A Salute

Left! Left! Left right! Right! Right left!

My first sergeant’s voice filled my ears -

The cadence ringing around me

Echoing down the companies

Over 300 cadets -

Over 300 footsteps in semi-unison

The shiny brass of our JROTC uniforms

Glinting in the November sun

I was Delta

After Color Guard

After Alpha, Bravo,

Drum and Bugle,

And Charlie

Behind us, more cadets stretched:

Echo,

Cavalry Angels,

Then Foxtrot

And Golf and Hotel...

And behind them,

Junior Guard - close to a dozen schools

We all marched together

As thousands of citizens lined the streets

Citizens… and veterans

While we were the ones marching,

It was not our day.

While we were the ones everyone came to see,

We came to honor. To respect. To salute

The veterans

Company halt!

I commanded as I heard the first wandering notes of “Taps”

The song that sounds like sacrifice

About face for me, then

Present arms!

50 hands flew up, 50 cadets honoring

The veterans

Once the song was finished, we continued

Marching on

Left! Left! Left right! Right! Right left!

I held my saber on my right shoulder

The metal etched with symbols of JROTC

I could see the shadow of the guidon behind me

And heard the footsteps of my company following

I let my eyes wander, taking in the crowd

To the left, a Veteran -

His wrinkled skin proclaiming the long life he’s lived

And his hand up to his right eyebrow…

Saluting us

Saluting me

I was not the one who made the sacrifice,

Yet he was honoring me

A mere JROTC cadet, whose future is still undecided

I was not the one who went to war,

Yet he was honoring me

My choice to lead my company, here and now

My heart swelled

With what emotion, I am unsure

I felt small

But also seen

Still full of meaning to that veteran

We marched on

Eyes right!

I called

I brought my saber in front of my face

Then down, a diagonal to the right

Honoring the veterans standing before me now

And the veteran standing further back

I am blessed to both be a part of my high school’s JROTC program and living in a town that hosts one of the largest Veterans’ Day parades in the nation. While 2024 was my third year marching in the parade, it was my first year as a company commander. Not only did I have to march correctly, but I also had to call the commands for my company (Delta) and do movements with a saber.

All morning, I was focused on doing my job perfectly - keeping my head held high, walking straight forward, maintaining the proper distance behind Charlie company, calling commands on the correct foot… I’m sure you get the point. Yet, at one particular moment, I let my eyes wander, and I noticed a veteran saluting me.

The parade was intended to be the other way around. I was there to salute him.

This simple moment has stuck with me for the past few months. The specific emotion I felt is difficult to identify, but that moment illustrated to me just how selfless this veteran’s sacrifice was. He went to war, was willing to make the ultimate sacrifice, likely lost people he loved, and now he’s honoring me- a mere 17-year-old JROTC cadet who is on the fence about serving.

I’m thankful for that man, who was willing to give everything for his nation, and still puts others before himself.