Rhode Island ROTC honors service of alumni

The University of Rhode Island (URI) Army ROTC Alumni Chapter held a Hall of Fame ceremony recently to honor the service of previous students.

The ceremony gathered family, friends and alumni to celebrate the contributions of Rhode Island State College students who went on to fight in World War I and World War II. The ceremony also remembered the sacrifices of alumni who were killed while serving in the Vietnam War. They included: Maj. Walter J. Decota, 2nd Lt. William G. Schanck Jr, and 1st Lt. Carl W. Myllymaki of the Marine Corps, Capt. Edward A. LaPierre of the Air Force, and Capt. Robert L. Mosher of the Army.

The school also honored 11 living veterans who are URI alumni.

The ROTC program at URI, known as Cramer's Saber Batallion, also includes students from Roger Williams University and Salve Regina University.

Nationally, the ROTC program was created in 1916 to train college students to become military officers. ROTC students at more than 1,000 schools across the country receive tuition assistance in exchange for a pledge to join the military after graduation.