By Katie Northcott, News Director
On Monday, Feb. 2, Manchester’s Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) All-American Post 10904 honored this year’s student essay winners and teachers of the year as well as a local business.
The Manchester VFW Post is located at 130 Shelton Road in Manchester.
Patriot’s Pen Essay Contest (for grades 6-8) winners:
- First place: Parker Clouse, Temple Baptist School
- Second place: Drayson Cline, Temple Baptist School
- Third place: William Bryan, Westwood Middle School
- Fourth place: Hallie Hunt, Westwood Middle School
Voice of Democracy Essay Contest (for grades 9-12) winners:
- First place: Bailey Kitts, Coffee County Central High School (Bailey also won first place last year in this same essay contest)
- Second place: Austyn Darnell, Temple Baptist School
- Third place: Ethan Walden, Temple Baptist School
- Fourth place: Rocky Rhoton, Temple Baptist School
Smart/Maher VFW Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year winners:
- Robin Walker (Deerfield and East Coffee Elementary Schools)
- Roy Slaughter (Coffee County Middle School)
- Nathan Chandler (Tullahoma High School)
The local business honored was Speedy’s Body Shop.
The full press release is published below.
Manchester’s Veterans of Foreign Wars All-American Post 10904 held its annual awards ceremony on February 2nd, announcing this year’s student essay winners, Teachers of the Year and honoring a local business for its support for the local veterans community.
Leo “Speedy” Hosch, owner of Speedy’s Body and Frame Shop, was awarded the VFW Military Support Award for performing $1200 of restoration and surface prep work to two old flag retirement receptacles. These boxes are used by the public so that faded, torn and unserviceable American flags can be deposited for ceremonial retirement per federal flag code. Both were badly dented and had worn, faded paint: Speedy’s team completely restored the receptacles and readied them for vinyl wrapping, doing so at no cost to the veteran’s organizations.
Three teachers were selected as recipients of the Smart/Maher VFW Citizenship Education Teacher of the Year Award, one in each of three grade categories (Elementary, Middle and High School). While these three teachers are veterans, it is purely coincidental and any local teacher may be nominated regardless of veteran status.
Robin Walker was honored in the Elementary School (K-5) grade level. She served in the U.S. Air Force from 1988 to 1996; has been teaching for 27 years; and currently serves Coffee County students at both Deerfield and East Coffee Elementary Schools.
Roy Slaughter was awarded in the Middle School (6-8) grade level. He served in the U.S. Army as a paratrooper from 1988 to 2000; has numerous other teaching awards; and currently teaches at Coffee County Middle School.
Nathan Chandler was selected in the High School (9-12) grade level. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps and retired with the rank of Major. He currently serves as Marine Corps JROTC instructor at Tullahoma High School.
Both Robin Walker and Roy Slaughter were also selected as Teachers of the Year for VFW District 5 and VFW State of Tennessee. Their nomination packages now advance to the VFW National level for consideration and judging along with other top teachers worldwide.
Each year, the VFW coordinates two student essay competitions. The Patriots Pen essay contest is open to all middle school students in grades 6-8. The theme varies each year.
This year’s essay winners are:
- First place: Parker Clouse, Temple Baptist School
- Second place: Drayson Cline, Temple Baptist School
- Third place: William Bryan, Westwood Middle School
- Fourth place: Hallie Hunt, Westwood Middle School
Several local students were also honored from other District Posts. For Murfreesboro VFW Post 4575, the winners in the Patriots Pen contest are:
- First place: Laynie Walters, Westwood Middle School
- Second place: Brylye Willey, Westwood Middle School
- Third place: Lexie Newman, Westwood Middle School
Local Patriots Pen winners for McMinnville VFW Post 5064 are:
- First place: John Barker of Westwood Middle School
- Second place: Kenneth Buckanan of Westwood Middle School
- Third place: Jayda Kochersperger of Westwood Middle School
Local first place Patriots Pen winner for Lewisburg VFW Post 5109 is Stella Sayre of Westwood Middle School.
The Voice of Democracy essay competition is open to high school students in grades 9-12; and requires both a written essay and a voice recording. This year’s winners are:
- First place: Bailey Kitts, Coffee County Central High School. Bailey also won first place last year in this same essay contest.
- Second place: Austyn Darnell, Temple Baptist School
- Third place: Ethan Walden, Temple Baptist School
- Fourth place: Rocky Rhoton, Temple Baptist School
Local Voice of Democracy winners for Murfreesboro VFW Post 4575 are:
- First place: Caleb Walden, Temple Baptist School
- Second place: Izzy Myers, Temple Baptist School
- Third place: Kennedy Clark, Temple Baptist School
Voice of Democracy winners for McMinnville VFW Post 5064 are:
- First place: Katherine Clark of Temple Baptist School
- Second place: Caleb Berkley of Temple Baptist School
- Third place: Micah Crowe of Temple Baptist School
Third place Voice of Democracy District winner is Julianne Totherow, Winchester Christian Academy.
The event was sponsored in part by American Legion Gold Post 78; Elk River Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution; and Calvin Brewer Chapter, United Daughters of the Confederacy.
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