Irving High School to honor soldier

[TexasStooge]

Irving High dedicates memorial service, scholarship to graduate

By RUSSELL RIAN / The Dallas Morning News

IRVING, Texas - A Veterans Day memorial service is scheduled Thursday at Irving High School to honor a graduate killed in Iraq and for whom a memorial scholarship is being named.

Spc. Josiah H. Vandertulip, who often boasted a broad smile in photos, joined the Army after graduating in 2002 and died Oct. 14 when his patrol came under enemy small arms fire in Baghdad during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

The 30-minute service, scheduled for 1:30 p.m., will include the school's band, ROTC color guards from several schools, dedication of a plaque to hang in the school, a proclamation from the mayor and comments from various officials.

"It will be very meaningful," said Irving High principal Carolyn Dowler.

The school is also gathering the names of current Irving servicemen and women to read at the ceremonies.

Last month, the school held a service for Spc. Vandertulip that included a traveling Liberty Bell replica.

"It gave everybody pause for thought," Ms. Dowler said. "It brought it all home that this is real life and death."

The Vandertulip scholarship, being coordinated through a joint effort by the Irving Schools Foundation, chamber and students at Irving High, would be awarded annually to a senior starting this year if enough money can be raised, organizers said. The Irving Schools Foundation would include the new scholarship as part of its Breakfast with the Stars scholarship banquet in the spring.

"A permanent endowment for this scholarship will let our city, his family and his friends know that we care that he gave his life at such a young age because he cared," said school board president Barbara Cardwell, who is supporting the independent effort. "Josiah gave his life so that we could live a life of freedom here in the United Sates. He volunteered to go into Iraq so that another soldier with a family might not have to go."

The minimum needed is $10,000 to $12,000 to establish a $500 annual scholarship and about $20,000 for a $1,000 annual scholarship, said Phil Sims, board president of the Irving Schools Foundation, which hands out some 50 scholarships each year.

"We don't want to put a ceiling on it," Mr. Sims said. "We feel like this is obviously a worthy cause, and we would like to raise it by the end of the year. ... I feel like we could."

Some corporate sponsors have indicated interest and the student effort is under way, with ROTC students taking up collections at Friday's football game. Organizers have not determined criteria for awarding the scholarship.

"We're going to sit down with the family and let them design what that criteria would be," Mr. Sims said. "It can be as narrow or broad as that person who it is in memory of."

Family members could not be reached for comment.

Mr. Vandertulip, who had a penchant for Skittles, sunflower seeds and wild hats, attended Barton Elementary, Crockett Middle School and graduated from Irving High School in June 2002, playing defense on the Wolf Pack hockey team.

He spent a year's tour in South Korea and was in Texas for about three months before volunteering for duty in Iraq. The 21-year-old served with the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood.

[DaylilyDawn]

Here in Fl, over in Tampa they are naming a highway for one of soldiers from Tampa that was killed earlier this year., Avila was the last name.

[streetsoldier]

Seventh Cavalry? TexasStooge, make SURE the band plays "Garry Owen"....the marching ("galloping") song chosen by General George A. Custer for the Regiment...and tell them why.

Lots of history there...and the Seventh Cavalry has adopted that song (it's even on the Regimental shoulder patch) as its own ever since.