it really all came together, and I
had some historical context to my grandmothers’ stories.

My approach for this assignment was to initially do a pencil drawing of the Wright Brothers and my
grandfather to help tell the story. I had drawn the Wright Brothers and then I went to my grandmothers
for the second interview and to get copies of photos, so I could draw them. She showed me one that
was just perfect, but it would’ve been way too difficult to draw. It was of him and his flight students. I
knew that I had to present this photo because it was so meaningful to the story. It’s at this time I
decided I would make the poster board and write some poetry. I decided to combine my drawing and
writing skills into one presentation, a poster board containing the drawings, the poems, and the photos I
received from my grandmother. I wrote three poems and I was so inspired by my grandfather and the
WWI poetry we heard in class, I decided to write one poem about my service and experience. I really put
my feelings out there with it and it was kind of therapeutic. I really enjoyed this assignment and if it
wasn’t for this assignment, perhaps I would’ve never found that out about my great-grandfather
because that information would’ve died with my grandmother.