Presidential Meeting Surprises Recipient
One week after he took the oath of office, newly-elected US
President Barack Obama was on Capitol Hill congratulating one of
the Civil Air Patrol’s most accomplished cadets.
Much to the delight and total surprise of Cadet Col. David F.
Hill IV and 14 members of West Virginia Wing's Martinsburg
Composite Squadron accompanying him, Obama left a January 27
luncheon and meeting with Republican senators in the US Capitol to
personally meet and greet each of the cadets and senior members
gathered for Hill's official Gen. Carl A. Spaatz Award
presentation.
Named for a former Air Force general, the Spaatz award is Civil
Air Patrol's highest cadet honor. US Sen. Jay Rockefeller, D-WV,
and US Rep. Shelley Moore Capito, R-WV, made the official Spaatz
presentation in the Capitol... but shortly afterwards it was
announced President Obama wanted to meet with the group.
West Virginia Wing Chief of Staff
Lt. Col. Dennis Barron, who accompanied the CAP squadron to the
Capitol, explained the significance of the Spaatz Award to Obama
and introduced Hill and his father to the president. President
Obama congratulated Hill on his achievement and praised him for his
dedication and commitment to the cadet program. The president then
shook hands and spoke with all the other members present.
Afterwards, Obama posed for a group photo with the Martinsburg
squadron members.
"Meeting the president was one of the greatest and most
memorable moments in my life," said Hill. "Winning the prestigious
Spaatz award is one of my greatest accomplishments, but meeting the
president during his first week in office almost makes it pale in
comparison."
"We were thrilled and extremely excited to meet the president of
the United States," said Martinsburg Squadron Commander Lt. Col.
Robert Mills, who also attended the Spaatz Award ceremony. "This
was one of those rare lifetime experiences, and for Cadet Col.
Hill, the ultimate in award presentations!"
The Spaatz award is earned by less than one half of 1 percent of
all the cadets in the Civil Air Patrol. Hill is only the third
cadet in the history of the Martinsburg squadron and just the 20th
cadet in the West Virginia Wing to earn the coveted award since its
inception in 1963.
For now, Hill is also the only CAP cadet in recent memory to
receive Spaatz award congratulations from a US president. That fact
was not lost on Mills, who said, "The benefits of membership in the
Civil Air Patrol cadet program are unlimited and the experiences
are truly awesome."
Hill, a resident of Shepherdstown, WV, has been a member of the
Martinsburg Squadron since October 2003.