Mr. Williams and ROTC receive certificate of patriotism
Mr. Williams was presented with a certificate of patriotism for the school, March 6 by the Sons of the American Revolution.
They presented the award to Mr. Williams and visited the ROTC cadets in class.
“They dress up in vintage uniforms to make it easier and more fun to learn about the American Revolution,” Lt. Col. Wayne Wilbanks said.
They taught flag etiquette, and talked about where the traditions started. They talked about the history of several different flags, including the original flags for the 13 colonies.
“You could tell that they were dedicated to telling others about the American Revolution,” senior Chris Dao said.
They even brought some of the old weapons they would use in the war, such as a musket and a tomahawk.
“I found it pretty cool that the people that were presenting actually took the time to make those uniforms and weapons,” Dao said.
All four members of the Sons of the American Revolution can trace back their genealogy to find ancestors that once fought in the American Revolution.
“I thought it was pretty cool. Not many people can trace their genealogy back to the Revolutionary battle,” senior John Smith said.
They brought a former Air Force general along with them, who gave the ROTC cadets important advice.
“The Air Force general was really cool,” Smith said. “He gave a lot of advice about showing initiative. The best he gave was to have someone read a paper you write before presenting it, to make sure you get your message(s) across.”
They had a lot of words for the younger ROTC members as well.
“I hope the younger cadets take in their message,” Smith said. “It’s valuable advice. Most kids our age don’t listen to adult’s advice. When someone like that gets up there, he has a lot of experiences and has dealt with a lot of situations. He knows the wordly stuff. He’ll give advice not a lot of teenagers can have.”
The Sons of the American Revolution even support ROTC on a yearly basis by giving out an award or allowing the cadets to dine out together.
“For them to volunteer and give up their time means a lot to us,” Wilbanks said.
The four men are incredibly proud of their country.
“It’s important these days for kids to get that feeling of patriotism, of belonging to a country,” Wilbanks said. “These guys have accomplished so much and they’re still proud of their country and heritage.”
