Derby High School Alumni

Derby, Kansas (KS)

Military Alumni

Military High School Alumni

Honoring Our Heroes

This area is dedicated to our alumni that have served or are serving in our armed forces!

Lost Class Rings

Have you lost your Derby High School class ring? Have you found someone's class ring? Visit our Panthers lost class ring page to search for your class ring or post information about a found ring.

Honored Military Alumni

Amy Witucki (Daley)
Amy Witucki (Daley)
Class of 1995
Navy, 13 Years

Was Air Force for 12 yrs, and Navy for 1 (so far)
Brian Tanner
Brian Tanner
Class of 2001
Navy, 5 Years

4 years in San Diego on the USS McClusky (FFG 41) currently recruiting in Manhattan, KS
chester nichols
chester nichols
Class of 1952
Army, 20+ Years

Left Derby in 1947/8. I did not graduate from Derby. Have fond memories of classmates. Joined Army in 1050.retired in1972. Got purple heart in Korea, 3 Bronze stars in Viet Nam, Was a Ballistic Meteorlogist. Derdy never taught me where Korea was located, Saw combat 13 Days on Bloody Ridge and Heart Break Ridge. Pull these 2 battles up on Google and learn about them..Freedom is Not Free. Some one must pay for it. I would have graduated from DHS in 1952/53. I'm sure some of the class mates will remember the name, the good, the bad and the ugly. GOD BLESS AMERICA....CHESTER NICHOLS
Dave Venable
Dave Venable
Class of 1980
Air Force, 20+ Years

Worked on the A-10 aircraft at Davis-Monthan AFB, Az from 81-86. Transferred to Royal Air Force Upper Heyford, UK and worked on the
F-111 aircraft from 86-90. Got out, finished school, started teaching and have been in the Air Force Reserve since '94. I'm on the left in the photo.
Gary Bateman
Gary Bateman
Class of 1969
Army, 20 Years

U.S. Army Military Intelligence Officer and Linguist in Russian and German languages. Served as a Military Intelligence Unit Commander in the Berlin Brigade during 1990-1992. Served in a variety of other military, staff, and liaison assignments overseas and in Washington, DC. After military retirement in 1996, continued in a follow-on second career as a Department of the Army Civilian serving as a Senior Program Manager in Security Cooperation at the U.S. European Command in Stuttgart, Germany, and later in Washington, DC in a joint forces specialized command. Retired from civilian government service in 2013.
Gary M. Bateman
Gary M. Bateman
Class of 1969
Army, 20+ Years

Served on active duty as Military Intelligence Officer with a variety of overseas assignments.
Gene Marlowe Barclay
Gene Marlowe Barclay
Class of 1972
Navy, 4 Years

I served as a Hospital Corpsman Submarine Qualified from 1973 - 1977.
Heiko Burbach
Heiko Burbach
Class of 1994
Army, 15 Years

I was in the Infantry for the first half of my career and am now in the Intelligence community.
Jeff Fagan
Jeff Fagan
Class of 1983
Air Force, 20+ Years

USAF Enlisted/Officer for 24+ years.
Jennifer Sizemore (Townes)
Jennifer Sizemore (Townes)
Class of 2000
Army, 4 Years

NCO in the US Army
JERROLD (JERRY) JOHNSON
JERROLD (JERRY) JOHNSON
Class of 1972
Army, 20 Years

Engineer Officer, Armored Combat (Ft Hood, Tx), Combat Heavy (Ft Stewart, Ga), Corps of Engineers (So Korea), UN Logistics Spt Cmd Engineer (Somalia)
Jerry Carley
Jerry Carley
Class of 1968
Navy, 20+ Years

Started as a Navy Hospital Corpsman
Served with the Marines (USMC is the best!)
Served as a Registered Nurse (Trauma Nurse Specialist)
Ranks: E1 through 05
1969-1992
Jim Snyder
Jim Snyder
Class of 1974
Army Reserves, 11 Years

Served in medical service corps until 1986 then medical corps until 1995 in a reserve status.
Jim Stuart
Jim Stuart
Class of 1962
Air Force, 20+ Years

Served 29 years on active duty and in the reserves. Retired from Air Force in 1996.
Jonathan Frikken
Jonathan Frikken
Class of 2000
Marine Corps, 8 Years

Technical Controller - Communication network engineer and troubleshooter.
2003-2004 - Operation Iraqi Freedom (Bahrain). 2005-2006 - Operation Iraqi Freedom (Fallujah, Iraq).
2008 - Operation Enduring Freedom (Kandahar Afghanistan)
Kenneth (Harris) Hayes
Kenneth (Harris) Hayes
Class of 1965
Air Force, 4 Years

Got stuck at Lackland, went into Forward Air Control, injured me knee at Fort Benning and back to San Antonio. Like a lot of AirForce brats I pulled my four in and sixteen out. Made a career at Continental airlines for 42 years.. Retired, living just north of Houston, Texas.
Lynn Klein
Lynn Klein
Class of 1969
Navy, 20+ Years

Independent Duty Corpsman.
michael Clemons
michael Clemons
Class of 1975
Army, 20+ Years

