Nevada High School to host socially distanced Veterans Day program Wednesday morning

Monday, November 9, 2020
Major (retired) James Osborn will be the guest speaker at Wednesday's Veterans Day program to be hosted in the Ella Maxwell Performing Arts Center at the Nevada High School. The program is slated for 10:15 a.m. and social distancing will be observed.
Submitted Photo

The Nevada High School Air Force Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (AFJROTC) program, in conjunction with the NHS Student Council, will host a Veterans Day program Wednesday at 10:15 a.m., in the Ella Maxwell Performing Arts Center at the Nevada High School.

The socially distanced program will feature pre-recorded music by the Nevada High School band, Nevada Crimson Sound, as well as patriotic readings by Nevada Middle School Language Arts students.

The featured guest speaker of the program will be Major (retired) James Osborn. Major is Osborn is a retired Army helicopter pilot and educator. Major Osborn is a second generation career Army officer, his father having also been a career officer and a combat veteran of both World War II (Normandy) and the Korean War.

Beginning his military career in Army ROTC at Southwest Missouri State College in 1963, Major Osborn went on to graduate as a Distinguished Military Student in 1968. Following this, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant Infantry officer.

Serving in many places across the United States (Georgia, Texas, Kansas, Alabama, Virginia, California, and Arkansas), Major Osborn also served overseas in Vietnam, Korea, Germany, Italy, Belgium, Turkey, and Greece.

Retiring from the Army with 20 years of service in 1988, he went on to be the Senior Army Instructor at Wentworth Military Academy prior to accepting the position of the Junior ROTC Senior Army Instructor at Joplin High School where he taught for 20 years.

Over his years of service, Major Osborn received many awards and decorations including Senior Army Aviator; Airborne; Ranger Tab; seven Air medals; a Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with V device; the Bronze Star; two Meritorious Service medals; and a NATO Meritorious Service Medal, earned while serving with NATO in Italy.

Major Osborn has been married to his wife, Julie, for 53 years and they have one son, Ralph, and daughter, Julianna Long, along with two grandchildren. Currently residing in Buffalo, Mo., he and his wife raise and train miniature horses and ponies for therapy.

In addition to Major Osborn's address, the Veterans Day program will include pre-recorded performances by the Nevada High School choirs and Crimson Sound; JROTC color guard posting of colors; a history of Veterans Day; recognition of local area veterans by NHS student council; and a history and performance of Taps.

Veterans and up to two guests will be able to enter through the west and north doors of the performing arts center at the Nevada High School. Students will watch the program in their classrooms.

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