Retired United States Army Brigadier General Robert McFarlin, of Camas, came to Camas High School on Friday, May 18, to share 30 year’s worth of Army memories with teacher Lori Thornton’s world history students.
Thornton has hosted McFarlin as a guest speaker in her class for the past three years, and said the retired general not only shares his experiences, but also the values he developed throughout his career.
“It’s nice to give students another voice to talk about and especially (from) someone who experienced and lived it,” Thornton said of McFarlin’s annual presentation. “He’s a wealth of knowledge. He’s been in 53 countries. It’s incredible.”
McFarlin, who moved to Camas in 1995, said he usually focuses on his military experiences when he visits students at schools throughout the region, including Camas, Battle Ground and Wilsonville, Oregon, but added that the talk normally delves into a geo-political discussion.
“The kids are great,” McFarlin said. “The fun part is when we can get involved in a discussion back and forth. They go pretty well. My thrust is always for students to make decisions on facts and not on emotion, and to come at every issue with a strong sense of their own values.”