Medal of Honor, Sammy Davis on hand to honor Military Children of the Year

Top brass honors Military Children of the Year
By Karen Jowers
Staff writer
Posted : Friday Apr 6, 2012

As the color guard marched in, 9-year-old Nathan Richards stood as still and ramrod-straight as the Navy officer at his side. That respect is part of the fiber of each of the five children honored at a gala Thursday in Arlington, Va., as their services’ Operation Homefront Military Child of the Year.

They were praised by military brass from their respective services, by Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Army Gen. Martin Dempsey, by Medal of Honor recipient retired Army Sgt. 1st Class Sammy Lee Davis, and by actor and veterans advocate Gary Sinise.

Nathan was honored as the Navy Child of the Year; Chelsea Rutherford, 17, Air Force Child of the Year; Amelia McConnell, 17, Army Child of the Year; Erika Booth, 17, Marine Corps Child of the Year; and Alena Deveau, 17, Coast Guard Child of the Year.

“If I had to be identified as the best of the best of the best among any group in America, I’d actually like to be known as the best among military kids,” Dempsey said, “because of what we ask them to do, and what they do.” read more here