Onaga Historical Society Recognizes Veterans

The Onaga Historical Society will host their annual Veterans “Tribute of Our Veterans” Program and Reception on Sunday, November 10, from 2:00 to 3:30 p.m. in the Heritage Center at the Onaga Historical Museum located at 310 E. 2 nd St., Onaga, Kansas. All are invited. This year’s program will focus on showing appreciation for all veterans and currently serving Military personnel as well as on the women from the Onaga area who have served our Country. Keynote speaker is Colonel Dena R. Goble, Onaga High School Class of 1988, who enlisted in the Army Reserves in 1987 on “Experiences in the Military Over the Decades”. After over 17 years as an enlisted soldier, where Col Goble served in multiple NCO leadership positions, to include as a Military Police (MP) instructor, Operations Sargeant Major for the 924th MP BN, and culminating as the First Sergeant of the 346the MP Co. In 2005, she received a direct commission as a Military Police Officer, then in 2013 she completed the Civil Affairs Qualification Course. COL Goble mobilized three times while enlisted, to include a deployment to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, Camp Bucca, Iraq, and Jordan to support Operation Inherent Resolve. During COL Goble’s time in Iraq, two other Onaga High School graduates were also stationed in Iraq – Gail Wege, Rodney Labbe, and Rick Manuel, U.S. Navy, at sea. As a civilian, COL Goble is the Lead Planner for the Department of Defense Warrior games and U.S. Invictus Games Team in the G-35 of the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command. COL Goble will be sharing insight into her military experiences. Jolene Cervantes will detail the stories of two women veterans, raised in Onaga area, who served in World War I in the Army Nurses Corps (ANC). Essie Mae (DeGraw) Koentz and Grace (Needham) Allen were stationed at Base Hospital #28 in Limoges, France. Established in 1901, the ANC before WW 1 was small, 403 nurses on active duty and 170 reserve nurses. Base Hospital #28 was a 2,500-bed military base hospital formed by Kansas City doctors and nurses who arrived in Limoges, France in July 1918. During the six months of its active operation it served nearly ten thousand patients. The hospital was led by doctors associated with medical school of the University of Kansas. Women who have served in the military from the Onaga area include Grace (Needham) Allen, Jayme Basinger, Nancy (Frazier) Berges, Tammy (Wheeler) Cathey, Beth Dice, JoAnn (McClain) Falkenstein, Anna Mae (Kral) Ford, Jennifer Giovanni, COL Dena R. Goble, Essie (DeGraw) Koentz, Judy Kocher, Joan (Schlegel) Leonard, Betty (Minsch) Malone, Katie Moore, Ellie (Tessendorf) Reese, Amelia (Frezieres) Rhoads, Maj. Sandra S. Rogers, Ivy Sender, Donna Ronnebaum, Rochelle Stokley, Arlene Talbott, Kay (Schwarz) Towne, Gail Wege, and Karen (Blaske) White. Please contact the Onaga Historical Society at onagahistory@gmail.com if you know of another woman who needs to be included in this list. It has been developed by happenstance. Several recognitions of appreciation to the veterans will be given at the program which will be followed by the Retirement of Colors and refreshments. Should you have non-serviceable flags which need to be retired, you may bring those flags to the program. The Onaga Historical Society collects tattered, faded flags throughout the year for its annual Flag Retirement Ceremony in June held in conjunction with the Onaga Area Veterans.