Wawasee School Board Hears Request To Name Football Field For Medal Of Honor Recipient
January 12, 2022 at 4:09 a.m.
Wawasee School Board Hears Request To Name Football Field For Medal Of Honor Recipient
By David [email protected]
Michael graduated from Milford High School and went on to Purdue University. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning varsity letters in basketball, track and baseball.
A platoon leader, he single-handedly captured two German machine gun emplacements, according to information provided. In two lone missions, he killed two, wounded four and captured 13 Germans. Later that day, he led his platoon on a frontal assault on enemy pillboxes. They killed 10 and captured 30 German soldiers from the SS Mountain Division. The next day, while hunting German snipers, Michael was mortally wounded the day after his 23rd birthday. For his action, Michael was awarded the Medal of Honor Feb. 13, 1946.
Baumgartner, a 1971 Wawasee High School graduate, said that while he doesn’t live in the Wawasee School District, he was there speaking for “a number of American Legions from North Webster, Syracuse and Milford.”
Last October, he reminded the Board, he came before them about possibly naming the football field after Michael.
“One of the patrons asked me if, in fact, the Board had a vehicle to do this. In doing some research, I did find that the School Board does have a policy,” Baumgartner said.
A copy of the policy states that, “From time to time, the School Board may wish to commemorate a school or corporation facility (gymnasium, swimming pool, athletic field, etc.) by means of a plaque, naming the facility after a person or some other honor. Such commemoration should be reserved only for those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the enhancement of education generally or the corporation in particular or to the well-being of the corporation, community, state or nation. Any employee of the corporation thus honored must be deceased or no longer employed by the corporation prior to the Board’s selection of his/her name for commemoration honor.”
Baumgartner said, “We have an incredible opportunity here to work together as a community – all three communities – to establish a shrine for this Medal of Honor winner who defines the term ‘Warrior.’”
He said if the football field is named for Michael, teachers could tell their students Michael’s story and Michael’s name could be mentioned every time an announcer mentions the field during a game, or a sportscaster talks about the field on air or a newspaper reporter writes about it.
“It is very popular to say that we never want to forget. We have an opportunity as communities here to come together and permanently put Harry J. Michael, Medal of Honor winner’s name, out there, not only for this generation, but for generations to come. We have a way of and a possibility of doing this and cementing it in people’s minds, not, again, just for this generation but for generations to come,” Baumgartner said.
He said it was an incredible opportunity for the communities of Wawasee in a time where “we desperately need heroes.” He also had petitions signed by members of the various Legions, which he presented to the Board.
Baumgartner thanked the Legions, Kosciusko County Veterans Service Officer Darryl McDowell and Sheriff Kyle Dukes for supporting the issue.
Rich Rhodes, the nephew of Michael, who lives west of Milford in the same homestead that Michael grew up in, read an article about Michael, a citation from Harry S. Truman on Michael and several lines from one of Michael’s last letters. Rhodes encouraged the Board to vote in favor of naming the football field in honor of Michael.
Keith Ousley, Milford American Legion commander, told the Board he wanted to make it clear that the Legion members there was not a show of force.
“It’s my understanding that there is nothing named at Wawasee after anyone. Is that correct?” Ousley asked, and he was told yes. “So, I just want you to know that, on behalf of the Milford Legion and probably the rest of everybody here, whatever you guys decide going forward, I’m going to respect that.”
He asked the Board to consider naming the football field after Michael.
Ricky Beaver, who identified as a “wounded warrior” himself, told the Board, “We need to pay tribute to this guy. He went through a lot.” He said Michael sacrificed everything he had for this country and “we need to stand tall with him and honor him along with all of the other soliders.”
Board President Don Bokhart said the Board does not take the decision lightly. He said they’ve had many, many discussions about it.
He told Baumgartner, “In keeping with your idea of this being a community type of involvement, I think it might be a good idea moving forward to have a group be formed, working in conjunction with our superintendent, Dr. (Steve) Troyer, because he makes recommendations to the Board and then the Board approves those recommendations or does not approve them.”
Bokhart said that would be the next step, and Baumgartner said that would be great and he would be honored to be a part of that group.
In other business, the Board:
• Heard about and discussed a consideration to removing the personal finance course as a graduation requirement at the high school, but Board members were not in favor of doing that completely.
• Reorganized, with Don Bokhart as president; Mike Wilson as vice president; Rebecca Linnemeier as secretary; Tammy Hutchinson, superintendent’s administrative assistant, as recording secretary; and James Flecker as board attorney.
Meetings for 2022 will begin at 5:30 p.m. typically in the Warrior Room at Wawasee High School on the second Tuesday of each month, except in April when it will be on the third Tuesday of the month.
Board stipend is $2,000 plus $112 per regular meeting and $62 per special session, paid quarterly, and capped at $6,000 total.
Treasurer and deputy treasurer for the school corporation are Director of Finance and Legal Services James Flecker and Rachael Moore.
• Was presented with the proposed 2022-23 school year calendar. The first teacher day would be Aug. 8, with the first student day Aug. 10. Fall break, if it’s a full week long, would be Oct. 17-21. The last student day for winter break would be Dec. 22, with a teacher Flex day Dec. 23. Spring break would be April 3-7, 2023, and the last student day would be May 26, 2023. The last teacher day would be May 30. Graduation would be June 4.
An online survey can be found on the Wawasee School Corporation’s website.
• Heard a report from WHS Principal Geoff Walmer and a couple of his staff about the many good things going on at the high school.
