Writer – Rashmi Janakiraman (Teacher, Greenville County Schools). Edited by LTC (Ret) James V. Davis
Photographer – Rashmi Janakiraman (Teacher, Greenville County Schools)
Nov 11th, 2024 – J L Mann Academy of Math and Science senior Battalion Commander, 17-year-old Mia Suresh has been conferred the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement on Veterans Day. Established in 1951, this award is the most distinguished decoration a JROTC Cadet can receive. The Legion of Valor of the United States awards the Bronze Cross for Achievement to senior and junior ROTC cadets who demonstrate a combination of outstanding scholarship, superior leadership in ROTC, their school and community, and exceptional citizenship and character. Annually, only a select few are conferred the award among the 300,000 or so JROTC cadets from 1732 high schools across the country’s three branches (Army, Navy, and Air Force).
To earn this national recognition, students who exemplify high scholastic excellence in military and academic subjects must be nominated at their unit level during their junior year for consideration. Cadets’ applications then undergo a rigorous selection process, and they are finally selected by the Legion of Valor and Awards Chairman.
The Legion of Valor is the oldest congressionally chartered veteran’s organization in the United States. It comprises veterans from all services who have received either the Medal of Honor or their respective service’s highest award for gallantry (Navy Cross, Army Distinguished Service Cross, or Air Force Cross). Like its sponsoring organization, selection criteria for the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement are very high, and recipients become part of an exclusive fraternity. Suresh will be featured (along with other recipients) in the Legion of Valor journal “General Orders,” which will be maintained as a permanent record in the Library of Congress.
J.L. Mann is recognized as a Distinction Honor Unit, a testament to the strength and consistency of its JROTC program. The school has a long-standing tradition of producing high-caliber cadets. Suresh’s selection for the Legion of Valor Bronze Cross for Achievement this year marks the eighth consecutive year a Patriot Battalion cadet has earned this prestigious honor. Cadets have also consistently received other national recognitions, including the West Point Leadership Award, across multiple years. Notably, for the past two years, J.L. Mann has had a cadet receive an appointment to the United States Military Academy at West Point. Suresh will be the third cadet in a row to earn this distinguished appointment, further reflecting the excellence and leadership fostered within the program. Suresh says she looks forward to living up to the recognition bestowed on her.