News : Teacher of the Year: Iowa Legion honors Alex Vasquez

Lyle Schaffer, Past Iowa Commander, presents Alex Vasquez the 2013 Educator of the Year Award.

Every December, Mr. Vasquez leads a Pearl Harbor memorial ceremony.

Mr. Vasquez helps Olivia Oltrogge properly aim a Civil War rifle.

Mr. Vasquez teaches students to line up the way Civil War soldiers would.

Iowa Legion Teacher of the Year: Students watch Mr. Vasquez fire his Civil War muzzle-loader.

Mr. Vasquez also teaches some unusual lessons, such as the odor of gun powder.

Marching: Students watch as Mr. Vasquez demonstrates a variety of marching steps.

A few years after the Iowa VFW presented its Teacher of the Year honor to Vinton-Shellsburg High School History Teacher Kelly Steffen, the Iowa Department of the American Legion is honoring Vinton-Shellsburg Middle School History Teacher Alex Vasquez as its 2012-13 Educator of the Year.

Vasquez received the award earlier this month at the annual meeting of the Iowa Legion, but members of the Department will come to Vinton sometime in November to honor Vasquez in front of his peers and students.

Vasquez is the grandson of a World War II sailor and a descendant of a Union soldier who survived being shot in the face during the Civil War.

George G. Luckey Post 57 Legion members nominated Vasquez for this award for several reasons, including his annual Pearl Harbor Memorial Service each December.

A Civil War re-enactor, Vasquez also takes his students outside each May for a Civil War marching lesson, allowing his top students to carry his vintage rifles. He even demonstrates the firing of a musket-loader.

"When you talk the students of Mr. Vasquez, and their parents, it is apparent they would love to have more of this type of involvement by other teachers," said Roger Uthoff, a Vinton Legion member and Past District Vice Commander.

Vasquez also receives praise for helping connect the community to its veterans.

"One of the goals of the American Legion has always been to work in cooperation with schools that assist veterans, their families and local communities," said Joylyn Steinfadt of Atkins, the Iowa Legion Americanism Chairperson. "These educators have a unique opportunity with our schools to distribute information to students about our many programs."

In addition to receiving the award from the Legion, Vasquez and other award recipients received a salute from the Legion Riders.
"I was very touched when the Legion Riders saluted all the honored guests after the parade--the Legionnaire of the Year, the Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, the representatives from the Boys' and Girls' State, the Junior Shooting Sports Markswoman, and the essay winners--by revving their motorcycles en masse," said Vasquez. "This is only done on special, honored occasions and is an experience I will never forget."

Vasquez also thanked the Legion, especially the Post 57 veterans, for honoring him.

"I wish to thank the members of the George G. Luckey Post and the Legion Auxiliary, the Iowa American Legion, all Veterans, and those servicemen and women currently protecting and defending our Nation," said Vasquez. "I am deeply honored and humbled in receiving the Legion’s Educator award. It inspires me to keep researching and perfecting my craft, and would not have been possible without the efforts of the children and families I am blessed to work with every year."