Annual ROTC Ball inducts four into Hall of Fame
Campus military members and ROTC advocates were able to take a break from their daily drills and enjoy the elegance of the ballroom Saturday.
CMU’s ROTC contingent hosted its annual Chippewa Battalion Military Ball over the weekend at Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort, 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd.
It included the induction of ROTC and military members – ones who provided large contributions and dedication to the program – into CMU’s chapter of the ROTC Hall of Fame. The first Military Ball at CMU was held on Jan. 10, 1952.
Maj. Gregg Mays, military science professor, said his favorite part of the event was, “To see the cadets in the environment away from school, and to see their faces as they introduce their dates.”
ROTC men dressed in their uniforms and women dressed in formal ballroom attire.
“The best part of the ball is meeting everybody, learning protocol for military events and the fact that it is a lot of fun,” said Cadet Amie Willoughby, Ferris State senior from Clare.
Ferris State does not have a full ROTC program, so students are included as a part of CMU’s ROTC.
Opening ceremonies at the ball consisted of Army traditions such as the mess call, posting of the colors and the Soldiers Creed. Following dinner was the Hall of Fame induction. CMU’s ROTC Hall of Fame was established in 1997 and is located in Finch 111.
Donald Case, Army veteran, was one of the four inducted. Case, a CMU and ROTC alumnus, was a founding member of the ROTC Alumni Association Chapter, and said he is most proud of his contribution of the mandatory senior cadet field trip to Michigan’s Tank-automotive and Armaments Command (TACOM) in Warren.
It is now a mandatory part of the senior syllabus, where cadets meet numerous high-ranking military officials.
“I am excited to be recognized by my peers,” Case said. “People outside of the military will not necessarily know or understand what you do, but to be recognized by peers is very important to me.”
Also inducted were Ronald Allen, who serves in the U.S. Army Reserves; Gary Brenniman, who left active duty as a captain; and John Soyak, who retired as a lieutenant colonel.
