US NAVY PHOTO BY MASS COMMUNICATION SPECIALIST 2ND KALEB R. STAPLES
Cadet Major Leslie Chinchilla, a student of Lynn English High School, parades the colors during a ceremony aboard USS Whidbey Island for the Parade of Sails during Sail Boston 2017.
By BRIDGET TURCOTTE
LYNN — The Lynn English Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps took on a tall task for Sail Boston 2017.
The 31 JROTC cadets traveled to Boston to present the colors in the opening ceremony on Saturday, June 17 aboard USS Whidbey Island, and closing ceremonies for the Tall Ships event on Wednesday June 21 on Fan Pier.
“The opening ceremony was pretty great,” said Cadet Major Leslie Chinchilla, 17. “That was our first time doing it. We got to meet the dignitaries from different countries. It was a really great experience and now we’re looking forward to doing more events and getting more recognition.”
The team was recommended by singer Daniel M. Clark, “the singing trooper,” who has chosen the group to accompany him on several performances to present the colors.
“We were all very honored,” said Chinchilla. “There were a lot of people there and they treated us very well. We were very proud to do it for them.”
Led by Sgt. Maj. Ken Oswald, the Lynn English JROTC has stepped up their game in the past few years. They were chosen out of more than 234 groups nationally to compete in the Marine Corps JROTC National Championship in Irving, Texas. They also competed in the All Service Drill Competition in New Jersey, and the All Service Nationals in Daytona Beach, Fla.
Bridget Turcotte can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @BridgetTurcotte.
