May 19, 2008

News Release

TISD High School Conducts Annual Memorial Service

The students, staff and former students of Robert E. Lee High School are honoring former students who have given their lives in service of our country.  This year marks the 40^th anniversary of the Robert E. Lee Memorial Service to be held Tuesday, May 20 at 10:45 a.m. in the courtyard of Robert E. Lee High School, located at 411 ESE Loop 323, in Tyler. 

The ceremony will be dedicated to the memory of former students:

William David Bothwell                      U. S. Army

Gary Vaughn Clark                             U. S. Army

Tony Wayne Collier                            U. S. Army

Charles T. Courson                           U.S. Marine Corp

Frederick William Fritts                      U.S. Army

Doyce Gene Miller                              U.S. Marine Corp

Lawrence Hamilton Moore                 U.S. Marines Corp

Harry Diwain Spier                             U.S. Army

In 1966, the Robert E. Lee Student Council President, David Muntz, initiated a project to build a memorial in the center of the Lee courtyard to commemorate those former Lee students who had died in service to their country.  The Student Council of the 1966-67 school year began making plans for such an undertaking.  The ground work was laid that year with the completion of the project to come the following year.  With donations of more than $3,000, the 1967-68 Council began work on the memorial, now located in the courtyard of the Lee campus. 

Brian Ballard, President of the Student Council during 1968, headed the student council, many faculty members and many concerned students, to conduct the first Memorial Service at Robert E. Lee, with Veteran Marine Corp Officer, Ted Chilcote, speaking. 

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