[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 63 (Thursday, April 19, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E797]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




       TRIBUTE TO SOUTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY'S ROTC PROGRAM

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                         HON. JAMES E. CLYBURN

                           of south carolina

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, April 19, 2007

  Mr. CLYBURN. Madam Speaker, I rise today to pay tribute to a great 
source of pride for my alma mater, South Carolina State University, and 
our nation's military. The SC State Reserve Officers' Training Corps 
(ROTC) celebrates its 60th anniversary on April 20, 2007. This 
tremendous program, known as the Bulldog Battalion, has commissioned 
nearly 2,000 officers in the armed forces, and it has produced nine 
Army Generals, two Marine Corps Generals and one Air Force General, 
while contributing a significant number of highly qualified and 
dedicated soldiers to our nation's military.
  Among SC State's notable ROTC graduates are Major General Abraham 
Turner, a 1976 graduate, who served as the Commanding Officer of Fort 
Jackson, the Army's largest training base in my hometown of Columbia, 
South Carolina. Second Lieutenant Jerrette Lee, class of 1983, was 
chosen during his senior year for the coveted Hughes Award, becoming 
the first African American and graduate of a Historically Black College 
or University to receive the honor granted to the top ROTC graduate of 
the year.
  Another proud Bulldog Battalion graduate, Colonel Stephen Twitty, led 
an infantry battalion into Iraq during the early stages of the war on 
August 18, 2003. His leadership earned him the Silver Star medal for 
valor.
  The remarkable record of the SC State ROTC is due in part to its rich 
history and tradition. The program was established in 1947 for the 
purpose of training infantry officers for the United States Army. In 
1949, the program graduated its first class with five of the six 
graduates receiving Army commissions and the sixth joining the Army 
Reserves.
  In 1954, the program expanded its mission beyond producing only 
infantry officers. Instead, the ROTC became a General Military Science 
Program, which enabled graduates to serve in any branch of the Anny for 
which they qualified. From 1947 until 1968, all freshman and sophomore 
male students were required to enroll in the ROTC program at SC State. 
Since I am a 1961 graduate, I had the privilege of being part of this 
tremendous Bulldog Battalion program.
  In 1968, SC State partnered with Claflin University, Voorhees 
College, Orangeburg Technical College and Denmark Technical College to 
provide ROTC training through SC State's program. The program expanded 
again in 1972 to allow female cadets to enter for the first time. 
Today, a total of 254 women have graduated from SC State's ROTC.
  Graduates of this prestigious program have participated in every 
military conflict from World War I to the current conflicts in Iraq and 
Afghanistan, representing America with great skill and honor. Today the 
Bulldog Battalion averages an enrollment of 100 cadets.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you and my colleagues to join me in honoring 
South Carolina State University's ROTC program on the occasion of its 
60th anniversary. It is my great privilege to have experienced this 
wonderful ROTC program firsthand and to congratulate the program and 
its graduates today for their extraordinary contributions to our 
country. America owes a debt of gratitude to South Carolina State for 
supporting this extraordinary tradition of military excellence and to 
its graduates for making their alma mater and their nation proud.

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