Joseph Schmidt’s Eagle Scout project houses a memorial to La Sierra High alumni that died in Vietnam War service. Schmidt (third from right) installs his display case at La Sierra Community Center. Supporters are Jim Byrnes, Scoutmasters Steven Parker and Stephanie Jackson, Hal Snow, Don Langley and Reverend Kathleen Marie.

CARMICHAEL, CA (MPG) - Boy Scout Joseph Schmidt has crafted protection for a cherished piece of Carmichael History.

For his Eagle Scout service project, the 17-year-old Rio Americana student led fellow Scouts and volunteers in making a wooden display case. It houses a memorial to La Sierra alumni who fell service during the Vietnam War. The plaque once hung in a reception office but was lost for decades after the school shuttered in 1983.

According to legend, as the campus closed, a staffer rescued the dusty plaque from a dumpster. Recently restored to school alumni members, the relic now takes pride of place at Veterans and Memorial Day ceremonies in the Koobs Nature Center, Carmichael.

As Boy Scout Joseph Schmidt considered a project for his Eagle goal, Koobs Center volunteer Linda Rose Jones suggested a case for the vintage item.

“We’re proud of the result,” said Jones. “Joseph designed inside attachments so the plaque can still be removed for our ceremonies. This item is a part of local history. It was lost for more than 30 years. Thanks to Joseph, it will never be lost again.”

Bearing names of alumni fallen in Vietnam action, the La Sierra High memorial plaque was lost for more than 30 years. Scout Joseph and dad Robert Schmidt hold the relic before its placement in a display case at the La Sierra Community Center.

The Scout worked with donated materials and advice from Carmichael woodworker Don Langley and Kiwanian Hal Snow. Family pride was another inspiration. The teenager’s two grandfathers (Timothy Moore and Eugene Schmidt) served in Vietnam. His grandmother, Marsha Elliott Moore, studied science under Earl J. Koobs at La Sierra high school.

Joseph’s project was unveiled on Aug. 12. It hangs in the entrance to the old school cafeteria, a room that serves as Carmichael's unofficial town hall. 

The case also contains a memorial flag that was presented to one of La Sierra's Gold Star families.

“My project is a way to show respect for veterans and families,” the teenager told his supporters.

Among event guests were siblings of the memorialized men. Jim Byrnes (brother of Army Lieutenant Robert S. Byrnes) commended the Scout’s effort. “Joseph has shown that these young men’s lives still mean a lot,” he said.

A sister of Army Specialist Thomas C. Pigg noted that her lost brother was also an Eagle Scout.  “This plaque doesn’t just honor the boys that are named on it,” said Reverend Kathleen Marie. “It brings credit to Joseph, a young Scout who has shown such respect for their sacrifice.”