Denham Springs High School teacher working to honor all KIA alums

DENHAM SPRINGS, La. (WAFB) - A history teacher at Denham Springs High School is working to keep the legacies of service members alive. That includes Carl Cain, the late husband of Robbie Spangler.

“We were high school sweethearts,” said Spangler. “He came up to me one time in the hall and tapped me on the shoulder, gave me a picture, and said I think it would be fun dating you, and that’s where it started. We got married, and when he got his orders from Nam, we had a little time to pack a lifetime into a few weeks, and we did, and then he went to Nam and just shy of his 21st birthday, about six months there, he was killed in action.”

Since then, Spangler has been keeping Carl’s memory alive by sharing their story and the sacrifices he made. She even visits her alma mater, Denham Spring High School, once a year to tell students in William Bradford’s U.S. history class.

“I think it’s important for the kids of today to understand what all the boys from Denham and all the KIA’s sacrificed,” explained Spangler. “It was the ultimate sacrifice.”

“It got me thinking, I wonder how many other alumni at the school has been killed in action while serving in the military,” said Bradford.

For the last three and a half years, Bradford has been looking for all the Denham Springs High School alums who served in the military and were killed in action, like Carl. After some help from community members in a Facebook group, Bradford was able to identify 14 of them.

“The same men that walked these halls were in Southeast Asia, they died in the Pacific, they died in North Africa, they died in Europe, Germany, some surrendered as POWs,” explained Bradford. “And then to bring that back to the classroom for these kids to see that some of the same halls they’re walking down, those men walked and those men gave their life for them to enjoy the freedom that they have.”

Now, he’s working to have a monument in honor of the KIA’s built in the middle of campus to remind students that their freedoms don’t come free.

“This monument will always keep that in front of them as, so I want to honor them, but I also want to honor these families, like Mrs. Spangler,” said Bradford.

“We can’t forget,” said Spangler. “We have to always remember that these sacrifices have been made.”

Bradford is hoping to have the new monument dedicated on campus this coming Veteran’s Day. He said they are halfway to their $10,000 fundraising goal. If you would like to contribute, you can email Bradford at William.Bradford@lpsb.org or scan the QR code on the Operation Fallen Hero’s Facebook page.

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