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Celebrating the veterans in Tonganoxie

Quilts of Valor presented during 4th annual assemly at THS

By Staff | Nov 17, 2022

Becky Nasalgood/Tonganoxie USD 464

LOCAL VETERANS GATHER Thursday at the Tonganoxie High School gymnasium for the fourth annual Veterans Day Celebration. THS students attended the event as well, while THS band vocal students performed songs. Quilts of Valor also were presented to local veterans. THS teacher Mike McClellan served as guest speaker.

Tonganoxie USD 464 once again celebrated those who’ve served with Thursday’s Fourth Annual Veterans Day Program.

The Tonganoxie VFW Post 9271 Color Guard posted the color at the THS gymnasium. THS student Graham Foley narrated the program. Tribute videos “Today We Honor Our Veterans” and “A Moment of Truth” were played. The entire THS student body attended the event that honored local veterans.

Cody Witte, THS principal, gave the Veterans Day welcome and announced Voice of Democracy winners.

Longtime THS political science teacher Mike McClellan served as guest speaker for this year’s event.

The Tonganoxie High School band and choir performed “Armed Forces: The Pride of America Tribute” before USD 464 Superintendent Loren Feldkamp presented the Quilts of Valor to local veterans.

The THS choir performed “Battle Hymn of the Republic, the THS band performed “Amber Waves of Grain” and then THS student Aiden Van Middlesworth played “Taps.”

Tonganoxie VFW Post 9271 Color Guard then retired the colors.

Recipients of this year’s Quilts of Valor were Francisco “Frankie” Garcia, Robert Lenahan, Stephen L. Hill, Joseph Blanz, George William Stewart and Steven Mainville.

Garcia joined the U.S. Navy in in 1963 at the age of 18 and served on the USS Yorktown, sailing the south China Sea and combat areas of Vietnam.

Lenahan joined the U.S. Army in 1946 at 17 and serve two tours in Korea. For more than 46 years, he operated Lenahan’s Garage in Tonganoxie.

Hill graduated from Bonner Springs High School in 1965 and joined the U.S. Navy in 1966 during the Vietnam War.

Blanz served in the U.S. Army in Vietnam and then Germany as part of a 24-year military career.

Stewart recently celebrated his 100th birthday with a surprise celebration in Tonganoxie. He joined the U.S. Army shortly after graduation from high school in Lawrence in 1942. He served in the South Pacific, Bougainville, Guadalcanal and the Philippines. He later built five homes in Tonganoxie, including his own, and started Stewart Construction.

Mainville joined the U.S. Navy in 1971 in New Bedford, Mass., and later became a Huey helicopter mechanic.

Full bios of quilt recipients will be published in next week’s print edition of The Mirror.