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.
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