Here are some photos from June 5th, which was spent at the Pfeiffer Center for Oak Knoll Elementary School's annual Fair Day. Our cadets helped guard the perimeter and also worked the game stands so that the kids could enjoy their day of fun in the sun.
 A cadet with Sgt. Reed helps serve breakfast The sun had not yet risen on the morning of June 1st, but Reveille had already sounded for a select few, who were busy preparing for the first event in the day’s busy agenda. In the cafeteria of Williamstown High School, teacher and cadet volunteers prepared breakfast in anticipation of the arrival of local veterans, who would be attending this year’s trip to Washington D.C. with the Honor Flight of South Jersey program, which allows them to see the monuments erected in their honor free of charge.  The band performs for the Veterans At 0500, the first veterans began to arrive and big American style breakfast was served to them with the assistance of our cadets, after which the veterans were honored by standing to be recognized when the song of their branch was sung during the opening ceremony. And when it came time to honor the Marines, the most memorable voice of a Marine Corps Veteran bellowed out “the Marine Hymn” with a passion that made his love of the Corps clear to everyone. Just as breakfast neared its conclusion, a surprise marched in the room in the form of a local string band that gave an outstanding performance.  An officer salutes the veterans as the bus drives by When the last of the buses were boarded, the police, along with the riders of Last Patrol, a local group of veteran bikers, with the POW-MIA and American flags waving behind their bikes, gave the buses an escorted the all the way to Washington. As we drove through the town, the police officers stationed on the street corners saluted the buses as they passed by: an honor that touched many hearts.  The members of Last Patrol pose for a picture  Honor Guard standing at attention Once in D.C., the buses arrived at our first stop the WWII Memorial, where our Color Guard, dressed in Full Service, posted the Colors in front of the New Jersey wreath of the monument. You could see the sweat drip down their faces in the ninety degree heat, but nothing could faze our disciplined cadets as they stood at attention for all to see. Meanwhile, our ununiformed cadets helped unload the wheelchairs from the buses, and then escort the Veterans around the Memorial along with each Veteran’s assigned guardian.  Presenting the Colors in front of the New Jersey Wreath  Cadets search for names at the Vietnam Memorial After a lunch provided by Arby’s, we visited the Lincoln, Vietnam, and Korean Memorials; and ended out trip driving by Arlington and around the optical illusion that is the Iwo Jima Memorial. Back at Williamstown High School, our cadets helped once more by serving a big dinner and dessert to the veterans before sending them on their way home. Though it was scorching, the experience of Honor Flight cannot be compared to anything else. When a veteran exclaimed that “he had been thanked for serving more times in this one day than he ever was when he got home,” it brings a certain warmth to your heart that you have to experience to understand. There is no greater feeling than bringing a smile to someone else’s face, especially a Veteran’s. And when the last veteran had walked out those doors, it was a perfect ending to a beautiful and humbling day. On Memorial Day, a group of our finest cadets gathered bright and early to march in the annual Memorial Day Parade. The cadets marched down Main Street of Williamstown, sporting their dress blues with pride. With skies as clear and blue as our uniforms, it was a perfect day for marching; and by the end of the festivities, you could feel the pride in the air. It was an honor to be apart of this beautiful event - an event that left all in attendance speechless; touched by the honorable men who gave their speeches. It is days like this that we truly understand just how great our country is, and how grateful we should be to live and serve along with the many great men and women who came before us. On Saturday, a handful of cadets attended the ceremony held at our local VFW post. Our cadets attend this event every year to carry the flags of our armed forces in honor of Loyalty Day. Loyalty Day is a national holiday held on May 1st. It is a day to reaffirm loyalty to the United States and to recognize the heritage of American freedom. Once known as "Americanization Day," Loyalty Day is widely unknown by many Americans, but celebrated in several communities across the U.S., including our own. To experience this event was an honor, and the images below display how honored our unit was to be asked to attend the ceremony once more, and to show how proud we are to be apart of our unit and our great country. "Please don't scare me!" cried a little blonde boy in his Halloween costume as an ROTC cadet dressed in BDUs and camouflage face paint crawled over to him. Our crawling dead zombie cadets gave out candy and screams at the annual Haunted High School held at WHS on Halloween. The volunteers enjoyed the tricks while the children enjoyed the treats. With a big turnout (the line to enter wrapping all the way down one side of the school!), the event was an overall success, keeping the spirit of Halloween alive while giving back to our community. Another successful event for the NJ-20003rd. |
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