In a ceremony honoring future military service members, Vancouver teen Georgie Guerrero took away much more than he anticipated.
“I’m so honored to be around people who served our country,” said Guerrero, a senior at Henrietta Lacks Health and Bioscience High School, “and how they want to honor us even though we’re just coming out of high school.”
On Saturday, about 100 high school seniors from Southwest Washington and parts of Oregon planning to enlist in the armed forces were honored during an Our Community Salutes ceremony inside the Fort Vancouver Artillery Barracks.
Our Community Salutes is a national organization founded in 2009 to recognize and honor high school seniors enlisting in the military after high school with regional ceremonies across the country. Clark County’s first event was held in 2011.
Saturday was Clark County’s 10th event after COVID-19 shut down last year’s ceremony. The event was held cooperatively by the armed forces and the Community Military Appreciation Committee (CMAC). Enlistees from the Air Force, Navy, Army and Marines each had separate ceremonies to ensure safety during COVID-19, said CMAC co-chair Larry Smith, who served 26 years in the U.S. Army. Each enlistee was presented with a certificate of appreciation and a commemorative coin.
Guerrero plans to be a parajumper in the Air Force. Football helped teach him that it’s better to be a leader than a follower, he said.
“I don’t want to be an everyday civilian,” Guerrero said. “I want to be able to help people.”
Battle Ground’s Izabel Carey gave her oath of enlistment to the Navy. She first got the idea to serve the country at age 14 to be part of something big.
“I want to truly impact the world, and the country,” she said. “I truly believe I’m making a difference.”
‘A common purpose’
Vancouver Mayor Anne McEnerny-Ogle and Clark County Councilman Gary Medvigy were guest speakers at Saturday’s ceremony. McEnerny-Ogle thanked the teens — and their families — for their sacrifices. She said she’s filled with pride and hope for “not only the community, but also the country.”
“These young adults don’t know each other, and in fact, they don’t know most of the people in this room, but here they are ready to serve in order to keep all of us safe,” McEnerny-Ogle said. “We owe them a debt of gratitude not just for today but every day, so all of us need to show our appreciation by living the same way a service member lives — duty, honor and country.”
Medvigy, who served in the U.S. Army, also has two children actively serving in the military.
“There’s no greater time in our country when we need unity behind a common purpose,” he said. “… and you’ve stepped into that role.”
About one-third of the future enlistees at the ceremony traveled from the Portland metro area, said Smith, the CMAC co-chair. Hunter Morse of Clackamas (Ore.) High School will go into the Air Force as a survival, evasion, resistance and escape specialist, continuing an armed forces tradition in his family that dates back to his great-grandfather. He came away from Saturday’s event with more determination to serve the country.
“I got a lot of respect for (the veterans),” Morse said. “And to be able to meet them and see them gives me a lot of pride that I’m choosing to do it.”
