By VERNON ROBISON
The Progress
The Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 8336 held its annual community awards ceremony on Thursday evening, March 23 at its VFW Post Home in Overton. The Post presented six different awards to Moapa Valley youth and adults in various categories.
Presenting the awards for the evening was local veteran Phillip Mullins who serves as the Post 8336 Quartermaster.
Mullins began by recognizing the winner of the local Patriot’s Pen contest. This award is given to middle school age students who enter an essay about an annual theme, Mullins explained. This year’s theme was “My Pledge to our Veterans.”
The award went to Parker Carson who was invited to come forward and read his essay to the crowd.
In his essay, Carson made several pledges to honor veterans including paying proper respect to the flag, making an annual visit to the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery and respecting veterans and their families.
“Many veterans lost their lives in combat so we could keep our rights,” Parker said. “The least we could do is honor them and their sacrifices.”
In the Patriot’s Pen contest, Ella Mullins won second place and Kelsey Wagaski was awarded third place.
MVHS senior Iain McMurray was recognized for winning first place in the VFW Voice of Democracy speech contest. McMurray was unable to be present for the ceremony as he was attending the FFA State Convention in Reno last week.
Mullins announced the 2023 Citizenship Education Award which went to Carolyn Delafrance, fifth grade teacher at Grant Bowler Elementary School.
“This award is given to a teacher who exemplifies patriotism, heroism, democracy and who is teaching these things in our schools and introducing them to the children,” Mullins said.
Mullins recognized Delafrance for her work in preparing students to receive the Great American Award at the end of each year. The award, sponsored by Clark County Commissioner Marilyn Kirkpatrick, requires recipients to master six elements. These include memorizing the pledge of allegiance, memorizing the words to National Anthem, memorizing all the U.S. Presidents in chronological order, memorizing all the states in alphabetical order and their capitals, reciting the Gettysberg Address, and reciting the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution.
“It is so important that our kids learn these things and see where we have come from and where we are headed,” Mullins said.
Mullins added that Delafrance had been recognized as the winner of this award both in the local contest and at the regional level. Her candidacy would be forwarded to the state level as well, he said.
The Post also recognized two local people for their work as first responders.
The first, in a new category of Public Service: Dispatcher, went to Jason Roeller who works for Las Vegas Fire and Rescue Department.
Mullins said that Roeller was nominated for his work in helping the 911 mapping systems become updated for outlying areas.
“He takes his time off to lead dispatchers around and show them where some of these roads are and how to get these places,” Mullins said. “Because without that knowledge, they won’t know some of these roads even exist.”
Roeller was on duty on Thursday night and was unable to attend the ceremony.
Finally, the Public Servant: Law Enforcement award was presented to local CCSD Police Officer James Lescinsky.
“I see (Lescinsky) in the community every day and he is always doing something for our children,” Mullins said. “He deserves to be recognized.”
Lescinsky expressed a few words of gratitude for having the honor bestowed upon him. He noted that his father was a Vietnam veteran from active duty service in 1966-67.
“This really means so much to me because my father was in the VFW,” Lescinsky said. “He has been gone since 2008. I have so many photos of my dad from Vietnam and I am so proud of him. I am just grateful and honored.”
