John O. Arnn ES History
Opened: 1982
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John O. Arnn Elementary School is located in the Sagamihara Housing Area (SHA) near the main Camp Zama facility. SHA is one of the three housing areas that comprises the Camp Zama housing facilities, with the other two areas being the Sagamihara Depot area and the main post Camp Zama. Arnn Elementary School functions as the educational hub for all elementary aged dependents for the military components assigned to Camp Zama. Camp Zama is located on the Kanto Plain about forty-five minutes from the center of Tokyo.
The original school, Sagamihara Elementary School, opened in September 1951 with 300 students, ten teachers, and a principal. It started in a building purchased from the Japanese Government. This original building was destroyed by fire in 1975. Three temporary buildings were constructed in the summer of 1976 on the community play area across the street from the original school site. Later, in 1978, three new buildings were completed on the original site, and the campus was completed in 1983. These buildings served as the school until the new school replacement project was completed in May 2003. In the fall of 2003, the new John O. Arnn Elementary School opened.
The name of the school was changed from Sagamihara Elementary School to John O. Arnn Elementary School for the 1971-72 school year. The school was renamed to honor Major Arnn who was first stationed in Japan in 1953 at Camp Chicamagua on the southern island of Kyushu. Major Arnn’s outstanding service record and his selfless dedication to his belief that true happiness was to be found in helping others remains an inspiration to Arnn Elementary School students.
According to the 2003 yearbook:
John Oliver Arnn was born on August 21, 1923 in Arizona. Serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, John 0. Arnn received a total of six Purple Hearts, three Silver Stars, five Bronze Stars, the Air Medal Legion of Merit, and three Combat Infantryman's Badges for his outstanding military service.
Stationed in Japan in 1953, John 0. Arnn and his family became involved with a children's home called the Garden of Light Orphanage, supporting the institution with financial donations. When John 0. Arnn was stationed at Camp Zama in 1960, he not only continued supporting the orphanage with financial donations, but he also began a personal crusade to raise funds for the orphanage. Between 1960 and 1963, John 0 Arnn sponsored three, eight hundred twenty-six-mile hikes to Beppu and helped raise over 2,500,000 yen for the Garden of Light Orphanage. He also sponsored hikes up Mount Fuji as fundraisers for the orphanage, climbing to the top of Fuji-san twenty-seven times.
Though John O. Arnn was killed in the Vietnam War on December 24, 1965, his name lives on. In 1970, a movie based on John O. Arnn's life, titled The Walking Major, was released. In November 1981, our school became John 0. Arnn Elementary School, in remembrance of John. 0. Arnn—his dedication as an American soldier and his devotion to helping children.
John 0. Arnn, a true American hero, remains an inspiration to Arnn teachers and staff today. Supporting our children by providing them a nurturing, academically challenging environment and meeting each child's individual needs, Arnn continues to help our children thrive, 'creating lifelong learners.' Just as John 0. Arnn went the distance to help the orphaned children of Beppu, John 0. Arnn Elementary School continues to go the distance to ensure the best quality education for our children.
The school campus in 1987-88 was composed of two sites. The main campus had the administrative building, the Zama complex developmental center, gymnasium, cafeteria, and three buildings which accommodated classrooms for grades one through six. The kindergarten classrooms were located across the street from the main campus. The school had twenty-one classroom teachers and specialists for learning disabled, preschool handicapped, mentally handicapped, gifted/talented, speech, English as a Second Language, music, emotionally handicapped, physical therapy, art, library, Reading Improvement Specialist, nurse, a school psychologist, educational prescriptionist, and two Japanese culture teachers.
Ms. Hattie Phipps was the principal for the 1992-93 school year and remained in this position until the 1997-98 school year. In 1995 she was honored as a Distinguished Principal by the National Association of Elementary School Principals. Her assistants included Ruth Morgan (’92–’93), J. Geddes-Key (’94–’95) and Frank Simone (’95-’98). During this time period the school enrollment for prekindergarten through sixth grade ranged from 575 to 700 students. Special programs at the school included D.A.R.E., Reading is Fundamental, Geography Bee, the StarLab, multicultural presentations, Artist-in-Residence, field day and science fairs. After school clubs included yearbook, drill team, tennis, self-esteem, computers, hand bells and chorus.
The principal from 1998 to 2002 was Mark E. Benham. The assistants were Lillian L. Hiyama (’98–’99) and Mrs. Vicki Taylor (1999–2002). Enrollment had declined to about 550 students by 2001-02 and to less than 500 by 2004-05. James Fisher, principal, and Carla Jackson, assistant principal, were the administrative team through 2005-06.
In February 2003, a fifth-grade class was selected to participate in the Pacific Technology Project as part of a pilot program to test new technology in DoDEA classrooms. Each student received a M130 Palm Pilot to use for the remainder of the school year. During the 2000s, students were actively involved in activities such as STEMposium (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics projects), Multicultural Day, Science Fair, Space Camp, and Field Day. Other celebrations included Reading Across America, Month of the Military Child, and monthly Multicultural celebrations. New clubs for Spanish, Japanese dance, soroban, computer/video, robotics, and drama were now available. Students began producing KARN News to deliver the morning announcements, artwork was prominently displayed throughout the school, and the school now had a band as well as a chorus. Kindergarten became a full day program for the 2002-03 school year.
When Ruth Morgan returned to the school to become principal for the 2006-07 school year, the enrollment was below 500. The enrollment continued to decrease and was less than 400 by 2020-21. Principals from 2007-08 until 2025-26 included Ms. Susanne Morin (2007–2011), Missy Gingrich (2011–Jan2014), Gwendolyn Baxter-Oakley (Jan2014–2020), Dr. Edwin Munoz (2020–2024) and Dr. Corey Algood (2024–2026). The school became a Sure Start through fifth grade school for the 2021-22 school year. For 2025-26 there were 300 students enrolled in Sure Start through fifth grade.
School motto: “Creating lifelong learners”
School mascot: The Knight
School colors: Blue and green
School song:
In Sagamihara, on the Kanto Plain,
The land of cherry blossoms and soft, gray rain
Is a place where learning is the rule:
John O. Arnn Elementary School!
Great expectations guide us ev’ry day,
Toward great progress and we’re on our way to excellence,
To be our best!
John O. Arnn Elementary School!
Information from internet sites, school yearbooks, DoDDS School Information Guides,
and DoDDS Pacific Region, 1946-1986