Irmo High JROTC Raise Funds Through Memorial 'Death March'

In an effort to raise funds to send World War II veterans to Washington, DC, through Honor Flight South Carolina, 103 cadets are marching for 24 hours in front of Irmo High School.

"We want to be able to honor those veterans, those that served and especially those that died at that time," said Cadet Maj. Cody Brantly, a junior at Irmo High. "To be able to send them to Washington, DC, to see the WWII Memorial is a really good thing."

The annual Memorial Bataan Death March started at 6 p.m. Friday and will end at 6 p.m. today. 

The students marched the route — which was lined with luminaries with the Honor Flight logo and the names of veterans — in two-hour shifts without food or water. 

Retired Chief Master Sgt. Steven Turner said the march was a way for the cadets to bring awareness to what the veterans have been through and what they all have sacrificed. 

The Bataan Death March began in April 1942, when about 75,000 Americans and Filipinos surrendered to the Japanese during World War II and was forced to march 65 miles in the heat without food or water on the Bataan Peninsula to prison camps. Thousands of the prisoners of war suffered physical abuse and was killed.

This is the fourth year cadets have given their time to salute South Carolina's veterans. 

"It takes a lot for a student to do that, to put down their cell phones and put away their computers," Turner said. "Most of them are doing more than one shift."

"...they could be out doing something different (on a Friday night or Saturday)," he said. "They devote their time to this and that says a lot about their character. They're good kids and they work hard. We're proud of them."

Honor Flight gives WWII veterans a chance to visit Washington, DC, to see the WWII Memorial. 

Veterans also have the opportunity to tour the city and visit the Korean, Vietnam and Iwo Jima memorials and monuments as well as attend the Changing of the Guard at the Arlington National Cemetery.

So far, the cadets have raised more than $4,000. 

To help the cadets raise money for Honor Flight, visit the Irmo Air Force JROTC web site. Click "Donate" at the bottom of the page.