Hill College celebrates veterans in fourth annual Medal of Honor Brick Ceremony

  Ashlee Ferguson
  Thursday, November 20, 2025 8:19 AM
  General Events, Holiday, Texas Heritage Museum

Hillsboro, TX

On October 30, 2025, Hill College celebrated United States veterans with the fourth annual Medal of Honor Brick Ceremony. In addition to the brick ceremony, the evening included an opening for the Texas Heritage Museum’s current exhibition, The American Revolution Experience, and special performances by the Hill College Chorale and the Ryan Haines Combo as part of the Phillip H. Lowe Performing Arts Series (PAS).

This year’s ceremony recognized the service of retired Captain Kenneth Dies, United States Army; retired Lieutenant Commander Devin Lewis, United States Navy; and retired Major Chris McElrath, United States Army; and Private First Class Charles Farrell (deceased), United States Army, and Communications Sergeant John Tavares Jr. (deceased), United States Army. 

Kenneth Dies, Hill County Assistant District Attorney, enlisted in the United States Army in 1966 after graduating from high school in Nederland, Texas. He attended basic training at Ft. Polk in Louisiana, where he became an acting platoon leader and graduated as Most Outstanding Soldier. He then went on to Ft. Lewis in Washington State for Advanced Individual Training (AIT) followed by Infantry Officer Candidate School at Ft. Benning in Georgia, where he graduated as an officer in 1967.

Dies was then transferred to Ft. Bliss in Texas as a second lieutenant, where he was stationed as the physical fitness platoon leader. In 1968, while at Ft. Bliss, he was selected to attend the Officer Rotary Wing Aviation Course (ORWAC) in Ft. Wolters, also in Texas, to do flight training. He was then reassigned to Ft. Stewart in Georgia to complete flight training to prepare for combat aviation in Vietnam.

In 1969, he left for the war in Vietnam, flying combat missions as a scout pilot and platoon leader for Charlie Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division III Corps. Dies was in combat for over a year, including more than 1,900 hours of flight time before his tour ended in 1970. He received four Distinguished Flying Cross Medals, a Purple Heart, the Soldier’s Medal, two Army Commendation Medals for valor, three Air Medals for valor, and Bronze Star for meritorious service.

In 1972, Dies was honorably discharged from active duty with the rank of captain. He went on to get his juris doctorate from Bates College of Law at the University of Houston in Texas. He has practiced law for over 40 years as an assistant U.S. attorney and state prosecutor.

Hill College Instructor and Industrial Maintenance Program Coordinator Devin Lewis enlisted in the United States Navy in 1994 as an aircraft mechanic, repairing, launching, and recovering F-14 Tomcats and S-3 Vikings aboard various aircraft carriers and multiple deployments across the globe.

In 2002, after receiving his bachelor’s degree, Lewis was commissioned as an aeronautical engineering officer overseeing the maintenance of aircraft, along with the training and qualification of mechanics.

During his career, Lewis made four full deployments aboard aircraft carriers traveling to every continent except Antarctica. His final tour took him to the Naval Air Station in Fort Worth, Texas, as an aircraft readiness officer for the Naval Reserve fighter wing, whose mission was to fly as adversary/aggressor “bogeys” training naval aviators in air-to-air combat prior to deployment.

Lewis retired from the Navy in 2017 with the rank of lieutenant commander and has been a member of the Hill College faculty since 2020.

Dean of Job Training & Workforce Partnerships Chris McElrath served 22 years in the United States Army. During his career, McElrath led multiple combat and operational deployments, holding a range of command and staff positions at the company, battalion, and brigade levels.

He served in Operation Enduring Freedom in Afghanistan and Operation Iraqi Freedom in Iraq. He also served in Korea, was stationed in Panama, and served in multiple other U.S. and allied operational deployments during his career.

McElrath received the Combat Infantryman Badge (CIB) and two Bronze Medals for his service. He retired with the rank of major (Infantry, 11A) and has been a member of the Hill College administration since 2023.

Pfc C. S. Farrell was born June 12, 1924, son of Mr. and Mrs. Peter C. Farrell from Waco, Texas. After high school, Farrell enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the U.S. Infantry. He was deployed overseas in September of 1943 and served with the 1st Ranger Battalion in North Africa, Tunisia, and Naples, Italy.

Farrell was killed in action on September 8, 1944, in France. He was posthumously awarded the Purple Heart and the Combat Infantry Badge for heroic performance against enemy fire.

Farrell is the great uncle of Hill College’s Vice President of Administrative Services, Melissa Boyle. Vice President Boyle has been with the college since 2024.

Born in New Bedford, Massachusetts, World War II veteran John Taveras Jr. grew up during the Great Depression. During the war, he was assigned to Company I, 30th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, the same division as Medal of Honor recipient Audie Murphy, the most decorated soldier of WWII, whose memorial is housed at the Texas Heritage Museum.

Taveras served as a machine gunner and later a communications sergeant through some of the war’s toughest battles, including Anzio, Cassino, the liberation of Rome, the invasion of Southern France, and the battles in the Vosges Mountains and Colmar Pocket.

On March 14, 1945, his company received word that they were assigned to lead the right flank toward the Franco-German border in Wissembourg. Taveras was wounded in the battle by shrapnel from a landmine, but in a small miracle, the piece that went directly to his heart was blocked by a folded copy of the Stars and Stripes newspaper and a photograph of his wife, Hilda, and his two-year-old daughter, Elain.

During his service, Taveras was awarded the Expert Marksman Medal; the Combat Infantry Badge; the Good Conduct Medal; the European African Middle Eastern Theater Campaign Ribbon, with three battle stars; the Presidential Citation for battles served in Italy; the Bronze Arrow Band for the invasion of Southern France; the Croix de Guerre with Palm for the Colmar and Vosges Campaigns; and the Purple Heart.

Taveras is the grandfather of Hill College’s Vice President of Information Technology & Learning Innovation/CIO, Kevin Rocha. Vice President Rocha has been at the college since 2023.

“The Veterans Honor and Tribute Evening was a tremendous success, and it was heartwarming to see so many members of our community come together to honor these brave veterans. The open house for The American Revolution Experience provided a unique opportunity to reflect on the sacrifices made by those throughout history, setting the tone for the powerful ceremony and moving performances. From the meaningful brick ceremony to the incredible music, everything came together beautifully. It was a privilege to witness such a meaningful tribute to those who have served our country. We are incredibly grateful to everyone who participated and helped make the evening so special,” said John Versluis, executive director & chief curator of the Texas Heritage Museum.

If you are interested in sponsoring a brick in honor of a loved one, please contact the Texas Heritage Museum at 254.659.7750 or visit hillcollege.edu/museum.