Skip To Main Content
Akron Public Schools
The logo of the Akron Public School District.

LCDR Emma Hershey Promotion

Image of LCDR Emma Hershey Promotion
  • Ellet CLC
  • Garfield CLC

A solemn moment … a proud moment for so many attending: Judie Hershey (Mom), John Hershey (Dad), Anne Hershey (sister and former Army Captain), Olivia Hershey (sister and former ROTC student and now teacher), relatives, friends, First Class Petty Officer Joseph Grieco (Naval Science Instructor from Garfield CLC where Emma graduated in 2010), and Ellet JROTC cadets. Former Congresswoman, now Judge, Betty Sutton and her husband were also in attendance. Judge Sutton was instrumental (after a letter from First Class Grieco) to “nudge” the board at The Ohio State for Emma’s acceptance application to ROTC there. Emma was initially accepted to the ROTC Nurse program at The Ohio State, then denied due to a clerical error. This was not “sitting well” with her mother nor First Class Grieco. After a short review of the matter, Congresswoman Sutton wrote a letter to The Ohio State NROTC program, and Midshipman Hershey was reaccepted.

LCDR Hershey has done tours at Naval Medical Center, Camp Lejeune, NC; Naval Medical Center, San Diego; 3rd Medical Battalion, Okinawa, Japan; and now part of the Expeditionary Medical Unit, Camp Pendleton. She was also deployed with the Role 3 Multinational Medical Unit in Kandahar; Afghanistan. She is now a Navy Reservist and full-time ER nurse at Akron General.

The Ellet NJROTC female cadets performed this color guard for LCDR Hershey’s promotion and spoke with her and the other military officers present (to include her sister!). The cadets learned valuable information about the Navy Officer program, what it is like in the Navy (and
Army) and were well received by the Hershey family. First Class Grieco was beaming like a proud “father” as he was asked to put on LCDR Hershey’s LCDR shoulder-boards with her sister, Anne.

Promotion ceremony video

  • Army
  • NJROTC