Imaginations are the best tools people have to avoid future conflicts and unpopular wars. People may never find the panacea to eliminate all violence, but perhaps if students develop their imaginations today, America as a nation can begin to solve more problems with creativity than with fists. Imaginations allow for better decision-making. Imaginations allow people to walk in others' shoes and vicariously experience what soldiers grapple with both psychologically and emotionally. As students' imaginations are developed, they are better equipped to assess the total and true costs of war. Inspired by her familial connections to American military history, the author describes how she engages her students in narrative writing using artifacts from the US Vietnam Veterans Memorial. The author also describes how the artifacts inspire her students to imagine the stories these artifacts tell.