LEWISTON — Several founders of the Air Force Junior ROTC cadet program at Lewiston High School were honored Friday morning during a Veterans Day breakfast at the Ramada Lewiston Hotel & Conference Center.

An audience of about 100 veterans, spouses and family members paid tribute to seven educators who were instrumental in starting the cadet program at the school in 1989. Four of them attended the breakfast.

U.S. Sen. Angus S. King Jr., I-Maine, reminded attendees that this holiday is not the only occasion when the country’s veterans should be recognized. He said the most meaningful expression of appreciation for serving in the military would be to walk up any day to any veteran on the street, often easily identified by a cap or jacket, and simply shake hands and say, “Thanks.”

Staff members from the offices of Maine’s U.S. Senator Susan M. Collins and Second District Congressman Bruce Poliquin read letters from those two officials.

Retired Air Force Lt. Col. Mark Welborn, who heads the Lewiston High School cadet program, introduced four members of the Junior ROTC founding group. He is a senior aerospace science instructor.

The four founders in attendance were Richard Sykes, Edward Dwyer, George Jacobs and Robert Hansen.

Sykes was a member of the Army Reserve for six years and a representative in the Maine Legislature. He was principal at Lewiston High School for 15 years.

Dwyer was a guidance counselor at Auburn’s Walton School and an assistant principal at Webster Junior High School in Auburn. He was also a Lewiston Middle School guidance counselor and assistant principal at Lewiston High School. He is a retired U.S. Navy commander.

Jacobs taught physics at Lewiston High School for 31 years and was head of the science department. He is a U.S. Army veteran, having served as a corporal in Korea.

Hansen, formerly a special education teacher at Lewiston High School, is a U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran.

The three other founders are John Bouchles, Roger Lachappelle and Vincent Wills.

Bouchles, a Twin Cities native and brother of Maine’s former U.S. Sen. Olympia Snowe, taught at Lewiston High School and became assistant principal in charge of curriculum.

Lachappelle, a hockey coach at Lewiston High School, also was assistant principal for 15 years.

Wills, a math teacher, guidance counselor and Lewiston High School guidance director, resides in Florida.

Several cadets posted the colors at the beginning of the program.

ME-891 is the unit designation for the program based at Lewiston High School, which was the state’s first, and which now has about 100 members.

The cadet program at Lewiston High School also includes students from Edward Little High School in Auburn, Oak Hill High School in Wales, Leavitt Area High School in Turner and Lisbon High School.

Any high school within the Lewiston Regional Technical Center area may send students to the program.

Auburn Mayor Jonathan LaBonte and Lewiston Mayor Robert Macdonald also spoke at the breakfast and delivered addresses at a Veterans Day ceremony at Lewiston Memorial Armory later in the morning.

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