We Salute our Huntsville ISD Veterans!

Huntsville Independent School District is a unique community. 

 

Why do we serve?  Here are three reasons right here!

We serve our children and the families of Huntsville and Walker County, and many of our families serve our state through their positions at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.

                                                    

We proudly serve the children and families of Huntsville and Walker County, 
our TDCJ families proudly serve Texas, 
and Our Military Veterans have proudly served Our Country.

And, for many of us, our service extends to Our Nation, as we have served the United States of America through personal sacrifice and commitment in the Armed Forces.

This is one of the many flags that fly over the H.E.A.R.T.S. Veterans Museum of Texas,
located right here in Huntsville at 463 State Highway 75 North.  www.heartsmuseum.com for more info.

On Veterans' Day, we take this opportunity to share the stories of our veterans around the district.  This of course is just a portion of the men and women in our district that have served Our Country.  As you look through this page, you will see the diversity of Huntsville ISD reflected in these stories of service.  

Each person is unique, yet they all share two profound common bonds- they are all part of the Mighty Hornet Family, and they all have honorably served in the United States Military ensuring our day to day safety and protecting our freedom. 

For those of you who did not have the chance to participate in our survey last week, we would like to invite you (and everyone else) to share your thoughts by commenting on this post.

Thank you!

Senior Airman Victoria Roberts

Victoria Roberts is a Social Studies teacher at Huntsville High School.  She served in the Air Force from 1995-1999.  She left active duty service as a Senior Airman (E-4).  
Thank you Victoria!

Airman Emilio Anzaldua

Lee Anzaldua works in Huntsville ISD transportation as our Router.  His father, Emilio Anzaldua, served in the Air Force as an Airman, Second Class, during the Korean War from 1949-1953.  Thank you Emilio!

Staff Sergeant Margaret Rodriguez

Margaret Rodriguez teaches Math at Huntsville High School.  She served for 10 years in the Air Force.  She was based in California, and had short tours in Korea and Berlin, Germany. In 1996, she left the active service in the Air Force as a Staff Sergeant.  Both her father, and her husband are retired from the Air Force.  Thank you Margaret!

Electrician's Mate, Petty Officer Second Class, Andrew Stewart

Andrew Stewart is at Huntsville High School, and teaches both photography and multimedia classes.  He also is the coach of the Lady Hornet Soccer team.  Andrew served in the Pacific with the Navy for six years on board the USS Bremerton (SSN 698) Fast Attack Submarine.  In 2004, he left active service as an Electrician's Mate Petty Officer Second Class.  Thank you Andrew!

Senior Airman Lynne Benavides

Lynne Benavides teaches fourth grade at Scott Johnson Elementary School.  Before a career in teaching, she served our country in the Air Force.   She worked in law enforcement, and served as a Police Security Woman.  (BTW, she says that her most memorable moment was being called to escort and guard "Mr. T."!)  She left active service as a Senior Airman in 1992.  Thank you Lynne!

Adan David Valles with his mom, Rosa Martinez.

Specialist Damian Manual Valles with Staff Sergeant Roman Salomon Valles

Specialist Damian Manuel Valles with his mom, Rosa Martinez.
This photo was taken last month.

Principal Rosa Martinez' all three sons are currently serving our country in the Army. Staff Sergeant Roman Salomon Valles, Specialist Damian Manuel Valles and Specialist Adan David Valles have been deployed (between them) a total of six times to Iraq and Afghanistan.  Damian just returned from deployment to Afghanistan on October 13, 2014.  
Thank you Roman!  Thank  you Damian!  Thank you Adan!

Petty Officer Second Class Sam Lassiter

Sam Lassiter teaches in DAEP at Huntsville Intermediate School.  He served in the Navy from 1969-1975, with deployments in 1971-1972 at the Naval Communications Station in Sidi Yihia, Morocco and at the National Security Agency in Fort Meade, Maryland from 1972-1975.  When he left active service he was E-5 Petty Officer Second Class CTR2.  Sam is proud to be a Vietnam Era Vet.  Thank you Sam!

