A retired Marine Corps officer who spent 26 years on active duty defending the U.S. Constitution spent some quality time judging high school students competing in the American Legion Constitutional Oratorical speech contest in Virginia Beach, March 11.

Robert Taylor, deputy director for Readiness and Training for Navy Expeditionary Combat Command (NECC) personnel said he jumped at the opportunity to judge high school students as they debate about the U.S. Constitution, something he has spent his life defending.

"This opportunity is about providing these young people an opportunity to learn about the Constitution to better understand what the framers were really trying to say and how they can apply lessons learned into their own lives to become a part of their own personal ethos," said Taylor, who has worked at NECC for the past decade and is from Vancouver, Washington.

Greg Mueller, Oratorical Contest Chairman for the American Legion for the state of Virginia has been coordinating this annual event for the past 12 years and said he looks forward to judges such as Taylor participating in this yearly constitutional debate.

"For our youth competing in these types of contests truly help these students become better citizens," said Mueller. "Our Constitution is what our nation was founded on and it is great that these students are reminded of the sacrifices others have made that enable them to enjoy the rights afforded to them."

As a student of U.S. history, Taylor said he also appreciated the contributions of our framers in creating the U.S. Constitution.

"I appreciate the framers ability to create a document that we continue to use to this day, which is a testament to the vision they had for our country."

Mueller, who retired from the U.S. Army, is assigned to the U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command at Fort Eustis in Virginia and discussed the various speeches the high school students will perform.

"The three students competing in this contest will be required to deliver two speeches," said Mueller, who added the first speech varies from eight to 10 minutes long and the topic is decided upon by the student. The second speech varies in length and in topic. "The students will be required to speak for three to five minutes on one of four predetermined U.S. Constitutional topics randomly selected by an audience member."

Mueller added that the winning orator from Virginia will now advance to the national Oratorical contest to be held in Indianapolis.

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