In a quiet classroom at Harrisburg High School, history teacher Marj DeNeal doesn't just teach about the past—she keeps it alive. For 13 years, she has brought history to life for her students, but her dedication extends far beyond classroom walls.

"Harrisburg High School is like my home," DeNeal says with a warm smile. "I plan to retire here."

What makes DeNeal exceptional is her commitment to preserving the memory of local heroes. For the past five years, she has undertaken an ambitious project: researching and documenting every Saline County resident who died serving in American wars.

"So far, I've identified about 25 to 30 World War I veterans, 130 from World War II, 21 from the Korean War, about 15 from Vietnam, and two from recent conflicts," DeNeal explains. "It's just really important to me that their names carry on."

What began as a COVID project in 2020 has evolved into a passionate mission. Each November, DeNeal creates a display featuring photographs and information about these fallen heroes, many of whom once walked the same school hallways her current students do.

DeNeal's dedication recently earned her selection for an elite national program. She was one of just 55 teachers chosen by the National History Day organization and the American Battle Monuments Commission for the Silent Hero program, which documents the stories of American service members buried in overseas cemeteries.

For her Silent Hero project, DeNeal selected James Oland Rose, a 1941 Harrisburg graduate who volunteered for service during World War II. Rose landed on Utah Beach eight days after D-Day and fought through France before being killed in action on November 15, 1944, after just five months of service.

"I've been piecing together his life—what Harrisburg was like in the 1940s, what his family was like, his training, and his service in France," DeNeal explains. Her completed profile will join a national database honoring these fallen heroes.

What makes DeNeal's commitment even more remarkable is that she isn't originally from Harrisburg. A native of Troy, Illinois, she moved to the area after meeting her husband and has embraced the community as her own.

"I had a student once remark, 'This isn't even your home, but you've devoted five years to researching these guys,'" she recalls. "I told them they just feel like my men at this point. Their families, everything about them—someone needs to remember them."

DeNeal's care extends beyond research. She regularly cleans the graves of local veterans and ensures they receive proper recognition with flags and visits. "As we go further from these wars, families might remember a name of a great-uncle who died in World War I, but no one is visiting that grave anymore," she explains.

All this comes while juggling her teaching responsibilities, her own master's degree studies in American history at Gettysburg College, family life with her husband (also a teacher pursuing an advanced degree) and their two children, ages 8 and 11.

In the classroom, DeNeal strikes a delicate balance between academic expectations and compassion. "I have to walk a fine line between what is more important—being a supportive, caring person and teaching history," she says. "I find my history extremely important, but I'm also a very gracious teacher when I hear about students' situations."

Former students frequently return to thank her for both the history lessons and the personal support during difficult times. "I don't think people realize how much high school teachers love their students," DeNeal reflects. "Each year I get a batch of 16-year-old kids to love and worry about on snowy roads and tell them to buckle up."

For Marj DeNeal, going the extra mile isn't just about academic excellence—it's about honoring the past while nurturing the future, preserving community history while creating a supportive home where her students can thrive.