Private, First Class Roger L. Barkin, Jr.

Huntsville ISD Transportation's Roger L. Barkin, Jr. honorably served our country in the Army.  Serving two years, he left active service in 1991 as a Private First Class.  
Thank you Roger!

First Lieutenant Jerry Hollis

Jerry Hollis graduated from Huntsville High School in 1963, and is married to Nancy Hollis, also an alum (Class of 1964).  Their daughters are Shannon Duncan, Huntsville ISD Director of Communications and Stacie Castleberry, a Math Specialist at Scott Johnson Elementary School.  Following graduation, Jerry entered Sam Houston State University and was in the US Army ROTC from 1963-1966.  He was the commissioned into the Army as a Second Lieutenant in 1966 and was stationed at Ft. Knox, KY and then Fort George G Meade, MD, guarding the US Captiol during the Presidential elections.  Hollis was sent to Jungle Warfare School in the Panama Canal Zone, and in May 1967 reported to Vietnam.  He was attached to the First Squadron, Tenth Calvary (a.k.a. "The Buffalo Soldiers").  He was promoted to First Lieutenant after his commander was severely injured.  Lt. Hollis was a Platoon Leader and a Tank Commander while in Vietnam and honorably discharged in 1969.  When he returned to the States he served in the US Army Reserves, attached to a tank unit at Fort Hood, TX.  His daughters write:  We love him so much and couldn't be prouder of his service to our great country.  Our family fondly calls him "Chief" and he's definitely our hero!   Thank you Jerry! 

Sergeant Leroy Panzer

Leroy Panzer works in Huntsville ISD Transportation, and served four years in the Air Force. In 1976, he left active service as a Sergeant.  Thank you Leroy!

Major Tom Caperton 

Huntsville High School teacher Tom Caperton served 20 years in the Air Force, retiring in 1994 as a Major.  He was deployed in England from 1985-1988.  Tom flew an air refueling tanker in Operation Eldorado Canyon (Libya, 1986) and directed support for the invasion of Kuwait and Iraq in 1991.  Thank you Tom!

Specialist Eric Bauer

Eric Bauer has deep ties to our District.  Heather Bauer (who submitted this information to us) is our nurse at Samuel Walker Houston Elementary School and Eric's sister-in-law.  His daughter Tyler is an HISD student and his brother Aaron manages Food Services at Scott Johnson Elementary. He is also uncle to HISD students Eli and Juliet.  Eric served in the Army for four years (2008-2012) and was deployed to Iraq in 2008-2009.  His specialty was Special Ops and Long Range Surveillance.  When he left active service, he was Specialist, Fourth Class.  Thank you Eric!

Major Bobby Bulloch

Jerrilyn Bulloch teaches English to Seniors at Huntsville High School.  She is married to Major Bobby Bulloch, who served for 20 years, from 1968-1988 and was deployed to Vietnam and to Germany twice.  In addition to honoring veterans, she would also like to shine a spotlight on the sacrifices and difficulties spouses of veterans have faced. She writes, They take care of home and family for many months while their husbands are overseas...and live in foreign lands and across the country from family and friends, repeatedly packing up, moving to different locations when husbands get orders, uprooting children from their schools and lives.  We thank you Bobby, and we thank Jerrilyn and the spouses and children of enlisted men and women throughout our district!

Sergeant Joseph Rodriguez

Joseph Rodriguez is one of our Assistant Principals at Huntsville High School.  Joe served in the Army from 1986-1989, and was deployed with the Third Armored Division.  He was a Sergeant (E-5) when he left active duty.  Joe writes:  I served in the medical field, as a Field Combat Medic with the 1/48 Infantry Battalion, Third Armored Division out of Germany, and then worked for the Commanding General for Health Services Command at Fort Sam Houston. Thank you Joe!

Specialist Louis Kelley

Long before Louis Kelley worked at Huntsville ISD in the Transportation Department, he served our country two years in the US Army.  Mr. Kelley was the rank of Specialist (E-4) when he left active service in 1967.  Thank you Louis!

