Mustang 22 Memorial

09/15/2026

Dear Mustang 22 Memorial supporters,

The Washoe County School District Trustees have announced the results of the naming process for the next elementary school. The John Flynn name advanced to the final three candidates but was ultimately not selected. Please see the Reno Gazette Journal article below for additional details.

The Mustang 22 Memorial Group sincerely appreciates all of your support throughout this effort.

Reno Gazette Journal article:
The Washoe County School Board voted Tuesday, September 8 to name a new school on the grounds of the former Pine Middle School as Smithridge Elementary.

Pine Middle School closed at the end of the 2025-26 school year and is being demolished to make way for a new elementary school. The school will draw students from several elementary schools as the district consolidates buildings amid declining enrollments. Schools planned for consolidation in the area include Corbett, Dodson, Smithridge, Duncan and Veterans Memorial elementaries.
The current Smithridge Elementary at 4801 Neil Road will close after the 2028-29 school year.

Smithridge received the most votes from the district's school-naming committee. Pine, named for a former trustee, did not make it to the final three.

Board President Adam Mayberry voted in favor of Smithridge.
"I tend to favor school named after a geographical area because it creates a community identity. It gives the school a name that belongs to everyone," he said.

Trustee James Phoenix cast the lone vote against the name.
"I have to stick to my guns and stick to what is good," Phoenix said. He said he would have preferred the school be named after people who made significant contributions to the community.

Of the 11 names brought forward for consideration, three advanced to Tuesday's meeting for a final decision by the seven-member board.

Three top finalists
Smithridge: The geographic name of the current Smithridge Elementary School on site and other locations in the area, like Smithridge Center and Smithridge Plaza.
John Flynn: For John Joseph Flynn, the first principal and basketball coach at McQueen High School, and his son, John Michael Flynn, a Nevada Guardsmen killed 20 years ago in Afghanistan.
Juanita Ydiando: A longtime educator and area superintendent in Washoe County School District.

Finalist who did not make it to the final three
Arlan D. Melendez: A longtime chairman of the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony.
Edward L. Pine: An important figure in Nevada mining and a longtime school board member. Pine Middle School was named after him.
Elizabeth “Betty” Morris: A longtime kindergarten teacher at Beck Elementary School.
Evelyn Mount: Founder of the community outreach program who spent decades feeding Northern Nevada's less fortunate.
Frank Marfisi: The first principal of Grace Warner Elementary School.
Fred R. Horlacher: A military veteran, historian and WCSD teacher for 34 years.
Sessions S. “Buck” Wheeler: A published author and Reno High teacher from 1936 to 1966, and the first executive director of the Nevada Fish and Game Commission, now the Nevada Department of Wildlife.
Wa-Pai-Shone: Combines the name of three Great Basin Native American nations in the Reno-Sparks Indian Colony: the Washoe, Paiute and Shoshone tribes.

09/08/2026

Dear Mustang 22 Supporters,

Today (September 8th) is the last chance to make your voice heard for John Flynn Elementary School!

The Washoe County School Board will meet today from 2-6pm at the school district board room, 425 East Ninth St. Reno 98512. The naming of the new school is item 3.03 on the School Boards Agenda. The public comment phase hopefully will be early on in the meeting.

If you cannot attend the meeting today AND talk, please consider sending an email to the school board of trustees at: [email protected].

Please contact Sean Laycox at 775-240-2284 if you have any questions. Thanks for your support.

Mustang 22 Memorial Group

06/28/2026

The last chance to cast your vote for naming the Washoe County School board is tomorrow - June 29th. Please use the link below to cast your vote.

The Flynn, Pierce, and Nevada Army National Guard families thank you for your support in the school naming process. We now need your help to get to the final 3 names. The John Flynn Senior and John Flynn Junior nomination to have the new WCSD Elementary School named in their honor.

Voting survey link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolNameVote
Feel free to share this text and link to voting survey.

If you have time, you can also make comment on any contributions either or both of them have made to education and their community. Comments are given to the school naming committee members for their decision-making review of the eleven remaining candidates to determine their top 3 to be forwarded to the WCSD School Board.

The public meeting is July 27, at 5:30 at the WCSD Admin Board Room. It is our belief that in person attendance and/or comment are essential to a successful outcome. You are welcome to attend and comment in person (2 minutes max) during the committee public input agenda item. Team Flynn will be wearing blue in solidarity with the cause except for military members who will likely wear fatigues or Mustang 22 t-shirts.

Thank you for your support,

Mustang 22 Memorial Group

06/23/2026

LTC Steve Ranson (Ret) with Fallon Sports shared his comments submitted with us for the John Flynn (Sr & Jr) naming process for a new elementary school in Washoe County. With his permission, we’re sending@@ this out on our Mustang 22 email list and to our page.

