Cadets will also clean veterans’ headstones at Oakside
As part of a community service project, the Zephyrhills High School JROTC cadets will conduct a flag retirement ceremony at the city’s Oakside Cemetery Thursday at 8:30 a.m. In addition, throughout the morning, the cadets will clean the headstones of veterans and place small flags at their gravesites.
Company Commander junior James Laferriere, along with his fellow cadets, made a presentation to members of City Council Monday night asking for the city’s assistance in their endeavor.
City Manager Billy Poe assured the JROTC cadets that the city will provide assistance in proving cleaning products, materials and other resources to clean headstones. Members of council pledged the city’s help to the cadets as well.
“For me, it is very important because as Company Commander, we want to be out in the community as much as possible,” Laferriere said. “I want our cadets to be able to achieve a sense of pride in their community that they haven’t been able to experience.”
COVID-19 has reduced the number of projects for the JROTC program, so this flag retirement ceremony and cleaning of the headstones, is one of the biggest projects of the school
Laferriere said roughly 30 cadets will take part in the project that will clean 446 veteran headstones.
Super proud of all of these JROTC kids. Thank you for your service to the community.