Knoxville High School students in Mr. Sanger’s Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise Class have produced 250 aluminum crosses for use in the Veteran’s Plot at Graceland Cemetery. 

For the past several years, the American Legion and VFW Posts have relied on wooden crosses for use at the Veteran’s Plot for Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day, as well as for Wreaths Across America at Christmas. A request by members of the posts to Mr. Sanger, the KHS Industrial Technology Instructor, for help with replacing the wooden crosses with aluminum ones was met with an enthusiastic response.

With limited funds available for the purchase of the aluminum required for the project, Legion Post Commander Curt Froyen visited with Megan Green, General Counsel and CFO for Weiler. This resulted in Weiler donating the aluminum, as well as offering to use their laser equipment to cut out the crosses. The crosses were then taken to the high school,where members of the Advanced Manufacturing Enterprise Class prepared the crosses to be powder coated. Over the next several weeks the students completed powder coating. The crosses were delivered to the American Legion Post in time for personnel at the cemetery to get them in place in time for this year’s Memorial Day observance. Extensive storm damage occurred at Graceland due to recent storms Friday morning, and clean up efforts are in progress.