Wayne Molnar News Today

Military will help educate you if you have the drive.

Melbourne was the setting last weekend for the Florida Air Show, billed as an Armed Forces Day event and featuring the Navys famed Blue Angels. A small party from Lake County had the privilege of enjoying the show a day early, sans traffic, in the company of a Blue Angel alumnus, retired Cmdr. Wayne Molnar (the SALUTE pages Veteran Profile in the Daily Commercials March 7 edition). Col. Riccoh Player, a former Pentagon public affairs officer, said that Armed Forces Day was created in 1949 to r...

He had a special way of expressing it, too, always making that first word, love, come out a little louder and more drawn out. "He left no doubt in my young heart and mind what life was really supposed to be about," Longley said.    "And at family gatherings, with Uncle Tom always the most senior person present, we would unfailingly carve out time and attention for our uncle to give us his word, which every time included take care of your family and treat people right." Former Staff Sgt. Hayes...

At the suggestion of father Gene, a career teacher, coach and high school principal (plus a retired lieutenant colonel in the U. S. Marine Corps Reserve), Wayne tooled over to the Leesburg military recruiting consortium with the intention of hearing what each branch of service might have to offer. "I saw the Navy guy first – and last," Molnar said. "He started flipping through a glossy, table top display book with pictures of ships and submarines and other Navy stuff and I was, like, Whoa, w...

LAKE SENECA – Chatting with Eustis High classmate Dawn Gosnell Diehl at her Moms very "natural Florida" home on Lake Seneca, is to trade stories with a patriotic, Sunshine State native who "gets it" when it comes to noble subjects which ring of duty and sacrifice and honor. Weve written before on these pages of her late Navy fathers World War II service in harms way.  And Dawn still becomes a little emotional when recalling the horrible manner in which her battle-seasoned cousin, Kirk, and s...