JROTC is planning on attempting to rename Davenport Street to either Fous or James W. Fous street to honor Central’s only Congressional Medal of Honor winner.  

Fous, who was killed in service during 1968 in Vietnam, threw himself on top of a grenade to save three other members of his squad.  

Battalion Executive Officer (BXO) Jason Youngs says that JROTC is in the process of meeting with Joslyn and Creighton. “They border that Davenport Street, we have both of their support, and we are attempting to rename the whole street so we are going to try and get the rest too,” Youngs explains. 

JROTC has set up a meeting with Joslyn’s director of education, Nancy Round, and Youngs says he is going to get her signature for the petition. Creighton has also agreed to the process and is willing to sign on to the renaming of the street. Youngs says most of the organizations otherwise are small local businesses, who have “really no reason to oppose it, it really doesn’t affect them too much. They only have to change their addresses.” 

Youngs explains the three months long process to renaming the street. “We have to get to get 60 petition signatures and along with that we have to follow these criteria: Considerations shall be primarily given to the people next to bordering the street, we have to explain why we are renaming that street, and if it’s military reasons they’re generally fine with it, Medal of Honor is one of the highest-ranking awards you can get.” 

Youngs says that JROTC has found a backer who personally knew Fous who was willing to cover the $1,000 cost of renaming the street. “Mr. Rambo, who actually knew Fous, said he’d be willing to back the project up completely,” Youngs explained.  

Youngs talks about some of the significance of James Fous. “He is our only Medal of Honor recipient from Central High School. So we’re trying to recognize that, and on top of that he saved three members of his squad by jumping on a live grenade, which is a sacrifice in his own, and even on top of that, he was setting up perimeter defense so they would be able to evacuate people who were medically injured,” Youngs says. “So all of that cause just makes up, you know, it’s a heroic act and we just want to bring attention to it, because it’s kinda gone unforeseen than longer than we’d like. For Central, it’s a pretty great honor.”