Joined May 1975 retied March 2006, military speciality Special Forces, served three tours as a Drill Instructor, Instructor Airborne School.
Michael Clemons
Michael Clemons
Class of 1975
Army, 20+ Years

Joined May 1975-March 2006 Served 31 years in Special Forces, served three tours as a Drill Instructor, Instructor Airborne School, Instructor Sniper School,Combat duty includes, Grenada, Panama, Desert Storm, Iraqi Freedom, Afghanistan, still working for the government for the Air Force as a technical data manager enjoying life.
Michael D. Bond
Michael D. Bond
Class of 1979
Air Force, 6 Years

Medical Admin. / Air-Evac.
MICHAEL GEORGE
MICHAEL GEORGE
Class of 1989
Army, 12 Years

1ST INFANTRY DIVSION 10 YEARS,2 YEARS AT AVCRAD MO,HELICOPTER MECH.
Mitchell M. Cain
Mitchell M. Cain
Class of 1984
Army, 13 Years

Honorable Discharge. Veteran of first Persion Gulf War in 1990-1991.
Patra Patterson
Patra Patterson
Class of 1973
Army, 6 Years

Served in NJ, CO, Germany and OK.
Patra Patterson Stone
Patra Patterson Stone
Class of 1973
Army, 6 Years

Personnel Records Specialist
Rich McDoniel
Rich McDoniel
Class of 1988
Army, 19 Years

United States Army & Army Reserves

1996 - 1997 Operation Joint Endeavor - Bosnia
2003 - 2004 Operation Iraqi Freedom
Robert (Rick) Wilfong
Robert (Rick) Wilfong
Class of 1974
Air Force, 12 Years

Air Traffic Controller. Stationed at LRAFB, AR, Warner Robbins AFB, Osan AB South Korea, Davis-Monthan AFB, AZ. Injured while on active duty and am currently retired on disability. All I knew for 30+ years was the military and am very proud to have served.
ROBIN COURTNEY
ROBIN COURTNEY
Class of 1972
Air Force, 4 Years

I served in the Air Force as a Hospital Corpsman at Ellsworth A.F.B., Rapid City, SD from 1975 - 1979.
Rodney Groshans
Rodney Groshans
Class of 1981
Air Force, 6 Years

I served in the SAF from June 1981 until April 1987. I served as a Law Enforcement Specialist and later as an Airframe Repair SPecialist.
Rodney Groshans
Rodney Groshans
Class of 1981
Air Force, 6 Years

I was first stationed at Bellows AFS, HI, then assigned to Edwards AFB, CA, and my final assignment was Altus AFB, OK. I left the Air Force with the rank of E-5 Staff Sergeant.
Ron Smart
Ron Smart
Class of 1971
Navy, 6 Years

Engineering Watch Supervisor on Nuclear Powered Submarine
Ronald Marsolf
Ronald Marsolf
Class of 1978
Army, 20+ Years

Computer Programmer, Logistics, and Maintenance.
Scott Schultz
Scott Schultz
Class of 1999
Navy, 6 Years

Active duty
Sidney (Bernie) Perrine
Sidney (Bernie) Perrine
Class of 1956
Air Force, 20+ Years

Air Taffic Controller

Combat Zone's:

Vietnam: 1962, 1970-'71
Domenican Repoblic: 1965
Sidney (Bernie) Perrine
Sidney (Bernie) Perrine
Class of 1956
Air Force, 20+ Years

Vietnam - 2 tours
air traffic controller
Steven KEith Sudderth
Steven KEith Sudderth
Class of 1973
Air Force, 20+ Years

Commissioned at the University of Oklahoma in 1973, I served in the Air Force as a Missile Launch Officer/Instructor at Davis-Monthan AFB, a senior ROTC instructor at MIT, political-military affairs officer in Korea and then the Pentagon for 7 years, and retiring from Seymour-Johnson in North Carolina in 1996. Just finished my 17th year as a junior ROTC instructor in Tucson, Arizona.
Tom Schroeder
Tom Schroeder
Class of 1962
Air Force, 4 Years

Air Force RECONaisance RF4C F4 in Europe , Scandinavia , Mediteranian , Mid East , N Africa - Home base Ramstein AFB Germany - On Worldwide Mobility Unit
Tracy Armstrong
Tracy Armstrong
Class of 1991
Army, 8 Years

Served as a combat medic with the 115th Field hospital/ 565th medical company for a little under 4 years. The became a paratrooper and was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division for 4 years as a medic. Left the army in April of 2000.
Tracy Armstrong
Tracy Armstrong
Class of 1991
Army, 8 Years

Tracy served for 8 years as a paratrooper/medic with the 82nd Airborne Division.

Classmates Spotlight

Derby High School Classmates

Amanda Waddell
Class of '06

Alumni Stories

High School Alumni Stores

Read and submit stories about our classmates from Derby High School, post achievements and news about our alumni, and post photos of our fellow Panthers.

School News

ALL CLASS REUNION 2019

Why is there not an announcement about the 2019 reunion?
Read More »

Our Derby High School military alumni are some of the most outstanding people we know and this page recognizes them and everything they have done! Not everyone gets to come home for the holidays and we want our Derby High School Military to know that they are loved and appreciated. All of us in Derby are proud of our military alumni and want to thank them for risking their lives to protect our country!