THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Friday, March 29, 1996 TAG: 9603270127
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 04 EDITION: FINAL
LENGTH: Short : 39 lines
The Churchland Marines Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps didn't walk away with a lot of awards at a recent district competition.
In fact, Maj. Carl S. Kusky sums it up in four words: ``It wasn't our day.''
But in a more important way, the Portsmouth high school unit left the Fourth Marine Corps District Military Skills Competition with the highest honor.
``We had a very honest child,'' said Kusky. ``That was the high point of the trip.''
Danielle Renay Kuhlmann, a sophomore, was walking along the second-floor corridor of the motel when she spotted a $20 bill next to the railing. When she picked it up, she found she was holding a $1,000 wad of money.
The 16-year-old and another student took the money to Kusky, who turned it in at the front desk.
As it turned out, it was the expense funds the school's tour bus driver had dropped going into his room.
The driver gave Kuhlmann a $20 award, and, once back in Portsmouth, she received a meritorious promotion to corporal.
Kuhlmann is pretty happy with her promotion. It means she doesn't have to ``memorize stuff'' and go up for interviews in front of her JROTC teachers.
But she turned it in simply because, ``It was the right thing to do.''
``You know in today's world there's all kinds of bad things we hear about kids,'' said Kusky, ``and its nice to hear a good thing.''
Janie Bryant ILLUSTRATION: Kuhlmann
by CNB