U.S. Army Cadet Command
Public Affairs
An Army Junior ROTC (JROTC) unit had the honor of marching in the presidential Inaugural Parade in Washington when the Punahou Battalion from Honolulu provided a marching contingent.
JROTC Cadet Sgt. Brandon Takao, a sophomore at Punahou School, described the event as a “once-in-a lifetime opportunity.”
The following is from his report:
The Punahou School JROTC cadets, cheerleaders and marching band were the first non-military unit in the parade.(Courtesy photo)
Twenty Cadets gathered in the staging area near the Pentagon as they prepared to march in the presidential Inaugural Parade, Jan. 21, along with 119 members of the school’s marching band and 10 cheerleaders.
Soon, they were lining up to begin the two-mile parade route that ended past the Presidential Reviewing Stand. To stay warm, Cadets wore black Army overcoats from a local surplus store, white scarves, black Army gloves and earmuffs. They sported knitted lei in the school colors of buff and blue.
Once the parade kicked off, Cadets kept in precise step. They carried placards with letters spelling out “Punahou School,” which, when flipped, spelled out “Aloha From Hawaii.”
As members passed the Presidential Reviewing Stand, they executed an eyes left, and were amazed by their proximity to the president and by his Hawaiian “shaka” wave to them.
(Note: President Obama is a Punahou alumnus; the battalion also marched in the 2009 Inaugural Parade).
Read more about Punahou’s involvement in the parade here.
Learn more about ROTC here.
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