Latest Postings

Sip Wine. Taste Food. Meet Chefs. Enjoy Seminars. ( Beverly Paris )
Win a Weekend to Vero Beach Hotel ( Beverly Paris )
Post your letter to Santa on YourHub.com ( YourHub.com )
School Orientation Scheduled For New Students ( Jeremy Baker )
Adult & Community Education ( Brandy Douglas )

share a story | more postings »

YourHub.com \\ Vero Beach \\ Stories \\ Military \\ Veterans

Cadets Visit Nation's Capitol

e-mail to a friend | print this | link to this

NEXT › ‹ PREVIOUS

Contributed by: Ann C Caton-Weisbecker on 8/17/2007

The Navy League Treasure Coast Council of Florida is very proud of their sponsored NJROTC unit that recently visited our Nation's Capital and the Naval Academy.
Led by LCDR Robert D. Peterson, Senior Naval Science Instructor for the Sebastian River High School NJROTC unit of Indian River County, Florida eleven cadets toured Washington, DC from July 9-13, 2007. Each day was filled with a variety of interesting and educational experiences.
Day 1 activities included a visit to the Washington Monument and the World War II, Korean War, Vietnam War, Navy and Lincoln Memorials. These were followed by a tour of the Pentagon where they saw the Medal of Honor Room and the 9/11 Ground Zero Memorial. The next day, the cadets were given a VIP tour of the Capitol building by Intern, Tom Adams of Florida. Tom, a former NJROTC company commander from Sebastian River High School, serves as an intern to Senator Mel Martinez and is now a sophomore at the University of Florida. During this eventful day, the cadets interfaced with Senators Bill Nelson and Mel Martinez as well as Congressman Dave Weldon.
Senator Nelson discussed his involvement with NASA and Senator Martinez talked how he and Senator Nelson were working on the Immigration Bill together. The cadets found this an interesting illustration of a non-partisan effort of an important issue and were impressed that all three of their national representatives devoted so much time to them. In addition, since the Senate was still in session, they were able to observe first hand how the Upper House works.
On the third day, Rear Admiral Paul E. Tobin US Navy (retired), the Director of the Navy Museum gave the cadets a personal tour of the Navy Museum, Art Gallery and Archives. Admiral Tobin, a former shipmate of RADM Gil Guilbault USN (retired), president of Treasure Coast NL Council had met some of the cadets during a recent talk with Navy league members in Vero Beach, Fl. He was particularly forthcoming and helpful. During the warehouse tour, he asked the cadets to decide which artifacts they would like to have on loan to display at their new NJROTC facility on the Sebastian River High School campus. The group chose a ship's bell, wheel, engine order telegraph, anchor and cannon. Although many would have liked an F-14 aircraft as well, they agreed that space, placement and maintenance on the campus would be a problem. Artifacts from this Historical Center will be on indefinite loan to the NJROTC unit as long as they are well maintained.
The remainder of the week, the cadets visited the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis, MD and the National Cemetery in A,rlington, VA. At Annapolis they were briefed by Ensign Emilio Valdez, a newly commissioned Naval Officer, after which they watched Pass-in-Review Parade of the newly admitted class of plebes. In the afternoon, the Commandant of Midshipmen, Captain Margaret Klein, met with them in Memorial Hall. She spoke with the cadets and personally promoted two of them: new Operations Officer, cadet /LTJG Jennefer Hoey and Executive Officer, cadet /Lt Michael Peterson. All the cadets agreed that the tour of Annapolis impressed them immensely.
The trip to the National Cemetery provided the cadets with an opportunity to view the Changing-of-the-Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. Thus, this additional highlight ended an extremely exciting and educational endeavor. Because of time constraints, the group didn't visit the Jefferson Memorial which was a disappointment for some, but the order of the day mandated a return of the Treasure Coast NJROTC Sebastian River High School's unit to its headquarters where the Treasure Coast Council #334 USNL proudly continues its sponsorship for this expanding youth program in Indian River County Florida.

[Report this as objectionable content.]

SUBMIT COMMENT

Rate the above story