Sergeant Brian Gedelian

Brian Gedelian teaches science to fifth graders at Huntsville Intermediate School.  But before he was a teacher, he served both in the Army and the Army National Guard for three years each (1979-1985).  He was stationed at Fort Hood in Texas, and served in the Army National Guard while he was going to college in Nacogdoches. When he left active service, he was a Sergeant (E-5).  Thank you Brian!

Buck Sergeant Walter Lucas

Cortney Lucas is the Assistant Principal at Samuel Walker Houston Elementary School.  Her father in law, Walter Lucas, served in the Army from 1965-1967.  Walter left active service as a Buck Sergeant (E-5) in the Military Police. Cortney writes:  My father-in-law is very proud of his time in the service.  We are all very thankful for his service to our country!  Thank you Walter! 

Sergeant Jess Masterson with wife Belinda and daughter Jordyn.

Petty Officer Mark Guevarra with wife April and  son Jayden.

Ana Bonilla is an administrative assistant at Gibbs Pre K Center.  She is the proud mom-in-law to two young men presently serving in our Armed Forces.   

Jess Masterson, a Huntsville High School alum, is a Sergeant in the United States Marine Corp currently based at Camp Pendleton in California.  Jess has previously been deployed twice to Afghanistan, and is married to Ana's daughter Belinda.  They have a daughter, Jordyn.

Mark Guevarra is married to Ana's daughter April, and they have a son Jayden.  Mark is serving in the Navy, and is a Petty Officer Second Class.  Mark and family were based in Japan for two years, and they are currently based at Fort Meade in Maryland.  

Thank you Jess!  Thank you Mark!

Specialist Fourth Class Paula Conway

Paula Conway is one of our third grade teachers at Stewart Elementary.  She is a veteran, serving 8.5 years in the Army.  She left the service in 1993 with the rank of SP4, and was deployed in 1991 to South Korea. Paula writes: I enlisted into active duty right out of high school.  I attended administrative training at Fort Jackson, SC, and was stationed in Washington, DC for three years working with the Defense Intelligence Agency and the Pentagon.  I spent one year in the Mojave Desert at Fort Irwin, CA, and after my first daughter was born, I elected to serve my country as a National Guard member in my home state of Indiana for 18 months.  When the first Gulf War broke out, I returned to active duty and served as a medic at Camp Red Cloud in South Korea for one year and returned to Fort Jackson, SC, as a medic for 18 months before hanging up my boots to be a full time mom.  Thank you Paula!

Jennifer Ashmore and her dad, Sergeant Joseph Ashmore.

Samuel Walker Houston Elementary teacher Jennifer Ashmore's dad, Joseph, served twenty years in the Army.  At the time he left active service in 2004 (retired?) he was Sergeant, First Class.  Over the course of his service career, he was deployed to Iraq, Somalia and Bosnia.  Jennifer writes:  My dad is an amazing man, and I look up to him for the sacrifices that he has made.  My dad never ceases to amaze me, and I am so proud of everything he has done. Thank you Joseph!

Sergeant Floyd Anderson

Floyd Anderson works in the Transportation department here at Huntsville ISD. Before working here, he served our country in the United States Marine Corps.  He served for six years, from 1975-1981, and was deployed to Turkey in 1977.  When he left active service, he was a Sergeant.  Thank you Floyd!

~ ~ ~

Carla Davidson Ohlhausen is a Behavior Specialist for our district.  Her dad, Carl A. Davidson, served in World War II (1941-1945) as a Staff Sergeant in Alaska. Carla writes: My dad spent all of World War II in Alaska, which was definitely an unusual deployment.  The United States was worried that the Japanese would come across the Bering Strait.  My dad was an excellent manager of men- the kind of men others wanted to listen to and follow. Other than being the big brother of four younger brothers, this is where he got most of his experience. He said that his hardest job was keeping the men from fighting.  Throughout his life, people would come to the house seeking his counsel and great stories. I love you, Dad.  Thank you for all that you gave.  Thank you Carl!

