1972 Monticello Boy Scout Troop 106 Paper Drive
Per Bill Gempler, Troop 106 did paper drives from 1967 to 1972. Two to three times a year, the Troop would go door to door picking up newspapers earning $5-7 per ton. A truckload was a couple of tons. It was a way to earn merit badges for community and environmental services.
Bill recalls, Jon Lehnherr was a great leader “running us through training like the military because he was a staff sergeant in Nam, teaching us drills, first aid, and survival tactics. We won a lot of awards at Scout Jamborees back in the day.” Bill went on to say because of the Monroe tornado, Jon Lehnherr “organized us (Troop 106) into an emergency team and we practiced loading litters (army stretchers) and first aid kits along with our yucca packs (BSA sanctioned backpacks for hiking and camping) into a utility truck to quickly respond to an emergency. That’s where Bruce Workman and I got interested in the EMS.”
Jon H. Lehnherr was born July 26, 1941, at Monroe, the son of Harold F. and Thelma R. (Reuber)Lehnherr and graduated from Monticello High School.
He entered the service Dec. 28, 1960, at Milwaukee and was discharged December 12, 1963, at Dover Air Force Base, Delaware. He was an airman first class in the U. S. Air Force and served with the 1607th Maintenance Squadron. He served overseas for one year and six months. He re-enlisted Dec. 13, 1963, at Dover Air Force Base and was discharged December 12, 1967, from Ent Air Force Base, Colorado. Jon was a sergeant in the U. S. Air Force and served in Vietnam and was awarded the Small Arms Expert Marksmanship Ribbon, the National Defense Service Medal with one bronze star, the Republic of Vietnam Commendation Medal, the Air Force Outstanding Unit Award, and the Air Force Commendation Medal. He was a member of the Vietnam Veterans Chapter Three and the American Legion Post in Monticello. He was also a staff sergeant E6 in the National Guard at the time of his death on October 6, 1990, due to a motor vehicle accident.
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