O'Neal Honors Military Families and Veterans at Its 10th Annual Military Appreciation Day

O’Neal celebrated its 10th annual Military Appreciation Day on Thursday before having a ½ day school dismissal for an extended Veterans Day holiday.

O’Neal military families enjoyed refreshments in Konni’s courtyard prior to the assembly for students and families grades 1-12 in the Hannah Center Gym.

The assembly was kicked-off with the singing of the National Anthem by eighth-grade student Callie McHarney. The Upper School Chorus with faculty and staff members performed “God Bless the U.S.A” by Lee Greenwood. Seniors Phillip Hancock and Maxwell Epstein introduced the speaker, Garrison Commander Colonel John Wilcox.

A graduate of The Virginia Military Institute, Colonel Wilcox earned his commission in the Military Police Corps in 1999.  He has been deployed multiple times to include the Philippines for Operation Enduring Freedom and Afghanistan as part of NATO Special Operations. He assumed command of 3rd Battalion, 1st Special Warfare Training Group (Airborne) in 2017. Most recently, he served as Deputy Chief of Staff G5 for USASOC in 2021. Colonel Wilcox holds master’s degrees from the Naval Postgraduate School and the Army War College. He is married to O’Neal Trustee Nellie Wilcox and they have three children attending O’Neal: Hannah '28, Aiden '31, and Lukas '34.

Colonel Wilcox emphasized the value of service in celebration of Veterans Day and how everyone can be grateful for the reward of serving others. He made everyone repeat the motto:  “I can, I will”.

O’Neal second grade students closed out the assembly by performing “Grand Ole Flag”. 




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The O'Neal School admits students of any race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by law to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, genetic information, citizenship, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other basis protected by law in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.