Sergeant Shawn Mathiews

Shawn Mathiews is an athletic trainer at Huntsville High School, and his wife Virginia teaches at Stewart Elementary School.  Shawn served in the Army for eight years, and was deployed to Afghanistan in 2008.  He served at the 94th Combat Support Hospital and while there taught the Combat Life Saver course.  Prior to his deployment he worked at Brooke Army Medical Center and at the Center for the Intrepid.  Shawn was deployed to Operation Enduring Freedom with the 101st Airborne Division and 25th Parachute Infantry Regiment.
Thank you Shawn!

Petty Officer, Second Class Jake Goebel

Petty Officer, Second Class Jake Goebel

Jake Goebel graduated from Huntsville High School in 2005, and his mom Mona works as a Human Resource Specialist here in Huntsville ISD.  He joined the Navy in 2009, and he's currently serving as a Second Class Petty Officer and a Corpsman attached to the First Battalion, Third Marines stationed at Oahu, HI. He was deployed to Okinawa in 2013, and to the 38th Parallel in Korea in 2013. Thank you Jake!

Major Mark King with his daughter Kaelyn.

Kaelyn King works in Human Resources here in the District.  Her dad, Mark King, served 25 years in the Air Force, and retired as a Major in 2012.  Born and raised in Cuero,Texas, Mark was deployed to Iraq in 2009.   Thank you Mark!

Airman Krishund Parrish

Krishund Parrish is a Special Education teacher at Huntsville High School, and part of our coaching staff.  He served in the Air Force as an Airman (E-3) from 1999-2000.  Thank you Krishund!

Chief Master Sergeant Bobby Dan Hughes

 Christie Moorman teaches ELA to sixth graders at Huntsville Intermediate School  Her stepfather, Bobby Dan Hughes, had a career of service in the Air Force that lasted 26 years (1967-1987). He was deployed in Misawa, Japan, West Berlin, Germany and Sinop, Turkey.
Christie writes: Chief Master Sergeant Hughes served his final assignment at Goodfellow Air Force Base, where he served for two years as Superintendent of the Cryptologic Language Training.  He then became Senior Enlisted Advisor to the Brigadier General Commander of the Goodfellow Technical Training Center.  Thank you Bobby!

"A" Company Maintenance with Albert Archuleta (Far Right, Crouching)

Master Sergeant Albert Archuleta

Albert Archuleta is the Assistant Principal at Gibbs PreK Center.  A graduate of Huntsville ISD, Albert joined the Army National Guard in 1993 and has served ever since.  Currently, he is the rank of Master Sergeant (E-8).  Master Sergeant Archuleta was deployed to Iraq twice, in 2002 as part of Operation Noble Eagle and in 2009 as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom.  Albert writes:  I have served 22 years in the Army National Guard, starting off first as a M1A1 Combat tanker, then later as a tank mechanic, then Transportation Specialist and now as a Military Police Officer.  I have served in Germany, in Taji and Baghdad, Iraq.  I was part of the first Task Force Security Force in New Orleans for Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.   Thank you Albert!

Corporal Milton Lee Coburn

Domnique Odom teaches second grade at Samuel Walker Houston.  Her grandfather, Milton Lee Coburn served for six years in the National Guard. Milton's wife is Ida Beth Coburn, a former Huntsville ISD employee, and Milton is also father to Huntsville graduates Debbie Merchant and Rick Coburn.  When he left active service in 1960, he was a Corporal (E-4).   Thank you Milton!

Airman Delbert Hudson

Amy Langley teaches at Huntsville High School.  Her dad, Delbert Hudson served in the Air Force during the Korean War (1952 & 1953).  He left active service as an Airman, First Class.  Thank you Delbert!

Petty Officer, First Class Juanita Deimel

Juanita Deimel is a Bilingual Instructional Assistant at Huntsville Intermediate School. She served in the Navy from 1977-1979, and served 1986- 2007 in the Navy Reserves.  A veteran with 20 years service, Juanita was a Petty Officer, First Class (E-6) and was deployed to Kuwait in 2004 during Operation Enduring Freedom. Thank you Juanita!

