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Honor. Courage. Commitment.

These are the hallmarks of our outstanding Triad ROTC cadets. Our future military is in the hands of many of these very capable young men and women.

Since about 1982, several local Daughters of the American Revolution chapters have presented medals and certificates to outstanding high school and college ROTC cadets. The DAR believes a strong military is vital to American national defense.

A recent awards luncheon gave DAR members an opportunity to meet many fine cadets.

Only one deserving high school or college senior from each ROTC unit was selected by her school’s ROTC instructor for the annual DAR National Defense award. Cadets were from the following high schools: Page, Grimsley, Southeast, Northeast, Dudley, Trinity and Smith, also N.C. A&T. Instructors accompanied their ROTC cadets.
I would like to highlight each cadet, but space will not permit.

Instead, I will tell you about Alesha Dennis, who has been enrolled in the Navy Junior ROTC program at Page for almost four years.

“During her time in the NJROTC, we have been selected as the most-improved unit in the nation and selected as a unit of distinction,” said her instructor, Lt. Cmdr. Elliot Jordan.

Dennis has been selected as the executive officer of the corps of cadets, Jordan said.

“Leading peers is much more difficult than leading subordinates,” Jordan said. “I have no doubt that under the leadership of Alesha Dennis, we will again receive national recognition as one of the top NJROTC programs in the nation.”

Dennis was selected to attend the NJROTC Area 6 Leadership Academy, reserved for 125 of the best cadets in North Carolina and South Carolina.

“I could not have asked for a more dedicated and committed leader,” Jordan said.

Jordan retired from the Navy after 23 years of active duty service and has been employed as the director of the Naval Science program at Page High School since 1995. He speaks with great pride about his cadets and the program. Marine Corps Gunnery Sgt. Russell Sweeney is also a Page instructor.

Distinguished NJROTC graduates include two appointees to the U.S. Naval Academy, one to the U.S. Military Academy and several Navy and Army scholarship recipients.

One of the major community-based initiatives of Page’s NJROTC is the annual student vs. faculty basketball game. Proceeds from the event are donated to Hospice and Palliative Care unit of Greensboro.

This project was selected in memory of two cadets who died from terminal illnesses during 1995-96. This year’s donation was $2,600, bringing the total donated to more than $14,000.

Other community service projects include Hospice’s Light-Up-a-Life service, the Human Race and Relay for Life, Salvation Army Bell Ringing program, Adopt-a-Street program and Kids Voting.

The NJROTC program at Page has an enrollment of 68 cadets with a projected enrollment of more than 100 cadets for the 2009-10 school year.

Certificates given to each cadet with his or her gold or bronze medal describe the qualifications cadets must meet:

• Honor: honesty, high principles, trustworthiness, loyalty, truthfulness, punctuality, moral strength and stability, cleanliness in mind and body.
• Service: cooperation, meritorious behavior bringing honor to school or community, kindliness, unselfishness, true Americanism, individual responsibility God, home and country.
• Courage: determination to overcome obstacles.
• Leadership: personality, originality, ability to lead others, good sportsmanship, responsibility.
• Patriotism.

Lt. Cmdr. Carol McCarther, who instructs the Northeast NJROTC program, said it is designed to inspire patriotism, develop informed and responsible citizens, promote habits of orderliness and precision and develop leaders with a high degree of personal honor, self-reliance and individual discipline.

Rachel Caldwell Chapter of Greensboro sponsors the Northeast ROTC, which has 100-plus cadets. This is the first year Northeast has participated in the DAR program, McCarther said. This year’s honored cadet was Hope Brand.

The only male cadet honored at the luncheon was Patrick Grimm from Southeast Guilford NJROTC, who stood tall among the female cadets and had many medals of accomplishment on his uniform.
Accompanying him was Senior Naval Science Instructor, Capt. Mike Hampton, USN (Ret.)

Presenting the DAR National Defense Awards to cadets were Nancy Jones, national defense chairman of Guilford Battle Chapter; Allen Covington, chaplain of Col. Arthur Lee Forbis Chapter; Joanne Wyrick, national defense chairman of Rachel Caldwell Chapter; and Laine Ruhle, regent of High Point’s Alexander Martin Chapter.

The following cadets received medals and certificates: Patrick Grimm, DeMonica Nealy, LeAnna Perdue, Alesha Dennis, Brandi Capps and Alexandra Sechrist.

To nominate a person who has or is making a difference in the lives of others, contact Peggy Longmire at rlongmire@triad.rr.com or 288-9040.