During a question-and-answer session at a McKinley High School student assembly yesterday, distinguished alumna Maj. Ladda "Tammy" Duckworth was asked how she took a bath without legs.

Duckworth, who lost her legs in November 2004 when a rocket-propelled grenade hit the Black Hawk helicopter she was co-piloting in Iraq, answered by flipping up one of her high-tech prosthetic legs, setting a drink on it, and telling the audience she has a table available anytime.

An unforgettably funny moment, no doubt, but not the one that left students with the most lasting impression.

That came with the attentive silence when Duckworth spoke about giving back to the community, setting and achieving goals, and how commitment and perseverance is a difference-maker, said Carl Takamura (class of 1962), president of the McKinley High School Foundation.

It was evident her message was being heard, Takamura said.

"I try to relate to young people without sounding like I'm preaching," Duckworth said before the start of last night's McKinley High School Foundation tribute dinner in her honor at the Hilton Hawaiian Village's Coral Ballroom.

An adult audience of 350 that attended the $150-per-person scholarship fundraiser and silent auction was as captivated as the students were earlier in the day by the charismatic, inspiring and articulate Duckworth, a 1985 McKinley graduate.

"She inspires me," said 16-year-old senior David Dinh, cadet commander of McKinley's Junior ROTC program, who heard both of Duckworth's speeches yesterday.

"I want to become a pilot like her, and like she says, you don't have to go to a private school to achieve anything you want in life," added Dinh, who plans to continue his education at New Mexico Military Institute. "What it takes is hard work, willingness and a commitment to your goal. She is proof of that."

Before entering the ballroom last night, Duckworth recalled what made her McKinley experience so special.

"A lot of us were poor and I had teachers who bought dinners for us when we spent extra time working on the yearbook or practicing track," Duckworth said. "They encouraged me to go to college."

Lamai Duckworth, a Hawai'i resident from Thailand, said teachers at McKinley provided a good learning environment for her daughter. "They took care of her. ... That is why she loved going to school."

The McKinley Foundation presented Duckworth with a koa paddle and photo portrait of the school taken by George Waialeale.

"We picked the paddle because she talks about teamwork and perseverance, characteristics essential in canoe paddling," Takamura said.

The McKinley Hall of Honor in the administration building, featuring photos of hundreds of distinguished graduates from O'ahu's oldest public school, is an inspiring sight.

Huy Vo, 24, a McKinley and University of Oregon graduate, was born in Hawai'i after his family moved here from Vietnam.

"I'm the first in my family to attend college and have a chance to pursue my dream of being a journalist," said Vo, a McKinley Foundation scholarship recipient in 2001.

McKinley's 143-year history sparkles with achievements of graduates such as Duckworth inspiring achievers like Vo who in turn provide examples for students such as Dinh. It's all about pride and tradition.

Reach Rod Ohira at rohira@honoluluadvertiser.com.