Cedar Shoals JROTC Program Set for D-Day Parade in France

The Cedar Shoals High School Junior ROTC will present Georgia in the 70th anniversary D-Day Parade in France next month.

The event is scheduled June 6 in St. Mere Eglise, France, according to a press release. The Cedar Shoals group, the only JROTC in the state to be selected, leaves for France on Tuesday, June 3.

Here is the entire press release from Clarke County Schools:

Athens, Ga. – The Cedar Shoals High School JROTC is gearing up for a summer 2014 trip to represent the state of Georgia in the 70th anniversary of D-Day parade. Of all the approximately 3,500 JROTC programs in the nation, only 50 are selected – one from each state. The group successfully exceeded its $90,000 fundraising goal.

“This is a tremendous honor, and Cedar Shoals is well-deserving of this level of national recognition,” said Superintendent Philip D. Lanoue. “Cedar’s JROTC program is a model one, and being selected for an honor of this statue reflects the work of our students, instructors and parents, and is another example of our students and student groups receiving national recognition.”

The event will be Jun. 6, 2014 in St. Mere Eglise, France – the first town in France liberated by U.S. Paratroopers during the Normandy Invasion. The youngest veterans are nearing age 90, so this is one of the last parades in which they will participate.

“This is such an excellent opportunity for our students to see the real world impact of strategic decision-making,” said Lt. Col. Eric Cleveland, instructor of Cedar Shoals’ JROTC. “In addition to representing our nation, this trip goes hand-in-hand with International Baccalaureate. I am so proud of these students, and know that this experience will help ensure they are well-prepared to succeed in today’s global society.” 

Also of note, the Cedar Shoals High School JROTC program is an "Honor Unit with Distinction," which rates them in the top 10% of programs nationwide.

D-Day marks June 6, 1944, when 160,000 allied troops landed along a 50-mile stretch of French coastline to fight Nazi Germany on the beaches of Normandy, France. General Dwight D. Eisenhower called the operation a crusade in which “we will accept nothing less than full victory.” More than 5,000 ships and 13,000 aircrafts supported the D-Day invasion. Over 9,000 allied soldiers were killed or wounded, with more than 100,000 beginning the march across Europe to defeat Hitler.