Hospital Corpsman Connie Casarez Poindexter 

Juanita Deimel's niece Connie Casarez Poindexter is also a veteran who served in the Navy for eight years (1998-2006). She was deployed on the USS Mt. Whitney during Operation Enduring Freedom. When she left active service, Connie was a Hospital Corpsman, Third Class (E-4). Thank you Connie!

Petty Officer, First Class Ervin Clark

Ervin Clark served our country 23 years in the US Navy.   He retired in 1995 with the rank of Petty Officer, First Class.  During his service, he was deployed to the Mediterranean Sea. Thank you Ervin!

Major Delmas McBee is on the left.

Sergeant Joshua Merillat

Marcia Merillat teaches at Gibbs PreK Center.  Both her husband and her father are Army veterans.  Her father Delmas McBee served forty years in the Army before retiring as a Major in 2012.  He was deployed four times to Iraq and once to Afghanistan.  Her husband Joshua W. Merillat was a Sergeant in his service from 2007-2012.  He was deployed to South Korea. Marcia writes: my husband Joshua donated a kidney to me in 2010!  
Thank you Delmas!  Thank you Joshua!

Sergeant Clayton Matthys

Christina Matthys is an Interventionist at Huntsville Elementary School.  Her son, Sergeant Clayton Matthys, graduated from Huntsville High School and  is currently serving in the Marines.  He enlisted in 2004, and since then has been deployed to Iraq twice- in 2005 and in 2007. Christina writes:  Through the higher education opportunities offered in the military, Sgt. Matthys has earned his Master of Arts in Homeland Security. Thank you Clayton!

Senior Airman Gary Harden

Huntsville Elementary Teacher Sharon Jefferson's son Gary joined the Air Force in 2012. He has been deployed to Kandahar, Afganistan and is a Senior Airman.  Mom Sharon writes:  Airman Gary Harden, we appreciate your hard work and dedication! Thank you Gary!

Lateel and husband Specialist Roderick Richardson.

Lateel Richardson, the receptionist for Mance Park Middle School, is married to an Army veteran.  Her husband, Roderick, served as a Specialist (4) for three years, from 1981-1984.  Lateel writes:  During that time, he was ordered to Beirut, Lebanon in October of 1983 after the bombing of US Military barracks, where he earned an achievement award for his duties in Beirut.   Thank you Roderick!

Petty Officer Justin Herron

Samuel Walker Houston Elementary PE teacher Jennifer McKendree's brother, Justin Herron served 11 years in the Navy, finishing active service in 2012.  Petty Officer (E-6) Herron was deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan. Jennifer writes: My brother is very proud to have served our country and fought for our freedom everyday!  Thank you Justin!

Gravesites of Private Edward Castine and Sergeant Jerry Castine.

Huntsville High School Special Education teacher Denni Sullivan has several veterans in her family.  Her uncle, Master Sergeant Jerry Castine, spent 14 years serving in the Army, and was deployed to the United Kingdom from 1962-1966.  Denni writes:  He traveled the world as long as he could and learned as many languages as he could.  He wanted to be a mechanic, but found that officers traveled.  He served as a demolitions expert (bomb deactivator / detonator).  Thank you Jerry!

Denni's grandfather, Edward Castine, was a Private in the Army from 1932-1937.  He was based in Fort Kamehame, HI.   Denni writes:  He served as a gunner and lost the majority of his hearing. Thank you Edward!

Lieutenant Stancil Castine, on the left, with a few of his friends in the service.

Denni's great uncle Stancil was a Lieutenant in the Army, and served from 1935-1938.  He was based in Fort Polk, LA. Denni writes: He was our great uncle, but beloved as 'Grandpa' by all.  He trained and taught many soldiers to read English and German, as well as general education to new recruits. Thank you Stancil!

Staff Sergeant Landon Josephson.

Kimberley Cardoza is the receptionist at Huntsville Intermediate School, and she's also the sister to Landon Josephson.  Landon served in the Air Force for six years, and when he left active service in 2008, he was Staff Sergeant (E-5).  He was deployed twice to Afghanistan. Thank you Landon!