ROTC cadets, alumni honored at military ball Friday

Jerri Haller did not have a pumpkin carriage to carry her nine-and-a-half hours through wintry conditions to join her Prince Charming at the ball.

Instead, she drove from her home in Woodbridge, Va., to meet her boyfriend, Cadet Dave Seery, at the 2010 Military Ball.

“It’s amazing, I’m very proud of him,” Haller said of Seery, a Clarkston senior.

The ball was put on by the Chippewa Battalion ROTC Friday night at the Comfort Inn and Suites, 2424 S. Mission St.

The night honored past graduates of the ROTC program and encouraged cadets’ progress. More than 270 people attended.

Retired Lt. Col. David Burdette, vice president of finances and administrative systems at Central Michigan University, was one of the Chippewa Battalion alumni present.

“I think this is a terrific opportunity to celebrate what America’s all about,” Burdette said.

Donald R. Robinson, a 1976 alumnus, and Douglas L. Dilday, a 1973 alumnus, were inducted into the ROTC’s hall of fame.

The night’s events included toasts, roasts and several video skits prepared by the cadets including parodies of sitcom “The Office” and Lady Gaga’s song “Paparazzi.”

One long-standing tradition and major focus for the night was the brewing of the “grog” for the MS-3 ROTC class, a task which Senior Military Instructor Joe D. Postler officiated.

“Once again, our grog will be a saucy brew,” Postler said.

Actual and facsimile ingredients, including desert and Tabasco sauce (supposedly taken from the Persian Gulf), motor oil and undergarments all went into the misty mix.

Many of the night’s jibes were between the cadets and Postler, a non-commissioned officer in charge who will soon transfer to Fort Lewis in Washington.

“If I’d had my way, I would’ve stayed here longer and tortured more cadets with physical training,” Postler said.

Working with the cadets was an interesting challenge and reward, Postler said. He looks forward to returning to Washington after more than 20 years in the Army.

Planning for the event was a task left to the MS-3 class.

“It felt pretty normal for me,” said cadet Corey Beekman, a Midland freshman.