Citadel Cadet Lt. Col. John Cordes of Summerville was honored with the Medal of the Society of the Cincinnati Award (South Carolina chapter) during The Citadel’s dress parade Feb. 16.
Cordes has distinguished himself academically, earning dean’s list and gold stars multiple times. A criminal justice major with intelligence minor, he holds a 3.8 cumulative grade point average in a 4.0 system. He was also named to the President’s and the Commandant’s Lists in recognition for his overall cadet performance.
As an underclassman, Cordes served in a number of leadership and ROTC positions, including regimental command sergeant major and regimental executive office. His study abroad travel included a scholarship in Peru, an Army ROTC cultural and language program in Rwanda, and an in-depth study of World War II history in France.
Due to his outstanding performance as an FBI intern, Cordes was selected as a presenter at the National Academy of Criminal Justice Science’s annual conference. A founding member of The Citadel’s Omicron Delta Kappa, the national leadership honor society, Cordes will complete his college career as a distinguished military graduate.
Upon graduation in May, Cordes will receive a commission as an officer in the U.S. Army. He will join the other Society of the Cincinnati recipients whose names are on the memorial plaque located in the lobby of Bond Hall.
The Medal of the Society of the Cincinnati Award bears the name of a Roman farmer, Cincinnatus, who left his farm to take up arms and fight for his city. A successful general, he was an acclaimed dictator, but chose instead to return to civilian life. The officers who served in the Continental Army formed the Society. Their charter members included George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and Marquis De Lafayette.
The South Carolina chapter, established in 1783, is one of the six original state societies that have been in continuous existence since that time.
