Staff Sections

Main Content

Raleigh-Wake Squadron Color Guard Supports Memorial Day Event

The color guard escorts Mrs. Monique Onwardi and her son
1 of 4
The color guard escorts Mrs. Monique Onwardi and her son, Jonathan. Photo credit: C/1st Lt Hannah Fletcher, Cadet Executive Officer, Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron (click image to view full size)
Story Tools

Cadets serve their community and remember the fallen

By C/1st Lt Ari H. Brown, CAP
Cadet Commander, Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron (MER-NC-048)

5/22/2015–Holly Springs, NC–For the third consecutive year, cadets and senior members from the Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron helped Holly Grove Elementary School conduct its’ annual Memorial Day event.  Civil Air Patrol personnel arrived early on Friday morning to begin their on-site preparation.  The event began an hour later, with students from kindergarten through fifth grade from throughout the school in attendance.  The Raleigh-Wake color guard opened the event by presenting the colors for the National Anthem, then posted them on the stage.  

 
The cadets presented the flags of the United States Armed Forces as the theme of each branch was played in honor of those who have served.   The color guard also conducted a ceremonial folding of the American flag.  The cadets then presented that flag to the family of a fallen soldier: US Army Sergeant Justin B. Onwordi, killed in Iraq in 2004.  Sgt. Onwordi’s son is a student at Holly Grove, and several of his classmates wrote and read tributes to their family’s sacrifice during the event.  Finally, the color guard had the distinct honor of escorting the Onwordi family through the crowd of students to a memorial for the fallen soldier, placed next to the stage, to place a wreath.
 
The commander of the Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron Color Guard, Cadet Captain Holden Browning said: “It is our honor as a team to be able to pay tribute to Sergeant Onwordi, to walk with his son to place a wreath in his honor was a feeling that I will never forget.  It is great to see the hard work that the team has put in be recognized in situations such as these.”
 
Immediately following the tribute, cadets also taught some of the fifth grade children about Air Force-style drill, and showed them how to perform basic movements.  As the cadet commander of the Raleigh-Wake Composite Squadron, I’m honored that we had the opportunity to support this event once again, and hope to continue for years to come.