DC ROTC Students to Attend American Veterans Conference

    WASHINGTON, Nov. 2 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Local Washington, DC
 students from Eastern High and Bishop Ireton will join veterans from modern
 wars, hearing firsthand personal experiences of combat and military life at
 the American Veteran Center's Tenth Annual Conference November 8-10 at the
 Renaissance Washington Hotel.
 
     The gathering of America's greatest heroes features three days of
 speaker panels, wreath laying ceremonies at the World War II, Korea, and
 Vietnam memorials and an awards banquet. The conference also features
 salutes to Medal of Honor recipients and service members wounded in Iraq
 and Afghanistan. Participating veterans range from America's last living
 veteran of WWI to serve in Europe, Frank Buckles, to decorated young heroes
 of today.
 
     Lt. Col. Les Broadway, Senior Army Instructor for Eastern High School
 said bringing students to the conference "is a rare and unique experience
 for DC JROTC students to hear from real soldiers what it means to serve our
 country." LTC Broadway has served as faculty advisor for University of
 Tampa chapters of the NAACP and Black Student Union and served as mentor,
 tutor and speaker for community groups, young adults, and secondary
 schools. He has been a member of the Hillsborough County Branch of the
 NAACP and the Tampa Organization of Black Affairs, and is a life member of
 the Civil Affairs Association.
 
     Lieutenant Colonel Michael A. Rauer, U.S. Army (Retired) will escort
 students from Bishop Ireton High School, Alexandria, Virginia to the
 conference. In 2005, Col. Rauer was honored with the Washington Post's
 "Agnes Meyer Award"
 (http://washpost.com/community/education/ota_2005_recipients/rauer.shtml )
 presented to the Metro Washington D.C. areas' top "Outstanding Teachers",
 and has received many other teaching awards. He is a published author,
 European battlefield explorer and fluent in the military history of both WW
 I and WWII. "The history books provide only a small slice of perspective,"
 said Rauer. "For students today, all they know about their predecessors who
 fought in the World Wars are old scrapbooks, yellowed newspaper clippings,
 and dull black & white photographs. The opportunity to meet aged veterans
 provides insight into their own family history, as well as the history of
 their nation."
 
     Full conference schedule at http://www.AmericanVeteransCenter.org. To
 schedule interviews or register to attend, contact Tim Holbert at
 703-302-1012 ext. 220 or tholbert@americanveteranscenter.org.
 
 
 
 

SOURCE American Veterans Center