Brandon High School Army JROTC Dedicates the School’s War Memorial

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Story by: LTC (R) Donald Gunn
Photos by:  Cadet Miki Lin

Brandon High “Eagle Battalion” Dedicates the School’s War Memorial

The Brandon High School Army JROTC “Eagle Battalion” from 6th Brigade concluded a multi-year service project on the second of November 2023, by hosting the dedication of the school’s war memorial. The memorial remembers the sacrifice of 14 Brandon High students who gave their lives during World War II, Vietnam, and Operation Iraqi Freedom. The memorial was built through the donations of BHS alumni, veterans organizations, and the Eagle Battalion. In addition to the Cadets of the Eagle Battalion, there were over a hundred in attendance including Brandon alumni, school board members, local officials, former Brandon H.S. principals, representatives of over 15 local veterans and civic organizations, local media, and family members of six of the fourteen men listed on the memorial.

The afternoon began in the school’s auditorium with the posting of the colors, welcome of guests, a presentation on the “Fallen Fourteen,” and concluded with the Final Roll Call and Taps. The ceremony then moved to the front of the school where the Cadet battalion and marching band fell into formation while audience members assembled around the monument. The Eagle Battalion was formed by the battalion adjutant and called to present arms by the Commander of Troops for the National Anthem. After a few remarks by the Senior Army Instructor, LTC Gunn (Brandon High Class of 1986), the band played the school’s alma mater, and the plaque containing the name, rank, and date of death of the fourteen was revealed by Mrs. Helen Young (age 100), Brandon Class of 1942. The event concluded with a formal retreat ceremony at the school’s flagpole conducted by the Corps of Cadets, bugler, and flag detail. Already a popular spot for photographs, it is the hope of the Eagle Battalion that the memorial will serve as a spot of both education and reflection for the student body, the Corps of Cadets, and the Brandon community.