Georgia Military College’s 144th Corps of Cadets, along with Putnam County High School JROTC cadets, conducted Operation Pick Up Putnam on April 15, for their 2022-2023 service-learning project.
The project involved several locations in Eatonton, including the Bledsoe-Greene House, Bronson House, The Plaza Arts Center, Butterflies and Blooms Habitat, VFW Thrift Store, Veterans Wall of Honor Park, Putnam Christian Outreach, and Butler-Baker Elementary School.
“We are all about leadership,” Colonel Steve Pitt, GMC Commandant of Cadets, said. “One of the things we pride ourselves in is what we call servant leadership. We try to instill in the cadets that, whether they are the military or civilians, they have to be part of the community.”
Cadet Levi Bohannon, S-3 for the Corps, was in charge of operations and planned the event. He said it took four months and multiple visits to Eatonton to meet with organizational leaders.
“I planned stuff within the Corps of Cadets, but this is my first outside project,” Bohannon said. “You can plan something all you want, but if you don’t have the people to come out and do it, it means nothing. Seeing it functional and successful was a reward for me.”
Leadership Putnam provided tools and lunch for everyone, said Robbie King, a participant in the program, which involves a group of local businessmen and leaders.
“The idea was to bring the entire community together,” Lieut. Col. Frank Adkinson, PCHS JROTC Senior Army Instructor, said. “The mission of JROTC is to motivate young people to become better citizens, and to become one, you have to be part of the community. They have to feel that they are part of knowing a family, but also structures outside that family, where they feel integrated, and they feel connected.”
Melton Smith, President of Butler-Baker Alumni Project, Inc., said he appreciated the help in clearing out “a lot of junk.” He said the decommissioned school is being repurposed as a community center and museum.
“This is useful because we, young people, can give back,” said Eseta Te’i, the GMC cadet in charge of the group at the Butterflies and Blooms may not live in Eatonton or Putnam County, but each of you comes from a hometown, and we urge you to volunteer to do the things that need to be done in your community.”
“Thank you for your service to God and your community,” Williams added. “It speaks a lot about your character and where you come from. All of you together have shown this community what teamwork, spirit, and dedication are about.”
“Today we train for a battle, but we pray for peace,” retired Army Brigadier General and President of ViziTech USA Stewart Rodeheaver said. “We train to destroy our enemies, but we also learn how to rebuild communities and towns and even countries. We pray and work every day to be strong and mighty so we can take care of people who are weaker than us. That’s the reason you wear the uniform and that you do this.”
habitat, just north of town. “The majority of us would love to help out, and it’s a Saturday. We wanted nothing more than to give back to the community that gave us so much.”
Upon completion of the cleanup, the cadets and community leaders met at Eatonton’s Veterans Wall of Honor Park for fellowship and lunch.
In attendance were Eatonton Mayor John Reid, Police Chief Howell Cardwell, Putnam County BOC Chairman Bill Sharp, Senator Rick Williams, and other community leaders. Each offered words of thanks to the cadets.
“You were thrown into the briar patch today, and guess what? You made it a better place to live,” Sharp said, referring to Joel Chandler Harris’s Uncle Remus stories. “We thank you very much for all of your skills, the things that you brought to us. You