Celebrataing 250 Years - People, Places, & Themes

 

JROTC Awards

2026 Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) Awards

National Defense Committee Report

Commissioner Charles Gause Chapter, USD 1812 

1. On Monday, April 20, 2026, Jacqueline LaMar presented awards on behalf of Commissioner Charles Gause Chapter (CCG), US Daughters of 1812 (USD1812) to US Army JROTC members at North Brunswick High School in Leland, NC. CPT (Retired) George King presided over the Scorpion Battalion’s Change of Command and Awards Ceremony:

• Cadet 2LT Molly Croteau, a junior, received an Award Certificate and the USD1812 National Society United States Daughters of 1812 JROTC Bronze Medal.

• C/CPT Eliza Moore, a senior, an Award Certificate and a monetary award.

 2. On Thursday, April 23, Jaqueline LaMar presented awards on behalf of the CCG chapter to US Army JROTC members at South Brunswick High School, near Southport, in Boiling Springs Lake, NC. LTC (R) Glenn Baker presided over the ceremony:

• Cadet Command Sergeant Major (C/CSM), Noris Baez, a junior, received an Award Certificate and the USD1812 JROTC Bronze Medal. She commanded the Cougar Battalion’s Color Guard during the 2025-26 school year.

• C/MAJ Ashley Creech, a senior, received an Award Certificate and a monetary award.  She served as the Cougar Battalion’s Executive Officer.

3. On Wednesday, May 13, Past President Carol Jutte presented awards on behalf of the CCG chapter to US Army JROTC members of the Trojan Battalion at West Brunswick High School in Shallotte, NC:

• C/CPT Jessi Penland, a junior, received an Award Certificate and the USD1812 JROTC Bronze Medal.

• C/MAJ Payton Mays, received an Award Certificate and a monetary award.

4. On Friday, May 15, Katherine Benedict presented an award on behalf of CCG to a USAF JROTC member of the Monarch Squadron at Northside High School in Jacksonville, NC (Onslow County). MSGT Curtis Locke, USAF Retired, presided: 

• C/Airman Helen Mendoza, a junior, received an Award Certificate and the USD 1812 JROTC Bronze Medal.

5. On Wednesday, May 20, Susan DeGroote presented awards on behalf of CCG to US Navy JROTC members at the John T. Hoggard High School Honors Night. CPT Stoney Mitchell, USN-R, led the ceremony aboard the USS Battleship North Carolina (New Hanover County):

• Cadet Cooper Kayleigh Williams, a junior, received an Award Certificate and the USD1812 JROTC Bronze Medal.

• Cadet Tyler Yamirah Spears, a senior, received an Award Certificate and a monetary award

          JROTC Medal Presented to Cadets at the Awards Assemblies in each of the high schools.

Jacqueline LaMar and Susan DeGroote

Co-Chairs, Defense Committee, JROTC

Commissioner Charles Gause Chapter, North Carolina

National Society United States Daughters of 1812

June 6, 2026 

Flag Day is June 14th

 

This is the site from the USD 1812 National public website that I thought might be interesting to our members.   We all have so many questions about Flag etiquette, and with Flag Day right upon us, I thought it might be a good time to discuss them.

Please visit it.

President Suzanne Palmer

https://www.legion.org/advocacy/flag-advocacy/flag-code

Commissioner Charles Gause No 433 Chapter of US Daughters of 1812 Congratulated New Officers for the 2026-2028 Term of Office.

 Photo: The new officers were sworn in on June 6, 2026, at the 1812 meeting. The new President is Suzanne Palmer; Vice President, Susan Woodard; Chaplain, Linda Lashley, who will serve another term; Secretary, Kathleen Benedict; Registrar, Rebecca Chipman; Historian, Phyllis Wilson; and Librarian, Joan Hall. Missing from the photo is Treasurer Cindy Sellers, who will also serve another term.

                                     

    

Treasurer - Cindy Sellers

L to R: Carol Jutte, Caron Myers, secretary, Suzanne Palmer, registrar, Linda Lashley, chaplain, Martha Blacher, librarian, Rebecca Chipman, vice-president, and Michele Russell, president

 Three Vietnam Veterans Were Recognized at the June Meeting

At the 6 June 2026 meeting of the Commissioner Charles Gause Chapter, we recognized three Vietnam Veterans.  Caron Myers was awarded the Vietnam Veteran Lapel pin and certificate in honor of her father, Billy Gene Wright-Spikes’ service in the US Army from 8 Sep 1955-30 Jul 1958. 

As the only living relative, Caron also received a certificate in recognition of her cousin, James Laurence Howell (Larry), who was lost in hostile enemy action on 5 March 1970.  Larry was 22 years of age.  He is honored on the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial in Washington, D.C.  

The Chapter awarded a Vietnam Veteran Lapel pin and certificate to Thomas Henderson Jackson, who served in the US Army from 3 January 1967 through 2 January 1973 when he transferred to the US Army Reserves.  Thomas Henderson was wounded in action in Vietnam and was awarded the Purple Heart and Vietnam Service Medal with two Bronze Service Stars, among other service badges and awards.  Thomas Henderson Jackson is the cousin of Caron Myers.  

The Commissioner Charles Gause Chapter has been a Commemorative Partner with the U.S. Vietnam War Commemoration since November 2023 and has awarded certificates and lapel pins to Chapter members since then.  Although the work of the Commemoration ended in late 2025 (it was established in 2012), Commemorative Partners are encouraged to continue to recognize Vietnam veterans and their families with lapel pins while supplies remain in their inventory.

James Lawrence Howell

Billy Gene Spikes US Army. 1955-1958

                                     Thomas Henderson Jackson

On June 6 2026, the Daughters of 1812 Charles Gause Chapter viewed a video about Fort Niagara and the British takeover on December 19,1813. The British quickly took Fort Niagara. Two days later, the British, along with Indian allies, marched south, burning cabins along the Tonawanda Creek on the way to burn the village of Buffalo. Lydia and Captain Robert Simson were a part of this terrorizing march. Saving their cabin and manning the Tonawanda Guard house.

                        Lydia Simson wife of Captain Simson

Thank you, Suzanne Palmer and Martha Blacher, for the information for this post.

The State Port Pilot Published an Article on How to Purchase Paving Stones...

 

 

Thursday, May 14, 2026 The Brunswick Beacon

Jane Johnson presents Bob McLeod and Catherine Fort with a $2,000 check to purchase a paver from the Lord Craven Colonial Dames chapter.

 The Daughters of 1812 paver at the Cape Fear Scottish Immigration Memorial at Brunswick Town/ Fort Anderson.

                             

The memorial cairn serves as a lasting tribute to the resilience and contributions of the Scottish emigrants who came to Brunswick Town on the Cape Fear in the 18th century.

Memorial Day