When Nick Coccoma heard that over 1,100 World War II veterans pass away each day, he decided that the time had come to record the stories these men carry with them and to show appreciation for their heroic actions.

Coccoma, a senior at Cooperstown Central School, is the chairman of a student committee that includes Evan Guiney, Zach Dombrowksi and Hal Barthold. Last Wednesday night they presented the CCS school board with an outline for their extensive Veterans Project.

There is a track invitational in Cooperstown on Saturday, May 4, and Coccoma said the events are tentatively scheduled to take place during this weekend, beginning with a public ceremony on Friday at the school, a private dinner for veterans later that night and the dedication of a flagpole memorial on Saturday prior to the track meet. The memorial is slated for construction on the new track/football field.

"The project is looking more real every day," Coccoma said.

He said he was inspired by the actions of students at Cherry Valley-Springfield Central School, who honored veterans at their graduation ceremony in 2000 by presenting them with diplomas they didn't receive because they went to war instead of finishing school. Segments of the ceremony appeared on MSNBC's "The News with Brian Williams."

Eighth grade history teacher Don Howard also fired Coccoma's interest in World War II and the people who fought to preserve freedom. In his written outline about the project, Coccoma made an observation about the national media attention being given to World War II. He calls this a "nostalgic look back," and said it is more than just movies like "Saving Private Ryan," or the critically acclaimed television show, "Band of Brothers," but a social phenomenon.

"So many veterans are dying off," Coccoma said. "A lot of attention has been focused on the war on a national level. But there are guys locally who don't get that kind of exposure."

The committee has been aided by Howard, Ellen Coccoma, high school principal Gary Kuch and Jim Turner, a veteran who has acted as a liaison between the students and the veterans they plan to interview.

"The oral history project is important," Kuch said. "We want to record as many veterans' stories as possible, overseas or in this country. We've had a lot of phone calls from veterans who served at Omaha Beach, from prisoners of war, from a variety of different Pacific theaters. We had Bernie Gallagher from NYSHA come in and teach A.P. history students the do's and don'ts of interview techniques. I'm excited and proud of these students. If it works well, which I have no doubt it will, then we'll continue until we've recorded every local story, from Vietnam to Korea and World War II."

Coccoma said the students are looking for veterans to interview and funding for the flag pole memorial. Kuch said that a number of businesses have come forward to offer financial assistance for the project.