By James and Ellen Perry
Sunday January 15, everyone at the monthly business meeting at the Roy Acuff Museum and Union County Historical Society in Maynardville had our spirits uplifted after two years of covid restrictions, fuel prices through the roof and inflation soaring into outer space here in the good ole USA.
We were treated to a presentation about the benefits of the ROTC program at Gibbs High School by a distinguished retired Army Colonel Robert Reed, a resident of Union County. Reed expressed how students improve their minds, determination, health and physical bodies by being in ROTC during their high school years.
He brought four ROTC cadets and had each to come up and tell the audience how ROTC had helped each one make improvements in their lives. It was so refreshing to see the young high school students with their appearance being so clean, their hair neat, their ROTC uniforms fitted, their shoes shined and their minds clear with a great outlook for their future.
The four high school students who attended with Colonel Reed were Cadet Sergeant First Class William Cook, Cadet Sergeant First Class Adrianne Donoho, Cadet Command Sergeant Major Brinlee Troutt and Cadet Private Lillie Carroll.
We want to commend Reed and the Gibbs High School ROTC cadets for being so professional and giving those who attended hope for the future of our country.