L-B to unveil Military Honor Wall

FINDLAY — Liberty-Benton Schools is unveiling its new Military Honor Wall tonight at an open house during the annual Military Appreciation Night football game. Located outside the high school gymnasium, the wall, created by Masterpiece Signs, honors more than 350 L-B alumni who have served or are currently serving in the United States military. The project was spearheaded by the student-led Support Our Soldiers (S.O.S.) Club, which worked to make the service project into a reality. "It was one of our big goals that we wanted to complete," S.O.S. Group Coordinator Mychelle Dukes said. "The kids have 100% funded the honor wall through their own efforts." Students organized multiple fundraisers including bake sales, t-shirt sales and fundraisers with Heavenly Pizza, Chick-fil-A and Miller's Root Beer Stand. The district also received support from VFW Post 5645, which awarded a grant to get the project off the ground. Dukes said compiling the list of veterans was no easy task. Students searched through yearbooks, school records and obituaries to find alumni who had served, and reached out to community members to confirm details. "The students did a lot of research to make sure we could come up with as many names as we could," Dukes said. "People did submit names to us, too, which also helped us." The wall will be updated twice a year as additional alumni are identified. For students involved in the project, the experience has been deeply rewarding. "This means a lot to all of us," student Jackson Hochstettler said. "Over the last couple of years of working with S.O.S., we've seen just how much something small can impact veterans. I think that this will be a great way of honoring them." The Military Honor Wall will be formally dedicated at 6 p.m. today, before L-B's home football game against McComb. The evening will include several tributes to servicemembers: • Free admission for veterans, active-duty servicemembers and National Guard members. • Commemorative coin toss, with the first 200 veterans receiving replica keepsake coins. • A giant American flag displayed during the National Anthem, presented by BGSU. The open house will run from 5-9 p.m. with the dedication ceremony at 6 p.m. and a pre-game ceremony to follow at 6:45 p.m. "We are so excited to see this project completed," Dukes said. "It's just another way to say, 'thank you', to our L-B veterans, alumni and their families. They have made incredible sacrifices for our country, protecting our freedoms and defending our way of life." To submit an alumni veteran to be added to the honor wall, email SOS@liberty-benton.org.