When Hunter Else graduated from Oskaloosa High School in 2019, he wasn’t sure what his future would hold. Two weeks later, he was on his way to Army basic training, beginning a journey that would challenge his confidence, test his leadership and ultimately bring him back to the community where his story began.
Seven years later, Else returned to the same gymnasium as the featured speaker for Oskaloosa High School’s Veterans Day assembly, sharing lessons learned through four years of military service.
“Just because I was uncomfortable didn’t mean I was incapable,” Else told students. “There’s a big difference between those two things.”
The annual assembly brought high school and middle school students, educators and local veterans together to recognize military service through student presentations, music and personal reflections.
Following graduation, Else completed military training before being stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas, as a field artilleryman. During his four years in the Army, he earned several military honors and achieved the rank of sergeant at age 20.
That responsibility changed his understanding of leadership.
“When I became a sergeant at 20 years old, I didn’t suddenly wake up feeling older or wiser,” Else said. “I was still 20. I had questions. I still made mistakes.”
Else explained that leadership requires accountability, a willingness to learn and the courage to make difficult decisions, even when confidence hasn’t caught up with responsibility.
“Sometimes responsibility comes first, and confidence has to catch up later,” he said.
Today, Else works as a procurement specialist, owns a strength and conditioning business, and coaches football in Oskaloosa. He uses lessons from his military experience to help young athletes recognize their abilities and embrace challenges.
His message extended beyond personal achievement to the importance of serving others.
“A lot of the time, we naturally ask, ‘What do I get out of this?’ But service asks a different question: ‘What can I contribute?'” Else said.
For veterans attending the assembly, hearing students recognize military service carried particular significance.
Retired Navy Lt. Joe S. Crookham, a 1967 Oskaloosa High School graduate, said the program demonstrated the importance of helping young people understand their responsibilities to their community and country.
“The main thing I see that really excites me is the fact of having the younger people see not just us veterans, but see how well that the school has put on the program,” Crookham said.
Crookham praised the student presentations and Else’s message about perseverance, noting how the school’s recognition of veterans has evolved.
“We never had programs like this when I graduated years ago in 1967,” he said.
He also expressed appreciation to the Oskaloosa High School Student Council for coordinating the program and helping veterans place American flags at Forest Cemetery, a tradition that connects generations through service and remembrance.
Joe Durian, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Vietnam as a Specialist Fourth Class, shared that appreciation. Drafted into the military, Durian worked as a truck driver, traveling throughout the region around Saigon and into Cambodia.
An Oskaloosa High School graduate, Durian said he tries to attend the Veterans Day assembly every year.
“We really appreciate it, and we want to make sure that we’re here to show ourselves that we care about what the students do and what the teachers do out here,” Durian said.
Durian, who helps coordinate military funeral honors for veterans, found the musical tribute particularly moving.
“It was very, very emotional for me, especially taps,” he said.
He also appreciated hearing students recognize relatives who served, demonstrating how military service connects families throughout Oskaloosa and surrounding communities.
Student voices were also central to the Veterans Day assembly, with several students sharing essays reflecting on the meaning of service, sacrifice and courage.
Oskaloosa High School sophomore Camryn Bowie challenged her classmates to consider the personal stories behind the veterans they encounter. She explained that whenever she hears the national anthem at a sporting event, she looks for those who salute and wonders about their experiences.
“But my main question is, ‘What is their story?'” Bowie said.
Through those stories, Bowie said she developed a new understanding of courage, recognizing that bravery does not mean living without fear.
“Courage means taking a step forward with fear rather than staying in the same place and being filled with doubt,” Bowie said.
She encouraged her classmates to apply that same determination to challenges in their own lives.
“I challenge each of you to go out into the world, and do something that you might be scared to do,” Bowie said. “Have some of the courage that our veterans demonstrated when they answered the call to serve.”
For Else, returning to his alma mater offered an opportunity to remind students that serving others doesn’t require military experience.
“You do not have to wear a uniform to serve your country,” Else said. “You can serve by being a leader, by helping your neighbor, standing up for what’s right, making your school, your community, and your country better than you found them.”
Through its Veterans Day assembly and continued partnerships with local veterans, Oskaloosa High School is helping students understand that honoring service means remembering the past while accepting responsibility for the community’s future.
