December 2, 2014 (Sacramento):  Teens from Hiram Johnson High School’s Junior Reserve Officers Training Corps (JROTC) will serve color guard duty before thousands of football fans at the December 7 “Battle of the Bay” between the Oakland Raiders and the San Francisco 49ers.

Sunday is also on the 73rd anniversary of the bombing of Pearl Harbor, which brought America into World War II. Pearl Harbor survivors will participate with JROTC cadets in a commemorative ceremony before the playing of the National Anthem.

None of the four cadets chosen for color guard duty have ever attended a professional football game, said Hiram Johnson JROTC teacher Sgt. Jim Rost. “This is a really positive event for us – a win-win,” he said. “The cadets are standing a little taller and prouder this week.”

The cadets also get seventh-row game tickets behind the Raiders’ bench courtesy the Air National Guard Recruiting and Retention Command. Kick-off at the O.co (Oakland) Coliseum is at 1:25 p.m.

The teens selected to carry the flags were chosen because they maintain 3.0-plus grade point averages and work hard in the program, Rost said. “They’re at school at 6:30 a.m. when I show up. These are legit students that deserve to go.”

Hiram Johnson maintains an award-winning JROTC program focused on citizenship and six core values: Tenacity, integrity, courage, patriotism, confidence and service. Young adults in the program come from low-income communities and many have challenging backgrounds, Rost said. “But if teens can believe in themselves, they can get out of their situation.”

WHAT:                 Hiram Johnson JROTC Color Guard at the “Battle of the Bay”

WHEN:                 Kick-off is at 1:25 p.m. on Sunday, December 7

WHERE:               O.co (Oakland) Coliseum, 7000 Coliseum Way, Oakland 

VISUALS:             Students will be arriving at the Coliseum at 9 a.m.