Every year, the University of North Georgia’s Corps of Cadets hosts Parent-Alumni Weekend. PAW honors those who have served through UNG as cadets and remembers those who have given their lives. The weekend is divided into two main events: Pass and Review and Memorial Retreat.
“Without the power of Alumni, we could not be who we are today.”–Michael Shannon, University of North Georgia President
Pass and Review ceremonies are a time-honored tradition in the Corps of Cadets. Starting at 11 a.m., the gates on the east side of the drill field on UNG’s Dahlonega campus opened to welcome the brigade on the Drill Field. Each company marched in, filling the field from left to right.
Following the introduction of each company and the respective commander, guests were welcomed, and the anthem was sung. Next, the nationally acclaimed Blue Ridge Rifles performance drill team provided the crowd with a demonstration of their skills through the teachings and leadership of Cadet Landen Cress. Following their demonstration, the Golden Eagle Band, the oldest specialty unit on campus, performed under the command of Cadet Matthew Hollowell.
Pass and Review ceremonies are also a time to acknowledge cadets through awarding scholarships donated by alumni. 12 Eagle Fund scholarships are awarded at the event and 1 superior cadet medal is given to each cadet class year, from freshman to senior. UNG’s President, Michael Shannon, said that $5 million was donated through the Alumni Foundation to benefit cadets and to build the new Wynne-Mathews leadership center, located in front of Gaillard Hall on the Dahlonega campus.
Closing the ceremony was guest speaker Major General Lawrence G. Ferguson, Commanding General, 1st Special Forces Command.
The second event of the day was the Memorial Retreat ceremony, aimed at honoring those who have sacrificed their lives serving and those who never left the corps.
“Last October, we lost one of our own,” Lieutenant General Retired James L. Terry, superintendent of the Corps of Cadets, said. “He left an impact on us more than anyone could know.”
Guest speaker Captain Rich Ingram, the first soldier to earn a commission through the Army Reserve Officer Training Corps after sustaining major injuries in the global war on terrorism, spoke on what it means to have resilience. He shared that he credits his resilience to the support he receives from Operation Rebound.
“The decision to join and race with the Operation Rebound Team was the paramount reason my rehabilitation was so successful,” Ingram said. “Without them, I have no clue what my life would be like.”
Following Ingram’s remarks, cadets and those in attendance paid honor to all names on the memorial wall through a retreat ceremony that consists of the UNG color guard retiring the colors, a bugler playing taps and a 21-gun salute.
