Tag Archives: Veterans

Remembering Chalkboard Hero Michael Landsberry

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Michael Landsberry

Junior high school mathematics teacher and veteran Michael Landsberry sacrificed his life to save as many as 30 students from a teen gunman.

Sometimes it is sobering to remember what a heavy responsibility we teachers have when it comes to protecting our students from harm. And there are many examples of heroic educators who have paid the ultimate price to protect their kids. One such hero is Michael Landsberry, a junior high school math teacher from Reno, Nevada.

Following his graduation from high school in 1986, Michael served in the United States Marine Corps where he had risen to the rank of corporal. He served two tours of duty in Afghanistan, and later became a member of the Nevada Air National Guard.

After his discharge, Michael attended college at Nevada State University, Reno, on the GI Bill. There he earned his Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics in 2001. Following his college graduation, Michael accepted a teaching position at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, a suburb of Reno, Nevada. In addition to being a math teacher, he also coached basketball, cross country, track, and volleyball, and he served as the girls soccer coach at Sparks High School. Michael quickly became a beloved teacher known for pushing his students, but doing it with love and compassion.

On October 22, 2013, Michael was getting ready for the morning bell, when a 12-year-old student suddenly opened fire on his classmates. After the first student was shot, the chalkboard champion’s military training in kicked in. He calmly walked toward the shooter, putting his hands up in a motion to try to talk the youngster into giving up his gun. The student shot him in the chest at point blank range. Michael later succumbed to his injuries, but his heroic actions gave the other students on the playground time to run to safety. He is credited with saving as many as 30 lives that day.

For his heroism, Michael’s name has been inscribed on the Memorial to Fallen Educators at the National Teachers Hall of Fame in Emporia, Kansas.

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

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Hercules Mooney

Teacher and Revolutionary War veteran Hercules Mooney

There are many examples of classroom teachers who serve our country as veterans. This is true of the chalkboard hero Hercules Mooney, who served in the American military during both the French and Indian War and the Revolutionary War.

Hercules was born in 1715 in Ballaghmoor, Kings County, Ireland. As a young man in Ireland, he found work as a tutor. In 1733, Hercules emigrated to the United States, and settled in Dover, New Hampshire. There he inaugurated his career as a full-fledged teacher. He worked there for about 17 years, and then, after 1750, he found a teaching position in the nearby town of Durham.

When the French and Indian War broke out in 1757, the intrepid teacher joined the New Hampshire Provincial Regiment. He was given the rank of captain. During this war, Hercules fought at the Siege of Fort William Henry, a battle that unfortunately resulted in resounding defeat. When the war was over, Hercules returned to his teaching post in Durham. In addition to his teaching duties, he was elected a town selectman in 1765.

When the Revolutionary War broke out in 1776, Hercules was ready once again to serve his newly-formed country. He was appointed a lieutenant colonel in the Continental Army. He served in Long’s regiment and fought at the Battle of Fort Anne during the Saratoga campaign. In June, 1779, he was given command of his own regiment of the New Hampshire Militia. This regiment was given orders to go to Rhode Island to keep watch on the British Army at Newport.

At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, Hercules moved to Holderness, Grafton County, New Hampshire, where he continued his duties as a teacher and also served as a justice of the peace.

This chalkboard hero passed away at his home in April, 1800. He was 89 years old.

Educator Braulio Alonso: Teacher, US veteran, and first Hispanic president of the NEA

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Educator Braulio Alonso

Educator Braulio Alonso” Teacher, US veteran, and first Hispanic president of the NEA

There are many valiant American veterans who have also served in the classroom. One such American hero is Braulio Alonso. This distinguished educator and World War II veteran can boast numerous accomplishments during his lifetime.

Braulio was born the son of impoverished cigar makes in Ybor City, Tampa, Hillsborough County, Florida, on December 16, 1916. Braulio graduated in 1935 from Hillsborough High School, the valedictorian of his class. He was also the valedictorian of his college class when he graduated from the University of Tampa in 1939.

Braulio began his teaching career as an instructor of physics and chemistry courses at Henry B. Plant High School in Tampa, but when World War II erupted, this chalkboard hero enlisted in the United States Army in 1941. He was immediately sent to officer candidate school, and later he became part of the 85th Infantry Division in North Africa. The former classroom teacher was promoted to Battery Commander for the 328th Artillery Battalion, taking an active part in the Italian campaign. He was among the first Allied soldiers to liberate Rome. By the time he was discharged from the service, Braulio had earned a Bronze Star with Cluster and a Purple Heart.

