Col. Lance Eldred speaks at NG Veteran Ceremony

By Editor | November 16, 2022 |

By Carmen Ensinger

Carmen Ensinger/Greene Prairie Press
Col. Lance Eldred, a 1988 graduate of North Greene High School, and a 27-year veteran of the United States Army, stands behind the podium in front of a large crowd of both veterans and the student body of North Greene High School and Junior High on Thursday, Nov. 10, for the National Honor Society Veterans Day Program. After the program, the veterans were served a meal, thanks to the National Honor Society and the veterans had the opportunity to speak with Col. Eldred and his wife, Dawn, who is also a graduate of North Greene High School.

North Greene High School National Honor Society’s Veterans Day program is always an amazing program, but this year it was made extra special by the addition of a speaker who just happened to be a retired Colonel and a former graduate of North Greene.

Guest speaker at the Nov. 10 afternoon program was Col. Lance Eldred, a 1988 graduate of North Greene High School and a veteran of the United States Army after having served more than 27 years in the service of his country.

Eldred said he was honored to be asked to speak at his alma mater.

“As an alumnus of North Greene, it has been over three and a half decades since I last walked the halls of this building, but in many respects, it seems like yesterday,” he said. “However, I must be honest, I don’t think I have ever struggled more over a speech than this very short presentation today.”

As a Company Grade Officer in the Army, Eldred said he was fortunate to serve throughout Europe, Asia and the Middle East. Later, as a Field Grade Officer, he was honored to be selected as a special assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff where he was the Director of Special Access Programs.

During his last position overseas, he was the Executive Officer to the Afghanistan Minister of Interior in Kabul.

However, it wasn’t his time in the military that he wanted to talk about – it was his memories of home that he wanted to share.

“I want to talk to you briefly about my memories of growing up in North Greene and how I believe the people and the lessons learned here established the necessary foundation and made me a better son, husband, father, citizens and leader in the United States Army,” he said. “Growing up, I was very fortunate to have many veterans in my family and local positions of authority that served our nation.”

Eldred calls himself a “closet historian” and said he would be remise if he did not briefly educate or remind everyone on why they are in attendance at this ceremony.

“Veterans Day was first observed on Nov. 11, 1919 on the first anniversary of the end of World War I,” he said. “However, it was not until 1954 when President Dwight D. Eisenhower officially changed the name of the holiday from Armistice Day to Veterans Day, as it is currently known today. It is on this day that we celebrate those that have served in the military.”

Eldred said that growing up he always wanted to be a soldier.

“Growing up in the 1970’s-80’s was enriching,” he said. “Veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam walked the halls of North Greene schools and I was fortunate enough to benefit from their experiences.”

Eldred named a few of those teachers: Diz MacCarthy (WWII), Ferd Muccii (WWII), Greg Keller (Vietnam) and Ed Schank (Cold War).

“These are just a few of the North Greene educators that provided guidance, discipline and daily routine during my early and most influential years,” Eldred said. “However, it was Mr. Muccii from fifth through 12th grade and beyond that was always available for guidance and made music and band enjoyable.”

Then there was Coach DIz MacCarthy.

“He brought out the athlete in me and just like Mr. Muccii, always coached and positioned based on merit,” Eldred said. “I will always appreciate our many discussions about his time in the Pacific in World War II, his philosophy on discipline and practice, on and off the field.”

One might ask what band and sports have in common.

“The recurring theme I learned from these veteran educators and others were that to be successful and master the necessary skills, one must develop the necessary routines and muscle memory to assist in that chosen pursuit,” Eldred said. “Routine, or what we in the military call ‘Battle Rhythm’ in our daily life is what I want to briefly touch on with the students of North Greene as we recognize and celebrate Veterans Day.”

Eldred said growing up he fought daily routine “tooth and nail.”

“The daily task of making my bed or taking the vitamin, which seem easy, was horrible and I would oppose my mother at every turn,” he said. “I would hate to look in the HVAC system of our former home on Carrollton Street, as it has years of vitamins tossed down the vents.”

But, as he got older, he realized maybe he was wrong.

“As I gained experience and responsibility, I began to see the utility of how a battle rhythm, when meshed with traditions, customs and courtesies, assisted the day-to-day operations of mine and those that I led and held things together,” he said. “Fellow Spartans, I am here to tell you that it is never too late to establish your Battle Rhythm in life.”

Eldred said that students might not know, at the moment what their future holds.

“You might not know if you want to be a soldier like me, go into college for a profession yet to be determined, stay local and farm, teach, or work in an industry,” he said. “The main thing that I would ask is that you consider from today is that you reach out to a veteran or someone you look up to and find what their Battle Rhythm is – what makes them successfully conquer each day.”

If you don’t already have a Battle Rhythm, begin to develop and refine to enable yourself to grow and prosper.

“From my personal experience, I assure you that, as you develop that rhythm, you will find that your daily endeavors begin to become a bit more enjoyable, predictable and successful,” Eldred said. “To all the Veterans, thank you for your service. To the students, thank you for this opportunity to speak. To the teachers and staff, please continue to mentor and teach in a fashion that fellow veteran educators like Mr. Muccii and Mr. McCarthy would be proud of.”

Col. Eldred’s accolades and commendations

By Carmen Ensinger

After graduating from North Greene in 1988 and Western Illinois University in 1992, Col. Lance Eldred continued his education extensively in the United States Military.

After graduating from Western Illinois, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Army. He went on to graduate from Infantry Officer Basic and Combined Logistics Officer Advanced Courses, the Bradley Fighting Vehicle Leaders Course, Airborne School, the Combined Arms and Services Staff School, the U.S. Naval Command and General Staff College and the United States Army War College.

Col. Eldred holds a Master of Arts in National Security and Strategic studies from the U.S. Naval War College and a Master of Strategic Studies from the United States Army War College.

Col. Eldred has received many awards and commendations in his almost three decades in the military. He is the recipient of the Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf cluster, the Bronze Star, the Defense Meritorious Service Medal, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, the Army Achievement Medal, the Iraq Campaign Medal, the Korean Defense Service Medal the Afghanistan Campaign Medal, NATO Medal, the Parachutist Badge, the Recruiters Badge, the Joint Chiefs of Staff Identification Badge and the Combat Action Badge.

He has spent time all across the globe including: Virginia, Hawaii, Texas, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Germany, Bosnia and Afghanistan. He was also Joint Staff Director for Special Access Programs at the Pentagon in Washington D.C.

Col. Eldred’s wife, Dawn, is a 1989 graduate of North Greene High School. His daughter is a former U.S. Army MP and his son is currently a First Lieutenant in the United States Army.