Kaneland High School held a Patriotic Assembly on March 17.  Medal of Honor recipient Sergeant Allen Lynch and Three Star General—Lieutenant General Randall Rigby were guest speakers for the students and staff.

Both Lynch and Rigby served in the Vietnam War.  Lynch rescued an ambushed American unit on December 15, 1967.  On May 14, 1970, he was given the Medal of Honor by President Nixon.

“The Medal of Honor is the highest award any American citizen can receive because of valor above and beyond the call of duty. He put himself in harms way multiple times to save other soldiers,” said KHS Athletic Director Rudy Keller, who organized the Patriotic Assembly.

According to the National Veterans Museum, Rigby served 32 years as an Artilleryman.  As a combat arms officer, his duty stations included command of a firing battery in Vietnam, an 8 Inch Howitzer Battalion with a nuclear mission and the 6th Infantry Division Artillery.

“He still is serving. After getting out of Vietnam, he was involved in other types of community work for the Department of Defense and strategy planning.  He goes to Washington D.C., serves on committees and helps to protect us,” Keller said.

Keller hopes that the Patriotic Assembly helped students and staff of KHS to have a better admiration of saying the Pledge of Allegiance each morning, on Veteran’s Day, the Fourth of July and Memorial Day.

“I want everyone to really appreciate the freedoms of America and the sacrifices so many people have made for us to have them.”

The partriotic nature of Kaneland High School will be displayed with this assembly on March 17.