MOUNTAIN HOME, Idaho — Stephensen Elementary School at Mountain Home Air Force Base received the special Purple Heart designation. The national program is designed to help schools respond to the educational, social, and emotional challenges military-connected children face during their transition to a new school and keep them on track for higher education.
- Mountain Home Air Force Base's elementary school was honored with the Purple Heart designation.
- Stephensen Elementary is Idaho's first school to be recognized with that distinction.
- It was a special day for the entire Stephensen family.
(Below is the transcript from the broadcast story)
School Superintendent of Public Instruction Debbie Critchfield spoke about what the Purple Heart Designation means for military families.
"How many of you are so proud of your mom and dads who serve in the military? We do this for the kids, we do this to honor the people who sacrifice and go serve for us in the military, and I really, truly can't think of a greater thing to do for members of our military branches than to support their families and their children while they're protecting us," Critchfield said.
The school is named after Colonel Mark Stephensen who was shot down over North Vietnam during a reconnaissance mission. Stephensen was captured and became a Prisoner of War.
Having traveled to Washington with his sons Mark and Lance as part of the Honor Flight, I know how much today meant for the entire Stephensen family.
Mark's wife Doneta and daughter represented the family at Thursday's ceremony.
"If father Mark and brother Lance were here today, how would they feel? Just that this is such a wonderful thing that the school is named in honor of their father, that the school received such a wonderful award that represents what they have and went through themselves. Military families move so often, and the idea is when new students come into this school their fathers are told this is where they'll be living. Being a new student in a school can be tough, and they have a group that he as quickly as possible."
Idaho was the 43rd state in the nation, so it only makes sense that Idaho is the 43rd Purple Star State.
