Published: 04-07-08
HARLINGEN – The Marine Military Academy (MMA) honored Gov. Rick Perry with the Iwo Jima Award. A veteran of the armed forces and a longtime public servant Gov. Perry is being honored for epitomizing leadership traits that were found during the battle of Iwo Jima.
“The Marine Military Academy is special to me because it represents a bastion of core values that is desperately needed in today’s world” said Gov. Perry. “The unrelenting emphasis on honor courage and commitment has propelled the academy to its prominence in the world of character formation and academic education.”
The Marine Military Academy established the Iwo Jima Leadership Award to recognize the contributions to our country by an outstanding citizen.
“Governor Perry’s steadfast support of the military education and fiscal restraint have improved the lives of all Texans particularly those in the Rio Grande Valley” said Marine Military Academy President BGen Stephen A. Cheney USMC (Ret).
The MMA of Harlingen Texas is a private college preparatory military school for young boys in grades 8 to 12 and one year of postgraduate study. Founded in 1963 by William A. Gary rancher and retired U.S. Marine Corps Captain the 142-acre academy is unique among all military secondary institutions. The academy enrolls male students in grades 8 through 12 with an additional year of postgraduate work offered. The current Corps of Cadets hail from 29 states and 6 foreign countries. All graduates are accepted to institutions of higher learning and many attend U.S. service academies.
The heritage and ideals of the Marine Corps are passed on to the cadets at the Academy by a staff of former Marines who live by the principles of honor courage and commitment. Achieving academic excellence is forefront and the military setting eliminates distractions improves personal accountability and enables cadets to establish and focus on their future goals.
