Event culminates in an emotional post-ceremony visit and video message from 103-year-old Dillard alumna and pioneer Mrs. Nancy Sidney Dawkins.
By Dr. Yvette Giles Stuart
Special to the Westside Gazette
DORAL, FL. — Cadets from Fort Lauderdale’s historic Dillard High School shared the spotlight with seasoned military leaders at U.S. Southern Command (USSOUTHCOM) headquarters in Doral, serving as a proud centerpiece of the command’s official 79th Air Force Birthday celebration.
Dillard High School’s Junior Reserve Officer Training Corps (JROTC) commanded the floor with a presentation of colors by the Elite Color Guard, followed by a precision demonstration by the Rifle Exhibition Team. Retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel Ricky O. Stuart, Sr. then delivered a moving keynote address to a distinguished audience that included four-star combatant commander U.S. Marine Corps General Francis L. Donovan, joint-force service members, Partner Nation Liaison Officers, and military veterans.
The memorable occasion began with an informal inquiry. When Colonel Stuart wrote to USSOUTHCOM leadership asking to attend the annual Air Force Birthday celebration with his wife, Dr. Yvette Giles Stuart, he sought to introduce her to the unique richness of military tradition. To his absolute surprise and delight, USSOUTHCOM leadership responded to his initial note by asking him to deliver the keynote address commemorating the Air Force’s 79th anniversary.
“It was such a joy to see my husband honored by the command he served for so many years,” said Dr. Giles Stuart. “To witness him speak from the heart about service, family, and tradition to that esteemed gathering was profoundly moving.”
Colonel Stuart shares an enduring history with the command, where he concluded his 29-year military career in 2007. He subsequently supported the command’s mission in various civilian roles through 2019, culminating in an appointment as the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Representative to USSOUTHCOM.
Colonel Stuart delivered an inspiring address entitled “Roots That Ground Us. Values That Define Us. Dreams That Propel Us.” Centering his remarks on the service’s core values—Integrity First, Service Before Self, and Excellence in All We Do—Colonel Stuart framed military service as an unbroken lineage, with each generation standing on the shoulders of the airmen who came before them.
“Our roots ground us in the power of our Air Force heritage while our values guide us through times of crisis,” Stuart remarked. “We stand on the shoulders of giants who served before us, just as the Dillard High School cadets here today may one day stand on ours.”
Colonel Stuart also honored the quiet resilience of military families. Looking back on a 29-year career marked by 21 household relocations, with his three children attending between six and ten schools each, he said the selfless sacrifices and sustaining strength of those on the home front serve as the true bedrock for those who wear the uniform.
“Our country demands much from those of us who raise our hands to serve, but it relies every single day on the quiet strength and grace of our families,” Stuart said.
After the ceremony, four-star General Donovan personally congratulated the Dillard cadets, who posed for commemorative photographs alongside the general, senior staff, and their instructor. Colonel Stuart also met separately with the cadets, calling their historic Fort Lauderdale high school “legendary” and committing to support their unit.
Two respected community elder veterans joined the Stuart family at the celebration: Dr. Herman Allen, a retired dentist who served in the U.S. Army during the 1960s, and Commander Lawrence Roberts of American Legion Post 220, a retired U.S. Marine Corps officer.
The spirit of legacy and connection continued immediately after the Stuarts departed USSOUTHCOM. Traveling straight to Miami, Colonel Stuart and Dr. Giles Stuart fulfilled a promise to visit 103-year-old retired educator and community activist Mrs. Nancy Sidney Dawkins, wife of the late Miami Commissioner Miller Dawkins.
Mrs. Dawkins is a living cornerstone of South Florida history: she was a high school classmate of Dr. Giles Stuart’s late father, Alphonso “Al” Giles (U.S. Army WWII veteran and educator), and graduated with him from Dillard High School’s Class of 1941. She is also a cousin of the late centenarian educator Mrs. Maude Lewis Storr.
During an earlier visit, when the couple shared news of the upcoming USSOUTHCOM ceremony, Mrs. Dawkins eagerly asked if Colonel Stuart would wear his military uniform the next time he came to see her. Resolved to honor that promise, Colonel Stuart arrived in his pristine service dress uniform.
Delighted to see the couple, Mrs. Dawkins glowed with pride as she viewed photos of the Dillard JROTC cadets who had commanded the stage earlier that day. Full of joy for her alma mater, the 103-year-old matriarch, who turns 104 on October 11, recorded an impassioned video message of congratulations and encouragement to be delivered to the students, creating an extraordinary bridge across 85 years of Dillard excellence.
“To the wonderful Dillard cadets: I am so very proud of you,” Dawkins said in the recorded message, her voice filled with emotion. “Hold your heads high, keep striving for excellence, and always represent our school with pride. You are our future.”
From the podium at U.S. Southern Command to the home of a centenarian pioneer, the day was a powerful celebration of lineage, service, and mentorship-providing that when community roots deep, they propel the dreams of every generation that follows.
