An Elizabethton High School graduate’s sacrifice made 25 years ago will not go unnoticed by the current study body.

Sociology students have organized a private ceremony scheduled for Friday, March 9, at the school to recognize and remember the life of Sgt. Todd W. McKeehan, a decorated agent for the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), who lost his life in 1993 during the raid of the Davidian compound outside Waco, Texas. While many national and regional media outlets are organizing remembrance pieces about the 51-day raid, EHS students decided to use this as an opportunity to offer their own thanks to the McKeehan family.

Alex Campbell, EHS sociology teacher, credited the entire class for the passion to organize the event and mentioned that students Kayla Vandeventer and Cassidy Kaldy took the initiative to lead the charge for the event.

“We’ve talked about Waco in our criminal justice class before, but this time we focused on the different people there,” Vandeventer said. “It was nice to learn about the different people and to learn about Mr. McKeehan’s impact and what he was able to do during his life. I don’t think a lot of people realize it’s been 25 years since the event.”

During his three-year career with ATF, McKeehan was the recipient of two Special Act Awards for “significant contributions to major investigations,” according to the department’s website.

Along with his ATF career, McKeehan also hauled in high academic honors, competed in athletics at EHS and graduated from East Tennessee State University. Law enforcement was a passion for the Cyclone. McKeehan had the ability to work with the Sullivan County Sheriff’s Department, intern with the U.S. Marshals Service and serve with the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve.

McKeehan’s story is something Carlie McKeehan knows all too well. The niece of Sgt. McKeehan recently returned from the Waco area and mentioned it was a great experience to learn more about her uncle’s valiant sacrifice.

“The experience of going to Waco, Texas, was definitely awesome. It was a great time for my family to be there because during this time, each year, it is really difficult,” Carlie said. “It was great to go down and put faces on some of the people I’ve heard about my whole life. Waco always seemed like a negative term to me but getting to go down and walk on the ground my uncle walked on, it was an experience I’ll never forget.”

The EHS student also thanked her classmates for putting together a ceremony to honor the McKeehan family.

“He died before I was born so I never had the chance to meet him. But then again, they didn’t have the chance either. The class is just doing this out of their heart for a man they didn’t even know. I think it’s awesome that we’re getting to use this time to remember my uncle and do this for my family,” she said.

Students are asking family members, loved ones, coaches and friends of Sgt. McKeehan to attend Friday’s event if possible. The event is scheduled for 12:30 p.m.

“We want people to know that young people, who don’t know Mr. McKeehan, still care,” Kaldy said. “We want them to know we still care and that we’ll do what we can to get the word out about his impact and for what he’s done for our community and country.”