New wall to honor Highland’s military veterans

by Melissa Martin

The Highland High School Alumni Committee, in partnership with the Highland Foundation for Educational Excellence, plans to unveil its latest work on Veterans Day: a wall that pays tribute to alumni who have served in the military.

The exhibit, located alongside the alumni history hall near the Highland High auditorium, will feature interlocking hexagonal panels in school colors. Each panel will recognize a Highland graduate by name, class and branch of military service.

“Our goal is simple,” said Kristen Price Oberhaus, a Highland graduate who brought the idea to the Highland Foundation’s Alumni Committee, “to ensure every eligible Highland graduate receives this honor at no cost to their family.”

Oberhaus said in addition to honoring these alumni, the wall aims to inspire current students as they pass by the tribute each day. It is also designed to spur student research, Veterans Day programming, alumni storytelling and community connection.

“As a Highland teacher, I love that this project connects our students with the graduates who came before them,” said Tina Smith McKeen, HHS alumni committee chair and Highland Foundation trustee. “It gives them a tangible way to understand the service represented within our own Highland community.”

The alumni history hall, dedicated in 2006, features large display cases containing military artifacts and excerpts of letters written by Highland graduates from the front lines of armed conflicts in Vietnam and the Middle East. Among the items displayed are mess kits, dog tags, uniforms and photographs, along with military service flags donated by a Highland family.

At the center of the exhibit is a pentagon featuring the names of four Highland graduates killed in the Vietnam War: Jerry Paul Zindle, class of 1963; Robert “Dutch” Bowman, class of 1965; Ray Gene Huff and Bruce Wayne Spring, both of the class of 1968.

During the exhibit’s dedication at the Nov. 20, 2006, school board meeting, then board President Bob Kelly, who has since passed away, said, “It is important to never forget what these young men gave for our country.”

The inscription on the pentagon reads: “This memorial honors all Highland Community Veterans who, although separated by generations, share a common undeniable goal – to valiantly protect our country’s freedom. The American Veteran – forever a symbol of honor, valor, sacrifice and freedom.”

“I look forward to seeing Highland families and students pause at the names and reflect on the sacrifice and dedication of these military members whose roots began here,” said Oberhaus. “I hope the wall inspires both curiosity and admiration in our students.”

In addition to the names inscribed on the wall now, new honorees will be added to the display every November.

The Highland Foundation for Educational Excellence provided $16,034 for the wall project. Moving forward, Oberhaus said sponsors will help offset the costs of maintaining and expanding the wall.

Those interested in sponsoring or contributing to the project can visit highlandfoundation.org/honor-their-service/. For more information, contact Tina Smith McKeen at tina.mckeen@highlandfoundation.org or Oberhaus at mkkejo@yahoo.com.