2008 Woodie Awards
Former members are inducted for service
By: Lalita Chemello
Issue date: 2/18/08 Section: News
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Retired Col. John Ghere, Lt. Col. Alton Westrick and Secretary B. Denise Gallagher were inducted into the ROTC Hall of Fame Saturday during the 55th annual on Military Ball at the Soaring Eagle Inn and Conference Center, 5665 E. Pickard Road.
"One thing I think of now is how much I enjoyed what I did for all of these years, and I am so grateful to see all these young and eager faces that want to be a part of this," Ghere said.
Ghere and Westrick both graduated in 1958 as part of the CMU ROTC program. At one time Westrick believed Ghere had died in Vietnam. In 2006, when Ghere was inducted into the aviation hall of fame, Westrick found him and the two have kept in contact ever since.
Gallagher worked as the administrative secretary for the Department of Military Science from 1979 to 2007. In her 28 years of service with CMU ROTC, she watched 476 cadets go through the program along with 90 Cadre and 11 Presidents of Military Science.
"That's the funny thing about her job, most would try and move up in positions, but she remained with us for 28 years," said Maj. Gregg A. Mays, chair of CMU's Military Science Department.
Gallagher said she had not been expecting to be honored.
"I was surprised when they had found a third person for the hall of fame; I thought it was one of the people we had looked over. Then they said it was me and I told them I didn't deserve it," she said during her induction.
For Gallagher's introduction, the ROTC waived its waiting period of 10 years before inducting a former member into the Hall of Fame.
"We felt the time she had spent here working with all of these cadets and people was enough for her to be inducted earlier," Mays said.
Westrick gave the audience words of encouragement during his speech.
"When you're under pressure, you know what you need to do, and you do it," Westrick said.
During Ghere's presentation, he said he never thought of his job as a career; it was just something he did.
Bronson sophomore Emily Nolin was one of the ROTC members in attendance.
"It was really weird to think these people (the inductees) were right here at one point," Nolin said.
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