• Held a finance committee meeting before the regular meeting. During that meeting, Rob Fisher was re-elected as president and Andy Cripe was elected secretary.
Michael graduated from Milford High School and went on to Purdue University. He was a three-sport athlete in high school, earning varsity letters in basketball, track and baseball.
A platoon leader, he single-handedly captured two German machine gun emplacements, according to information provided. In two lone missions, he killed two, wounded four and captured 13 Germans. Later that day, he led his platoon on a frontal assault on enemy pillboxes. They killed 10 and captured 30 German soldiers from the SS Mountain Division. The next day, while hunting German snipers, Michael was mortally wounded the day after his 23rd birthday. For his action, Michael was awarded the Medal of Honor Feb. 13, 1946.
Baumgartner, a 1971 Wawasee High School graduate, said that while he doesn’t live in the Wawasee School District, he was there speaking for “a number of American Legions from North Webster, Syracuse and Milford.”
Last October, he reminded the Board, he came before them about possibly naming the football field after Michael.
“One of the patrons asked me if, in fact, the Board had a vehicle to do this. In doing some research, I did find that the School Board does have a policy,” Baumgartner said.
A copy of the policy states that, “From time to time, the School Board may wish to commemorate a school or corporation facility (gymnasium, swimming pool, athletic field, etc.) by means of a plaque, naming the facility after a person or some other honor. Such commemoration should be reserved only for those individuals who have made a significant contribution to the enhancement of education generally or the corporation in particular or to the well-being of the corporation, community, state or nation. Any employee of the corporation thus honored must be deceased or no longer employed by the corporation prior to the Board’s selection of his/her name for commemoration honor.”
Baumgartner said, “We have an incredible opportunity here to work together as a community – all three communities – to establish a shrine for this Medal of Honor winner who defines the term ‘Warrior.’”
He said if the football field is named for Michael, teachers could tell their students Michael’s story and Michael’s name could be mentioned every time an announcer mentions the field during a game, or a sportscaster talks about the field on air or a newspaper reporter writes about it.
“It is very popular to say that we never want to forget. We have an opportunity as communities here to come together and permanently put Harry J. Michael, Medal of Honor winner’s name, out there, not only for this generation, but for generations to come. We have a way of and a possibility of doing this and cementing it in people’s minds, not, again, just for this generation but for generations to come,” Baumgartner said.
He said it was an incredible opportunity for the communities of Wawasee in a time where “we desperately need heroes.” He also had petitions signed by members of the various Legions, which he presented to the Board.
Baumgartner thanked the Legions, Kosciusko County Veterans Service Officer Darryl McDowell and Sheriff Kyle Dukes for supporting the issue.
Rich Rhodes, the nephew of Michael, who lives west of Milford in the same homestead that Michael grew up in, read an article about Michael, a citation from Harry S. Truman on Michael and several lines from one of Michael’s last letters. Rhodes encouraged the Board to vote in favor of naming the football field in honor of Michael.
Keith Ousley, Milford American Legion commander, told the Board he wanted to make it clear that the Legion members there was not a show of force.
“It’s my understanding that there is nothing named at Wawasee after anyone. Is that correct?” Ousley asked, and he was told yes. “So, I just want you to know that, on behalf of the Milford Legion and probably the rest of everybody here, whatever you guys decide going forward, I’m going to respect that.”
He asked the Board to consider naming the football field after Michael.
Ricky Beaver, who identified as a “wounded warrior” himself, told the Board, “We need to pay tribute to this guy. He went through a lot.” He said Michael sacrificed everything he had for this country and “we need to stand tall with him and honor him along with all of the other soliders.”
Board President Don Bokhart said the Board does not take the decision lightly. He said they’ve had many, many discussions about it.
He told Baumgartner, “In keeping with your idea of this being a community type of involvement, I think it might be a good idea moving forward to have a group be formed, working in conjunction with our superintendent, Dr. (Steve) Troyer, because he makes recommendations to the Board and then the Board approves those recommendations or does not approve them.”
Bokhart said that would be the next step, and Baumgartner said that would be great and he would be honored to be a part of that group.
In other business, the Board:
• Heard about and discussed a consideration to removing the personal finance course as a graduation requirement at the high school, but Board members were not in favor of doing that completely.
• Reorganized, with Don Bokhart as president; Mike Wilson as vice president; Rebecca Linnemeier as secretary; Tammy Hutchinson, superintendent’s administrative assistant, as recording secretary; and James Flecker as board attorney.
Meetings for 2022 will begin at 5:30 p.m. typically in the Warrior Room at Wawasee High School on the second Tuesday of each month, except in April when it will be on the third Tuesday of the month.
Board stipend is $2,000 plus $112 per regular meeting and $62 per special session, paid quarterly, and capped at $6,000 total.
Treasurer and deputy treasurer for the school corporation are Director of Finance and Legal Services James Flecker and Rachael Moore.
• Was presented with the proposed 2022-23 school year calendar. The first teacher day would be Aug. 8, with the first student day Aug. 10. Fall break, if it’s a full week long, would be Oct. 17-21. The last student day for winter break would be Dec. 22, with a teacher Flex day Dec. 23. Spring break would be April 3-7, 2023, and the last student day would be May 26, 2023. The last teacher day would be May 30. Graduation would be June 4.
An online survey can be found on the Wawasee School Corporation’s website.
• Heard a report from WHS Principal Geoff Walmer and a couple of his staff about the many good things going on at the high school.
• Held a finance committee meeting before the regular meeting. During that meeting, Rob Fisher was re-elected as president and Andy Cripe was elected secretary.
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