| Balboa Yearbooks - 60's R.O.T.C Program
Fall 1959 - Spring 1969 Email Kip F67 brockmankip@comcast.net | R.O.T.C SF Balboa High School San Francisco |
|
|
April 12 1941 On Back ROTC Balboa Lt Joseph Thrift with Balboa students and the President of James Denman Jr High Franklin Sandez True Erleg Pat Vanoni Terry Gregory
|
FOLLOWING PICTURES FROM SEVERAL BALBOA YEARBOOKS FROM SIXTIES
| VOLUME 40, ISSUE 2 PAGE 15 BALBOA GANGPLANK JROTC TESTIMONY by Lynn G. Anderson, Class of 1972 While at Balboa High School, Class of 1972,1 was a JROTC Cadet all three years. My instructor was Sergeant James Carter. Carter who was very interested in my desire to start a military career and at the time of my graduation from Balboa, he suggested I join the Army. For a young African- American male there were not many opportunities right out of high school except Muni and or maybe city work if you were lucky! At that time Vietnam was still going on and the war was making a turn for the worse. The Army had a two year enlistment program that said you would serve two years in Germany to reinforce the East and West German wall. Due to the U.S.A.'s commitment to Vietnam our military forces were at full capacity. The Pentagon was afraid that the Russians were going to use the window of opportunity to come over the wall and invade West Germany. By this time, I had already made up my mind on a military career due to Sergeant Carter, and my two older brothers who made careers in the Army and Air Force. The JROTC just fueled my desire and commitment to that end. It gave me the foundation and discipline and sense of leadership to stand out amongst my peers, and I did to say the least. I was always proud to wear the JROTC uniform at school every Wednesday and represent the Corps and my school. While at Bal I was a Platoon Leader, Company Commander Drum and Bugle Corps Commander. I gained a sense of confidence that I would not have had otherwise if it was not for the JROTC. After returning home from Germany in 1974, I was working for UCSF where I am working today. I took into account the difference in opportunity in the military lifestyle and civilian life, I opted to return to the military as a Marine for the next 20 years, retiring with the rank of Staff Sgt. During my journey in the Marines I experienced and visited many nations and I was able to see and made contact with many cultures daily. I was in charge of large groups of men and women. I represented the Corps in many public and private settings and I stood out as a professional in uniform. I look upon those years today with warm memories and long lasting friendships that you would not find today in civilian life. A band of brothers, Simper Fi (Always Faithful). Today I honor the brave young men and women that came after me and recognize their commitment to our nation and its security, which is taken for granted all too often. This country was and is based on this type of commitment and selfless service to a calling bigger than one self. I feel that the JROTC fosters these traditions and other values. The JROTC instills leadership and an opportunity to those that may not be given the chance otherwise. The future is in our leaders, and JROTC MEETS THOSE COMMITMENTS. |
|
Balboa High School, colloquially known as Bal, is an American public high school located near the Excelsior District in the Mission Terrace neighborhood of San Francisco, California. Balboa serves grades nine through twelve as part of the San Francisco Unified School District (SFUSD). |