Seasonal & Holidays
Valrico’s Col. Lonnie Vona Continues A Lifetime Of Service At 76
Valrico's Col. Lonnie Vona brings decades of military experience to his ongoing work with veteran groups and JROTC programs.
Valrico, Florida — From their time in uniform to their everyday contributions in our neighborhoods, veterans embody service in so many forms. Patch and T-Mobile have teamed up to share stories of veterans making a difference in the places we call home.
This story was submitted by Anthony F. Abbate, who nominated Col. Lonnie Dale Vona, U.S. Army (Ret.), of Valrico. To share your own message of gratitude, click here to answer a few questions and we'll take it from there.
Tell us about the veteran's service.
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Col. Vona served stateside and in Europe. He joined the Army in 1974 and retired after 30 years of service. Upon retiring, he accepted a position of senior Junior ROTC instructor at Newsome High School. He taught there for 12 years. Currently, he is Commander of the Military Order of World Wars, Sun City Chapter, and JROTC and ROTC chairperson for the Hillsborough County Veterans Council in Tampa. He is also a member of Military Family Support and the Association of the United States Army. Col. Vona is 76 years old. His accomplishments and awards could fill a book.
How do you know the veteran?
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We both live in Valrico and are neighbors. I was also an Army officer and belong to two of the same organizations.
What three words best describe the veteran?
Honorable, patriotic, dependable.
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