Officials with the Ozarks Heritage Research Center (OHRC) at Missouri State University-West Plains (MSU-WP) will host a presentation about “Lincoln School’s Legacy of Service: Honoring Soldiers from WWI to the Gulf War” at 6 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 25, at the OHRC.

The center is inside MSU-WP’s Garnett Library, 304 W. Trish Knight St., in West Plains.

About the speaker

The presentation will be given by Crockett Oaks III, a retired U.S. Army colonel with over three decades of distinguished service in emergency management and security operations.

A former FBI Special Agent and corporate security executive, Oaks has worked across government, law enforcement and the private sector. Currently, he serves as associate vice chancellor of business and support services at MSU-WP.

He also is co-founder of the Lincoln School Project, which is dedicated to preserving and sharing the history of this historic Black school in rural Missouri. His commitment to honoring the past and educating the future continues to shape his work in the West Plains community.

More about the Feb. 25 presentation

The historic Lincoln School in West Plains shaped the lives of many young men who went on to serve with honor in the U.S. military. From the trenches of World War I to the battlefields of Vietnam and the Gulf War, Lincoln School alumni have played a vital role in defending freedom at home and abroad.

This presentation will highlight their stories, sacrifices and enduring legacy, ensuring their contributions are remembered for generations to come, organizers said.

The presentation is free and open to all. Light refreshments will be served.

For more information about the event, contact Rebekah McKinney at 417-255-7949 or RebekahMcKinney@MissouriState.edu.