DHS Alumni Honor Fellow Classmate With Veteran Brick

When Danbury High School Class of 1976 classmate Jo Ann Salazar Wevodau, 63, passed away unexpectedly on June 15, 2022 due to complications from surgery, news traveled fast among fellow classmates. Jo Ann was born in Danbury on October 10, 1958. Fellow classmates described her as someone who could light up any room with her smile and laugh and would be the first to help someone in times of need.

After leaving high school, Jo Ann enlisted with the US Marine Corps and served from 1977 to 1979. Then in 1999, she joined the Pennsylvania Army National Guard with the 213th Area Support Group. She served as a truck driver, Administrative Specialist and an Automated Logistics Specialist. She also was deployed from 2003 to 2004 during Operation Enduring Freedom and from 2009 to 2010 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. While overseas, it was Jo Ann’s job to provide coalition forces with life and logistical support services, such as food, fuel and housing. Jo Ann also found herself working on projects that included repaving roads, building sidewalks, building showers and toilets and replacing tented living quarters for coalition forces with wooden ones.

After returning home, Jo Ann stated in an interview that her assignment was not without its dangers. She stated the biggest threats were the land mines left by the Soviets when they were fighting the freedom fighters and they were always very leery walking around because they were never always sure who was the real enemy. Jo Ann recalled the days when she always had to carry a weapon, often a grenade launcher on an M16 rifle.

Jo Ann is not the only one who served with the military. Her father served in a field artillery unit with the 3rd Armored Division during WWII. Jo Ann's brother and sister also served in the armed forces. Dennis is a former Marine and Elisa was in the Army National Guard. Jo Ann's husband, Michael, also served with the 213th Area Support Group and deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan as well.

When Danbury resident and classmate Lee Teicholz read about Jo Ann’s passing and her honorable 20-year service to our country, Teicholz reached out to classmate Bill Katzing. Teicholz, who is the Project Organizer for the Veterans Walkway of Honor in Danbury, suggested that they honor her military service with a veteran brick in the walkway. Katzing thought it was an excellent idea and put out a post on the DHS Class of 1976 Facebook page asking for donations. Teicholz coordinated the collections and stated that within an hour, more than 15 donations came through, enough to cover the cost of the 8” x 8” brick and more. The extra funds will be donated to the Danbury War Memorial in Salazar’s name.

The brick will be placed in the Veterans Walkway in time for Veterans Day and hopefully as many classmates as possible will be able to attend the Veterans Day ceremony. One classmate wrote, “What an awesome way to pay tribute to such a patriot; she would be so honored and proud.”