SIKESTON TEEN ATTENDS NATIONAL LEADERSHIP FORUM

SIKESTON, Mo. -- Jonathan Cartner, 17, of Sikeston recently attended the National Youth Leadership Forum on Defense, Intelligence and Diplomacy in Washington.

The forum gave students firsthand knowledge about national security, diplomacy and global defense systems.

Cartner, who said he was interested in a career in government, was one of more than 350 outstanding high school juniors and seniors to attend the conference last week.

The conference was made available to students demonstrating academic achievement and an interest in a career related to national security.

Two students from the St. Louis area also attended the conference.

Students visited government buildings, embassies, and several military installations such as the U.S. Marine Corps Combat Development Command at Quantico and the Naval Air Station at Patuxent River.

Cartner aspires to fly helicopters for the Marine Corps before pursuing a career as a weapons specialist for the F.B.I., the tour of the U.S. Naval Academy, which he hopes to attend, was his favorite.

The visit to the Pentagon included an interesting highlight from the Cold War. "We had lunch at Ground Zero," said Cartner. He explained this was the name the Soviets had for a hot dog stand in the center of the Pentagon which they had picked as a target for a nuclear missile.

A retired Marine officer and recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor, Col. H.C. Barnum, was keynote speaker.

He told the group to "believe in your abilities and set your goals high."