As groups and organizations are gearing up with the new school year just begun, members of the Mt. Olive High School Air Force JROTC program are getting ready to participate in the fifth annual National POW/MIA Recognition Day 24 Hour Vigil.
During the 24-hour vigil, set for Friday, Sept. 17 thru Saturday, Sept. 18 at the All Veterans Memorial in Budd Lake, cadets from the MOHS AFJROTC plan to hike 14 miles to commemorate the Bataan Death March. Cadets who complete the march receive a ribbon, as well as community service hours for taking their time to commemorate the sacrifice of America’s prisoners of war and soldiers missing in action.
Marching during the POW/MIA 24 Hour Vigil is just one of several events the group participates in during the school year. The cadets’ actions and efforts do not go unrecognized.
Charlie Uhrmann, founder of the All Veterans Memorial, praised the MOHS AFJROTC at a Mt. Olive School Board of Education meeting this past year and presented the cadets with a beautiful, custom frame certificate and challenge coin.
“The leadership in the Mt. Olive High School Jr. ROTC is second to none,” says Uhrmann during the May 24 BOE meeting. “They are more than willing to go above and beyond the call of duty.
“They are professional at all times,” she says. “They are beyond impressive.”
Uhrmann, the creator of the memorial for the past 17 years, spoke about how the AVM has been a volunteer endeavor. She has been grateful to the many individuals who have helped along the way whether it’s been through building the elements or participating at the events.
“One of the things we always thought was important was to get the schools involved,” she tells the school leaders at the BOE meeting. Her dream was to get the community involved, “to build and fund 100 percent with private donations.”
She says to BOE members, “You made such an amazing decision to go forth and recruit the Junior ROTC program. It’s absolutely outstanding. A lot of times, community comes in, they love seeing our schools involved.”
Uhrmann mentions the JROTC’s participation during the AVM Memorial Day event and the National 24-Hour Vigil to remember POW/MIA soldiers.
“They show well, they are impressive,” she says of the cadets. Having an example of a hero, “true heroes that are going to make a difference, young adults to look up to,” has been a positive result for these cadets. “Sometimes they get it at home, sometimes they don’t.”
These cadets come to the AVM to volunteer whether it is “throwing dirt, moving rocks, scrubbing the complex in preparation for Memorial Day. They want to please their leaders. They want to do this. They have this desire.”
Says Uhrmann: “I cannot thank you [enough] on behalf of a grateful organization, on behalf of a mother. They [JROTC] are second to none. Kudos to you guys for picking the best of the best. I see the camaraderie, the respect, the hard work. This is the face of Mt. Olive. This is our community’s Airforce ROTC. We do have the best organization our money can buy.”
She concludes, “I cannot be more excited and more trusting. I would not trust anybody more than this organization if anything would happen to me.”
MOHS AFJROTC
Leaders from the group presented its progress during the May 24 Mt. Olive School Board meeting before being recognized by Uhrmann.
Mt. Olive Superintendent of Schools Dr. Robert Zywicki introduced the Mt. Olive AFJROTC as “one of the jewels in the crown at Mt. Olive High School.”
Several students stood up and spoke about the group. In its fifth year at MOHS, the AFJROTC has set some of its goals including academics, service hours and participation rate.
Students should have at least a 3.1 grade point average to participate.
The group has set an 84 percent retention rate of its members for this year. Last year it reached just 43 percent retention out of its goal of 50 percent, blaming the pandemic for its decline in membership.
Its goals for recruitment and retention this school year is to attract 50 new cadets; it was losing 28 senior cadets this past school year.
Another one of its goals is to achieve 700 community hours per year with five school-wide events planned. At the BOE meeting, the group announced it had reached 575 hours with three community events still planned. One of those events was to volunteer at an Adopt A Spot on Flanders Rd.
Some of the cadets’ personal accomplishments in the previous year included one member who was picked out of 120K cadets to receive a Cyber scholarship; graduates who attended impressive schools such as a Flight Academy, West Point, and Virginia Tech to name a few.
In its third year of existence, the MO’s Virtual Radar Team placed 17th out of 22 teams in the Virtual Radar Team National Competition.
Its Cyber Team established a website containing important information for incoming cadets and their parents.
Two new rockets were fabricated and designed along with two new rocketry teams established with launches and internal competitions.
Last August, a cadet enrichment event was held to provide orientation to 27 new cadets so they could learn the fundamentals of the program.
One highlight includes manning the cannon at MOHS Football games, says one of the student leaders.
The MO AFJROTC also holds morale events so cadets can get to know each other better outside the classroom. Three were held per semester during the past school year that included: For the first semester, an outdoor movie “Top Gun,” on the MOHS softball field with popcorn and hot chocolate; a Halloween Scavenger Hunt in which cadets searched for Halloween clues around the school premises; and online fun events for holidays like watching “Home Alone.” For the second semester, cadets were invited to a Military Ball, a night of celebration for senior cadets; an Award Ceremony recognizing cadets who earned awards and medals; and a bowling event at Circle Lanes in Ledgewood in June.
Run by cadets under retired CMSgt. Robert S. Bedell, its plans for this year include physical training, teaching and learning drills; formal unit inspection; Cadets In Action Field Trip; New York Duty Veterans Parade; Washington D.C. Trip… and of course marching in the National POW/MIA Recognition Day 24 Hour Vigil.
The commemorative march honors the 60,000 - 80,000 American and Phillipino POWs who were forcibly marched 66 miles from Saysain Point, Bagac, Bataan and Mariveles to Camp O'Donnell, Capas, Tarlac in 1942. Exact numbers are unknown, but approximately 18,000 POW deaths occurred over the five-day trek.
By completing the 14 miles the cadets will earn the Bataan Death March Memorial Ribbon. Although the 14-mile Bataan Death Memorial March is nothing compared to what those POWs endured, it is carried out every year in order to commemorate their sacrifice.
National POW/MIA Recognition Day ceremonies are held to ensure that America remembers its responsibility to stand behind those who serve the U.S.
The cadets from MOHS will march around the loop at the AVM in their civilian clothes carrying the POW/MIA flag so others recognize the POW/MIA Recognition Day vigil.
Around since the 1940’s, the JROTC was added as an elective course at MOHS about five years ago.
“JROTC is an elective; they get five credits,” says Bedell during a former interview with “Mt. Olive Online.”
“It is a class but it’s so much more,” he says. “The focus is “to develop citizens of character; young men and women ready to succeed in what they pursue.” While they are not obligated to enlist in the armed services, Bedell says 40 percent of the cadets are interested in pursuing the military.
“Most enjoy the camaraderie and activities,” he says.
