On June 3, Daniel Boone Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Cadets will have the distinguished privilege of meeting a number of former US Service Veterans from local nursing homes. These Cadets will form the first Wheel Chair Brigade which will enable several WWII and Korean War Veterans to attend the Mid-Atlantic Air Museum’s 26th Annual World War II Weekend Air Show.
The Wheel Chair Brigade is the Brain Child of Daniel Boone’s Amity Elementary School (Douglasville) Principal Mr. Dane Miller. Mr. Miller has long escorted his elderly Father and Father-in-law, both of whom are wheel chair bound, to the WWII Weekend event. Mr. Miller has long wished that other Veterans could have the same opportunity as his family members. Now, with the assistance of the new JROTC Unit, Mr. Miller’s wish can become a reality.
At present, the Daniel Boone JROTC Unit is reaching out to other local JROTC Units in order to increase Veteran and Cadet attendance at the WWII Weekend event. The Reading High School Marine Corps JROTC and Owen J. Roberts Navy JROTC Units are hoping to be able to attend.
Other school district JROTC programs that will be invited to attend will include the Pottstown School District Air Force JROTC, the Boyertown Area School District Navy JROTC and the Wilson School District JROTC. Each JROTC Unit, if they decide to attend, will reach out to a local nursing home and partner with the nursing home to help these heroes of the past relive and, more importantly, share their experiences with a new generation of potential service men and women.
The Cadets hope to make this activity a yearly event, which will include JROTC Cadets from several Berks County JROTC Units.