Post from Steve Ranson:
Unless past history proves me wrong, I cannot think of another time in Washoe County School District history where a school could be named for a father and son who made their home in the Truckee Meadows and contributed significantly to the community.
John Flynn Sr., was an educator for decades in Washoe County, beginning as a teacher and coach and working himself to higher and more challenging positions. Not only was Mr. Flynn a successful classroom teacher, but he was also one of Washoe County’s most successful, exciting, beloved coaches.
Why does a recommendation come from a resident of Churchill County who taught school here and worked in the media field in several cities? I grew up in Reno, attended schools there and drove school bus for Washoe County in the early to mid 1970s. I worked alongside Mr. Flynn’s sister at the old Mary S. Doten school before the new transportation center opened.
During the 1972-73 season, Mr. Flynn’s Sparks boys’ basketball team began to put together a streak that took them to the state title game, which, unfortunately, they lost. During a 13-game winning streak, John Flynn rubbed his rabbit's foot and believed in fate and supported his boys. What I saw during that time was a man committed to youth, to young men seeking to take that next step higher in life. In later years after I left the county and taught in the rurals, our paths crossed occasionally, mostly at athletic events. I had and still have the intense amount of respect for Mr. Flynn as an educator, coach, human being and grieving father.
On another side of life, I served in the Nevada Army National Guard at the same time his son John did in the late 1990s and 2000s. As a public information officer 21 years ago, I attended the mobilization of the aviation unit to Afghanistan in early 2005. Nine months later, I was on duty in Carson City as the day’s public information officer in September 2005 when notified of Mustang 22 being shot down 9,000 miles from Nevada with John Flynn Jr. and four others aboard.
During the next 20 years, my relationship grew from covering Mustang 22 events as a public information officer to a daily newspaper editor and general manager to now, a retired editor and current military writer for Northern Nevada.
The named Flynn deserves the strongest consideration for selection as a school name in Washoe County. I cannot think of any other situation where two local heroes — an educator and military aviator — would have their names selected for a new Washoe County school. Not only would this school have a father-son name but it also would also have the support of an extended family of great Nevadans — those who knew either Flynn serving as mentors to the boys and girls — young men and women — coming through those school doors of success.
Steve Ranson
Nevada News Group
Editor Emeritus
Veterans/military news
775-427-0960

Nevada Newspaper Hall of Fame 2024
Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association Hall of Fame 2018
[email protected]



The Flynn, Pierce, and Nevada Army National Guard families thank you for your support in the school naming process. We now need your help to get to the final 3 names. The John Flynn Senior and John Flynn Junior nomination to have the new WCSD Elementary School named in their honor has progressed. Please use the link below to vote for the school being named for them (please also fill in how you are connected to WCSD). The survey closes June 29. We had 160 nominations during the last phase and hope to have 500 votes during this stage.
If you have time, you can also make comment on any contributions either or both of them have made to education and their community. Comments are given to the school naming committee members for their decision-making review of the eleven remaining candidates to determine their top 3 to be forwarded to the WCSD School Board.
Voting survey link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SchoolNameVote
Feel free to share this text and link to voting survey.

Take this survey powered by surveymonkey.com. Create your own surveys for free.

03/17/2026

More pics from for 2026 Mustang 22 Poker Tourney. Part 3 of 3?? May receive more.

03/17/2026

More pics from the 2026 Mustang 22 Charity Poker Tournament. Part 2 of 3.

03/14/2026

***March 13, 2026 update**

Tomorrow is the Mustang Charity Poker Tournament.

Tournament is set for Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Reno Elks Lodge, 597 Kumle Lane, Reno, Nevada.

Doors will open at 4 p.m. for drinks, followed by dinner at 5 p.m., and the games will begin after dinner at 6 p.m. The entry cost is $75, which includes an outstanding steak dinner. Non-playing guests are absolutely welcome to join us for dinner at $45. All proceeds benefit Mustang 22 Memorial programs, and your participation makes a real difference!

Contact Sean Laycox at 775-240-2284 if you have any questions.

Hope to see you there,

Mustang 22 Memorial Group

Learn about our passionate team, and how you can help! IRS 501 (c) 3 non-profit EIN: 32-0314602

02/16/2026

Update on the 2026 Mustang 22 Charity Poker Tournament.

We are just under a month out for the Mustang 22 Memorial Charity Poker Tournament. Tourney is set for Saturday, March 14, 2026, at the Reno Elks Lodge, 597 Kumle Lane in Reno, Nevada.

Doors will open at 4 p.m. for drinks, followed by dinner at 5 p.m., and the games will begin at 6 p.m. The entry cost is $75, which includes an outstanding steak dinner. Non-playing guests are absolutely welcome to join for dinner at $45. All proceeds benefit Mustang 22 Memorial programs, and your participation makes a real difference!

A heartfelt thank you to everyone who made last year’s event such a tremendous success. The sell-out crowd demonstrated the incredible support of our community, and we are deeply grateful for your continued involvement. Whether you’re joining the tournament or simply enjoying dinner, we’d love to see you. Please feel free to bring friends or family who would enjoy supporting this great cause.

To register, please go to our website at "Mustang22Memorial.com" and look under the "EVENTS" tab, where you will see a spot for players (includes dinner) and dinner-only guests. We have one table left for the corporate table (seats 10). If you have any questions, please don't hesitate to contact Sean Laycox at 775-240-2284.

Hope to see you there,

Mustang 22 Memorial Group