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OPINION........... 12
David Leibowitz takes on the midterm elections
Serving the communities of Anthem, Desert Hills, Norterra, Sonoran Foothills, Stetson Valley, Tramonto, New River, Desert Ridge and North Phoenix
Anthem Area Edition
Wednesday, November 9, 2022
Anthem resident recounts POW ordeal The Foothills Focus, in partnership with the An them Veterans Memorial, wi ll honor a local veteran each mo nth. This is the story of Col. Thomas Kirk.
BY YVONNE DOLBY AND ELIZABETH TURNER Anthem Veterans Memorial
E
verything about life as he knew it was gone. Confined to a 6- by 7-foot masonry cell, Lt. Col. Thomas Kirk and his cellmates slept on concrete bunks and survived on the bowl of soup and piece of bread they were given twice a day. A bare light bulb hung in the cell and burned around the clock. Windows were covered to block any natural light or view of the outdoors. Communication with anyone outside the cell was not permitted. “There was nothing to read, nothing to write with, nothing to do,” Kirk explained.
It was the existence of a prisoner of war in Vietnam. Kirk was an aviator, a jet fighter pilot who had served in Korea and gone on numerous NATO deployments. By 1966, he was stationed in Japan and volunteered for Vietnam. At first, he wasn’t reassigned, “but fighter pilots want to fight, that’s what we do,” Kirk said. So, he took a two-week leave in South Vietnam where he flew 25 combat missions in the
“Over 400 volunteers will assist us with this year’s ceremony. Some of their work took place before the ceremony and others will be there on Nov. 11 to help execute the program. Their tireless efforts bring the 11th annual Veterans Day ceremony to new heights. We are grateful.” The cadets of the Sandra Day O’Connor ROTC program, under the command of Master Sgt. John Badey, have volunteered at every Veterans Day and Memorial Day since the Anthem Veterans Memorial dedication, Nov. 11, 2011. The cadets stand watch over the Anthem Veterans Memorial, while guarding the military branch flags, holding the U.S. flags and assisting where they are needed.
“Each year, the polished and professional cadets demonstrate their pride in honoring veterans and we cannot imagine our ceremonies without them,” Turner said. Boulder Creek High School TV media and production program under the instruction and guidance of Christy Johnstone has elevated the meaning of community service. “Many are unaware of the time and talents taken to make every aspect of the ceremony special and, with this teacher and her students, the 11th annual Veterans Day ceremony begins our second year of programming with unprecedented visual effects,” Turner said.
see
KIRK page 6
Volunteers make difference at veterans ceremony BUSINESS.......... 15
Connection is important to psychiatric nurse
FEATURES......... 20
Mr.’s exhibit is courtesy of Men’s Art Council
OPINION.................... 10 BUSINESS.................. 15 FEATURES................. 18 YOUTH....................... 25 CLASSIFIEDS............. 26 Zone I
BY CHRISTINA FUOCO-KARASINSKI Foothills Focus Executive Editor
A
t the heart of every nonprofit are people who dedicate their time, their talents and their goodwill to benefit others. As the Anthem Veterans Memorial begins its second decade of educational programming this Veterans Day, Nov. 11, at 9:30 a.m., the organization would like to thank the volunteers who assist it. “This Veterans Day ceremony, and educational programming throughout the year, could not exist without our dedicated volunteers,” said Elizabeth Turner, Anthem Veterans Memorial programming director.
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