When it comes time to pay recognition to U.S. Military veterans for their service to the country, schools in Brown County are quick to answer the call.
From elementary schools to high schools in Brown County, Veterans Day programs were held throughout the county on the week of Veterans Day.
Western Brown High School held its long-standing Veterans Day program on Friday, Nov. 11, hosted by the Western Brown Army JROTC and Western Brown FFA.
“I’d like to thank all of you for helping to observe and celebrate Veterans Day here at Western Brown High School,” said Western Brown Superintendent Raegan White as he welcomed everyone to the Nov. 11 program.
White went on to recognize the U.S. veterans of past wars, including his uncle Jack McIntyre who served in World War II and died in 2020.
“They were ordinary people who did extraordinary things, such as the case of Jack McIntyre, a Marine Corporal,” said White.
McIntyre enlisted in the Marines at 17 years old and was drafted at the age of 18.
“He was in the middle of some heavy stuff and as he put it, ‘things that make you grow up fast,’” White said of his uncle.
He once lived in a fox hole for 37 straight nights without a hot meal and living off rations.
McIntyre completed his time in the military in April of 1946 after suffering from malaria. He was hospitalized numerous times for complications caused from malaria.
After serving in the military, McIntyre went on to service his community for many years as a veteran, involved in a number of organizations.
“Marine Corporal Jack McIntyre is my uncle, and in preparing for Veterans Day I wanted to honor him and all those like him. Often we wait too long to tell our loved ones that we love them and are proud of them, and too often we hesitate to thank our veterans,” said White.
Guest speaker for the Western Brown Veterans Day program was Western Brown JROTC Senior Army Instructor Lieutenant Colonel Timothy Gobin.
This is Gobin’s 12th year with the Western Brown High School JROTC program. He grew up in Bellefontaine
and after high school attended Ohio Northern University where he earned a Bachelor of Arts in Health and Physical Education.
He holds a Masters of Arts Degree from Webster University in Human Resource Development. He later taught at Amanda Clearcreek Local Schools in physical education and health while coaching football and wrestling.
During his fourth year of teaching, he decided to pursue a career in the United States Army.
He served on active duty for 22 years in numerous leadership positions that included platoon leader, battery commander, field artillery instructor, battalion operations officer, brigade executive officer, aide-de-camp, and professor of military science.
He has been married to his wife, Vicky, for 40 years and they have three children.
“Every year since I’ve been here, after the ceremony I’ve said to Mrs. Cooper how proud I was of the student body for their attentiveness and the respect they show during the program and towards our local veterans,” said Gobin.
“Service to our country is a very difficult thing to do,” he said.
“The hardships, the challenges these men and women have experienced at both peace time and war is difficult to understand,” he added. “So again, student body, thanks for your continued support.”
In southern Brown County, Veterans Day was celebrated at Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Schools.
Each year for Veterans Day, Ripley-Union-Lewis-Huntington Elementary School students and staff host their annual Veterans Day Program. This year’s program was held on the morning of Thursday, Nov. 10, seeing a large turnout of local veterans. Veterans enjoyed the program as the RULH Elementary students read patriotic poems, sang patriotic songs, thanked veterans for their service, and awarded each veteran in attendance with gifts.