Mountain Grove graduate to speak at Veterans Day Celebration

The Mountain Grove R-III School District is proud to host its annual Veterans Day Celebration on Monday, Nov. 11 at 9 a.m. This is a district-wide event hosted for the community. All veterans and community members are invited to attend.
“Our veterans are the backbone of our country. Any time that we can celebrate them, we need to take that opportunity. I am excited to invite all veterans to come join us on Nov. 11 to let us show a little bit of our appreciation for their service,” said Superintendent  Dr. Aaron Gerla, Mountain Grove.
The guest speaker this year is Petty Officer Second Class, Navy, Stephen Madonia, Department of Homeland Security. Madonia is a 1984 Graduate of Mountain Grove High School.
He joined the US Navy in 1986 after moving to Kansas City, enlisting for six years. After two years of specialized electronics education (Orlando Naval Training Center - Basic Electricity and Electronics school; Great Lakes Naval Training Center - Electronics Technician Class A school; and Lowry Air Force Base Denver Colorado - Advanced Microwave Measurement and Precision Calibration school), Madonia was sent to Hawaii for his tour. There he completed three additional years of specialized training at Naval Telecommunications Area Master Station Eastern Pacific (NAVCAMS ESATPAC), Honolulu, Hawaii. While there, he was recruited by the White House Military Office to come work in Washington, D.C. Madonia holds a Bachelor’s Degree of Applied Science in Electronics through Wayland Baptist University.
After six years of travel and service in D.C., where Madonia was employed as Presidential Senior Radio Technician assigned to the United States Secret Service Presidential Protective Detail, the birth of Madonia’s first child prompted a career change. It was at that time that he left the White House to join the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency as its Chief Technologist for cellular intercept. He served as the DEA’s Senior advanced mobile intercept engineer, then moved to the U.S. Customs Service as a Technical Enforcement Officer in Washington. D.C. After the loss of a close friend in the bombing of the USS Cole, and then the 9/11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Madonia knew he needed to join the fight on terrorism. He joined the Department of Homeland Security in 2004, serving through 2008 with the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations in Honolulu Hawaii. He has continued working with the United States DHS HSI and is now located in Denver, Colo.
Festivities at Mountain Grove’s assembly will include patriotic music provided by the Mountain Grove High School band and the Mountain Grove High School Choir, a presentation by Mountain Grove Elementary Kindergarten music students, an honor salute from the local American Legion and recognition of the different military branches. This event is organized by the Mountain Grove High School Student Council.
Veterans Day Parade
Line-up starts at 12:30 p.m. on Monday, Nov. 11 at Alumni Park for the annual Mountain Grove Veterans Parade. The parade will begin at 1 p.m.
For more information, call 417-217-4886.
Mansfield
Mansfield High School’s Student Council is presenting a Veterans Day Luncheon and Assembly on Monday, Nov. 11.
A lunch will be served from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. in the high school library for all veterans.
After the lunch, MHS will host the assembly in the high school gym starting at 1 p.m. There will be special music and a keynote speaker, which was not named by press time.
Norwood
The Norwood R-I School District is holding their Veterans Day Assembly on Friday, Nov. 8 starting with the 12:30 p.m. reception for veterans.
The assembly follows with a 1:30 p.m. starting time.
Hartville
Hartville High School is holding their Veterans Day Assembly at 9 a.m. Friday, Nov. 8 in the high school gym.
A Veterans Appreciation Dinner will be held on Friday, Nov. 8 at 5:30 p.m. at the Hartville Veterans Hall. It is hosted by Hartville’s American Legion Auxiliary. Veterans and their immediate family members are invited to attend.