When the war was won, Braulio resumed his career as an educator. He was named the director of Adult Education and headed an on-the-job training program for returning veterans. He also taught classes and served as a principal at several schools, including West Tampa Junior High, Jefferson High School, and C. Leon King High School.

Always intent upon improving the quality of education, Braulio became the president of his local teachers’ union. He eventually was selected the president of the Florida Education Association, where he led the drive to integrate the organization. In 1967, he was elected the president of the National Education Association (NEA), the first Hispanic to hold that office. While NEA president, Braulio worked to persuade teacher organizations throughout Europe to join with the NEA for an international conference to combat racism, anti-Semitism and apartheid. He served as the secretary of that joint effort. In 1966 he became an international figure when he was asked to mediate a dispute among teacher organizations and the Bolivian government. This was the first of many missions Braulio undertook to mediate disputes, including efforts in Nicaragua, El Salvador, Brazil, the Ivory Coast, Kenya, and Ghana.

This remarkable chalkboard hero passed away of natural causes in 2010. He will be missed, but certainly not forgotten. To read more about him, see this online article published by the NEA.

Teacher, veteran, and Kentucky State Representative DeWayne Bunch

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DeWayne Bunch

Teacher, veteran, and Kentucky State Representative DeWayne Bunch.

I am always eager to share stories about fine educators who have served our country in our armed services and in politics. One such teacher is DeWayne Bunch of Kentucky. In addition to serving in the National Guard, DeWayne also served in the Kentucky State House of Representatives.

DeWayne was a teacher of science and math at Whitley County High School in Williamsburg, Whitley County, Kentucky, for seventeen years. DeWayne was also a member of the Kentucky National Guard for 23 years. The intrepid teacher completed a tour of duty in Iraq, where he served as a first sergeant. His valor there earned him a Bronze Star.

A multi-talented individual, DeWayne was elected in 2010 to the Kentucky State House of Representatives. There he represented the 82nd District. As a legislator, he served on House Committees for Education, Veterans’ Affairs, and Transportation.

Sadly, DeWayne’s story does not have a happy ending. One morning in 2011, while the former soldier was at school, a brawl between two students broke out in the cafeteria. DeWayne was the first of three faculty members who rushed in to quell the fray. Unfortunately, DeWayne took a direct punch meant for another student, and was knocked to the floor. He hit his head on the hard surface, and sustained severe head and spinal cord injuries. DeWayne was rushed to the nearest hospital. and spent the next year in extensive rehabilitative therapy. Because of his condition, DeWayne resigned his position in the Kentucky House of Representatives. His wife, Regina Bunch, a special education teacher at Whitley County Middle School, was elected to fill his vacated position.

DeWayne died as a result of his injuries just over a year after his accident, on July 11, 2012. He was only 49 years old. Our country lost a true hero and chalkboard champion that day. To read more about this amazing man, see this 2011 article published in the Lexington Herald Leader: State Rep Bunch Critically Injured.

History teacher Darrell Jones: US Veteran and Chalkboard Champion

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On Veterans Day, the entire country pauses to express appreciation to our nation’s heroic veterans for all they have done, including laying their lives on the line, to protect our American freedoms. One such veteran is Darrell Jones, a middle school history teacher in Mississippi.

As a younger man, Darrell served in the United States Air Force for 20 years. On active duty from 1991 to 2011, he was deployed over two dozen times, including stints in Iraq. During his years of service, the now-retired Technical Sergeant E-6 worked as a crew chief and as an aircraft mechanic.

Darrell grew up in Buffalo, New York. After he graduated high school in 1988, he enrolled in college, where he completed three years of study. He interrupted his studies to join the military, but once he retired from the Air Force in 2011, he used his GI benefits to complete his degree. He earned his bachelor’s in secondary education from Mississippi State University in 2014.

This valiant veteran now works as a 7th grade history teacher at Armstrong Middle School in Starkville, Mississippi. “People ask me all the time why I became a teacher after working hard in the military for 20 years,” says Darrell. “I say…I want to continue to serve my country and take care of our children.” He is as dedicated to his work with students as he was to his work in the military. “My goal is to show my students the difference between Veterans Day and Memorial Day, without taking the joy away from the holiday,” asserts Darrell. “I want them to remember we can honor those who have given their lives for our country and appreciate what they have done while also cherishing the fact that we get to spend the day with friends and family.”

Here is the American hero and Chalkboard Champion with some of his kids. Thank you for all your service, Darrell!