The Marsh Cadet Corps competed at nationals here in Dallas over the weekend. (Courtesy photo)

Marsh Middle School’s three-time national champion ROTC program competed at nationals last weekend to defend its title against 42 other teams. While the cadets didn’t win their fourth championship, they came home with several other awards and still hold more championship titles than any other school in the nation.

You can read the full results at the end of this post. But first, there’s an exciting project brewing in the ROTC program.

Commander David Bates and his cadets have plans to establish their very own museum at Marsh, exhibiting military artifacts and memorabilia from all branches and all eras of history. Bates says they will paint and remodel the three empty portables next door to the ROTC portable to house the museum. The cadets will be the curators. In fact, it was all their idea, Bates says.

“We went to a museum recently and they said, ‘Why don’t we do our own museum?’ “.

When it’s complete, the cadets will offer free tours for elementary students and the community. And Bates has a big vision for what the museum will eventually look like.

“We’re going to make models, recreate battle scenes. We want to have a flat screen TV and run documentaries. We want to be able to take you through each world war.”

To get the project started, ROTC is inviting local veterans to donate their war memorabilia – old uniforms, helmets, photographs, discharge papers, etc. In this way, the museum will be a local representation, honoring our own military veterans here in the neighborhood and across Dallas-Fort Worth.

One private donor has already contributed $1,500 to the museum, and Bates says he needs more assistance in locating artifacts and, oddly enough, mannequins. If anyone has any sitting in their attic, the ROTC could really use them.

HOW TO DONATE: Call David Bates at 214.549.1826 or email him at dabates@dallasisd.org. You also can stop by the school, 3838 Crown Shore.

Now, on to the competition results:

-Armed drill teams: fourth place in their division.

-Unarmed drill team: first place on inspection, fourth in regulation, second in exhibition

-Boys color guard: third place

-Girls color guard: second place

The Marsh Cadet Corps commanding officer was senior, Diana Melchor

Marsh won the national title in 2007, 2008 and 2010. They were runner-up in 2009.