Additional settings for Safari Browser.
February 26, 2025
MHS History Students Need Your Help!
History students at Manhattan High School need your help to tell the stories of local connections to World War II. They have identified 57 soldiers who were students at Manhattan High School who lost their lives fighting for their country.
Using archival materials such as old MHS yearbooks, original military records, and archived newspapers, MHS students will be writing biographies of these individuals to honor these veterans for their service and sacrifice.
The finished project will be published to the Manhattan High School website for the community to view, and they are exploring opportunities for a physical memorial.
They hope that this project will serve as a powerful educational experience and create a meaningful and lasting contribution to the history of our school and community.
How can you help? If you have any information, connections, or know anything about the following veterans and would be interested in participating, please contact Jackson Allen, MHS Social Studies Teacher, at jacksona@usd383.org or 785-587-2100. They would like to have information by March 15, if possible.
The soldiers that we are concentrating on for the spring of 2025 are:
• Robert Brunson, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1937
• Leslie Callahan, US Army Air Coprs, MHS Class of 1936
• Francis Dresser, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1929
• Beattie Fleenor, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1935
• Phil Gould, US Army Air Corps, Teacher at MHS in 1942
• Richard Hotchkiss, US Army, MHS Class of 1934
• Wesley Harold Hunt, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1941
• Mark Kratochvil, US Army, Unknown Graduation Year, but born in 1917, so probably around 1935.
• Ernest Ralph Newell, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1939
• Bob Srack, US Marine Corps, MHS Class of 1944
• Oscar Leland Wertz, US Army Air Corps, MHS Class of 1936
• Grant Zarger, US Army, MHS Class of 1940
• There was also a veteran from Manhattan who appeared to be friends with Bob Srack and they served together. He might have attended the Catholic School - his name was Colman Eichman.
