By FRANKLIN FISHER | STARS AND STRIPES Published: March 9, 2007
PYEONGTAEK, South Korea When ships arrive in South Korea this month with the trucks and combat equipment the U.S. Marines need for a big training exercise, a U.S. Army unit known as the “Kargo Kings” will be “knee deep” in getting that gear pierside and on its way to the leathernecks’ training areas.
The unit, whose official name is the 837th Transportation Battalion (Terminal), manages the U.S. military’s seagoing cargo moving in and out of peninsula ports as well as the ship-delivered merchandise bound for the peninsula’s U.S. military commissaries and exchanges.
Clendenin, a retired 82nd Airborne Ranger, is a JROTC instructor at West Brunswick High School in Shallotte.
He retired as a first sergeant after 23 years in the U.S. Army, helps his students find scholarship opportunities, mentors them, provides guidance on enlisting, and stays current on certifications such as “high ropes course instructor” just to keep things interesting for the students.
Col. Joseph Calisto, a colleague at the school, said, “Our program would pale in comparison without him. He has made the difference between success and mediocrity. He truly is a role model for all of us.”
Clendenin s daughter, Jennifer Hatley, said he defines the word “hero” because “he’s always willing to give you the shirt off his back and he continually pushes and strives for excellence in every avenue of his life.”