Students pen letters to veterans: Thanks comes around full circle

ST. GEORGE — A Crimson View Elementary fifth-grade student and her classmates all wrote letters to local veterans, thanking them for their service. But they found themselves being thanked as the gratitude came back full circle on Jan. 13.

Air Force veteran Colonel Frank P. Leuck presents Crimson View Elementary Principal Adam Baker with a challenge coin and holder trophy, St. George, Utah, Jan. 13, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Sylver Slade and her classmates wrote thank you letters back in November of last year to all the local veterans of the Cold War. The letters ranged in all sorts of expressions of gratitude to the military men and women who served that time.

The Cold War with the high tensions of the possibility of nuclear weapons being used against the United States came almost to full fruition on Oct. 22, 1962, when the Cuban Missile Crisis occurred. The Cold War lasted almost 46 years from 1945-1991.

On Jan. 13, Colonel Frank P. Leuck arrived with fellow Cold War veteran and Washington County School District Board Member Burke Staheli on the elementary school campus with a “thank you” gift of their own.

As the students arrived in the auditorium they were all smiles when they saw Staheli who used to substitute teach for them. Their smiles got bigger as they saw Leuck in an Air Force jacket.

“A few weeks ago, I had a friend call me,” said Principal Adam Baker to the assembly. “They wanted to come and visit our school. This person lives nearby me and he is one of my heroes… Colonel Frank Leuck… He is a local legend and a pretty amazing guy.”

The students applauded as Staheli and Leuck came to the front.

Talking to the students, Lueck went over Veterans Day and the importance of the holiday. When asked if any of the students had parents or grandparents who served, several raised their hands.

Air Force veteran Colonel Frank P. Leuck shows Crimson View students what planes he flew during his service while Principal Adam Baker holds the framed pictures, St. George, Utah, Jan. 13, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Leuck talked about the Cold War and the history pertaining to it. He went over his job in the military and some of the things he had the duty to perform during the Cold War.

In November, Washington City paid tribute to the Cold War veterans during a ceremony for Veterans Day. Mayor Kress Staheli presented each one with a medal to signify their significance in the role of the freedoms we contain today. Leuck was the honorary veteran of Washington City.

“We had over 100 men within our city,” Leuck said. “You had a hand in making those veterans feel good about themselves.”

He talked about the letters the students sent to the veterans and how wonderful they were.

One specific letter was chosen and read to everyone present at the memorial ceremony in November. This letter was written by Slade, a student who was recognized and personally thanked by Leuck.

“Sylver, I read your letter,” Leuck said. “It was special. I would say it brought tears to my eyes, but grown men don’t cry… right? Well, I cried.”

Leuck brought a couple of things for the students to see from his military days. One such item was his “bone dome” flight helmet from when he flew combat missions. He joked about the helmet being like Darth Vader. The next thing was a huge framed picture of drawings of each of the five models of airplanes he piloted during his service, the main one being a B-52. Inside the framed picture were four altimeters from some of the models.

At the end of his speech, he presented Principal Baker with a small military challenge coin inside a wooden stand with an engraved plate as a thank-you gift to the school. He also gave Staheli a challenge coin.

Cold War veteran and school board member Burke Staheli pins a medal of honor on 5th grader Sylver Slade which was given to the school, St. George, Utah, Jan. 13, 2023 | Photo by Nick Yamashita, St. George News

Staheli taught the students how to salute with a perfect posture.

Staheli presented Slade with the memorial Cold War medal by pinning it on her shoulder for the school to keep.

“This represents every single one of you,” Staheli said. “And what it means to us for saying thank you.”

He encouraged the teachers and students to pass on the tradition of writing thank-you letters to military veterans.

To end the assembly, the students sang “Thank You Military” with a video of pictures of local veterans.

In departing, Leuck saluted the students.

“Make it a good day,” Leuck said. “Do whatever you can to keep this country free. You made it so much better for us veterans. Thank you.”

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Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2023, all rights reserved.

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