Posted on February 13, 2020
State Rep. Tom Delnicki invited South Windsor resident and Marine Corps Private First Class Cooper Nodden to the state Capitol in Hartford on Thursday, February 6th. Rep. Delnicki recognized Nodden by having the American flag fly over the state Capitol from January 16th – January 18th while he was completing The Crucible, a notoriously difficult test that each recruit must go through in order to become a Marine.
The Crucible takes place over 54 hours and includes food and sleep deprivation and over 45 miles of marching. The Crucible is a test designed to pit teams of recruits against a barrage of day and night events requiring that every recruit work together to solve problems, overcome obstacles, and help each other along the way.
Nodden, a 2019 graduate of South Windsor High School and a former Connecticut State Wrestling Champion in the 170-pound weight class, completed his Marine Corp Bootcamp on January 31st at Parris Island in Port Royal, South Carolina and is on his way to Marine Combat Training at Camp Geiger in Jacksonville, North Carolina.
Rep. Delnicki (R-14) who first met Nodden a few years ago after he achieved the rank of Eagle Scout said, “It was an honor to welcome Private First Class Cooper Nodden and his family to the Capitol Cooper with Staff Sergeant Justin Montgomery to celebrate Cooper’s tremendous achievement. It was my privilege to show support and appreciation for what Cooper accomplished by having a U.S. flag flown over the state Capitol in his honor and providing his family and friends with a tour. I wish Cooper much success and trust that this is just the beginning of what he will accomplish going forward.”