Story by and Photos by: CPT (R) Shavayey K. Cato

Army JROTC Cadets from Memorial High School, San Antonio traveled to Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery on August 27th to conduct their annual Service Learning Project. These Cadets did an amazing job of maintaining the overall cleanliness and appearance of this facility. The need for around-the-clock maintenance at this cemetery is constant but with the help of these JROTC Cadets, the facility is able to meet its mission of keeping the final resting place of our veterans well-kept and maintained.

JROTC Cadets conducting maintenance on selected tombstones of our veterans

Some of the tasks the Cadets performed involved laying mulch, cleaning tombstones, and removing tree debris from recent storms in the area. At the end of the day, Cadets were able to take a trip to the final resting place of CPT Cato’s first JROTC Instructor when he first joined JROTC. CPT Shavayey K. Cato is a native of Ozark Alabama and an Alumni of Carrol High School (Class of 2000), Ozark Alabama. CPT Cato met 1SG Arthur Villarreal who served as a JROTC Instructor at Carrol High from 1994-2002 and was one of the many instructors who inspired him to join JROTC and ultimately join the Army. After serving 20 years in the United States Army, he retired and later moved on to teaching students in JROTC.

At the very end of this project, the Cemetery Director was very pleased with the Cadet’s work and congratulated them on a job well done.

1SG Art Villarreal Carrol High School JROTC Instructor
1SG Art Villarreal Carrol High School JROTC Instructor (1994-2002)
1SG Art Villarreal final resting place
1SG Art Villarreal final resting place

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