|
|
History |
|
Leavenworth JROTC has a long history dating back to 1917. We also have made some outstanding accomplishments through our cadet’s corps. Here are some of those achievements and other things that make our unit one of the proudest in the nation, with good reason.
1.
Leavenworth has the oldest JROTC unit in the nation. Our unit was established
in 1883 and officially recognized as the first JROTC program in the nation on
January 21, 1917.
2.
Leavenworth High School has produced 32 general officers (that we know of)
since its beginning.
3.
Since 1929, when the award began, the unit has won Honor Unit or Honor Unit with
Distinction recognitions, which represents the top 10 percent of over 800 units
nationwide. This represents over 80 occasions upon which the unit received the
award.
4. 67 LHS graduates have given their lives in war since World War I.
5. In 1987, 1989,
1990, 1991, 1992, and 1993, the Pioneer Battalion Rifle Team competed in the Junior Olympics
Rifle Match in Colorado Springs, and honor allowed only to those invited after
qualifying by winning a national title or recognition.
The following is a timeline including some of the most important events in the history of Army JROTC.
- The
ROTC program as we know it today was authorized by the National
Defense Act of 1916.
- The
ROTC Vitalization Act of 1964 allowed the staffing of JROTC units by
retired military personnel.
- In
1973, Congress changed the law to allow females to be enrolled as
cadets.
This is a timeline of important events specific to Leavenworth's JROTC program.
- Leavenworth High School first had military training in 1897.
- On 29 January, 1917, Leavenworth Senior High School was recognized
as having the first JROTC program in the United States.
- A Raider Unit was first established
at Leavenworth High School in 1961.
- Females were permitted to join the Leavenworth corps of cadets in
1976.
Special Note: Much of the information on this page is courtesy of a long-time supporter of our program, Mrs. Carol Ayres, who conducted thorough investigation of the JROTC archives at Leavenworth High School.
Updated: March 9, 2009