Brown Military Academy - Warrior Yearbook (San Diego, CA)

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, , ,, 4 , s. H ... ey' f- f . , . -- 1-' .,.fr::-r u -:f,. , , 'Z ,fa E21 f' ,- I.....I i 11 bf' A?-,M ,,- , ...Ji Michael Mericantante Theodore Garcia Walter Del Grande CWO, USN, Ret. Captain, BMA Captain, BMA During the month of October, I95O, after numerous skirmishes with the North Koreans through Southern Korea, a Marine Infantry Battalion, of which I was a member, arrived in Wonsan. The weather there was bitterly cold with more than six inches of newly-fallen snow. Just a few short months before, most of our battalion had suffered heat prostration and now this. Although our food, fuel. and medical supplies were extremely low, our morale was exceptionally high, because it was rumored that all U. S. troops would be home for Christmas. However, we later learned that this information was definitely incorrect. Our camp site was' located in a rice paddy on the northern edge of town and it consisted of many fox holes and one large canvas tent with a small oil stove. Our conscientious doctor and his staff of three combat- weary pharmacist mates treated only the most severe cases in their warm tent. Colds and sore throats were common to all, and while our dail allotment of medi- cation held out, each marine, regardless of rank, received two APC's. laspirinsl One afternoon, just before our battalion moved into the Chosen Reservoir area and while waiting for the allotment of medical suppIies', our Battalion Chief Execu- tive Officer, and m very good friend for many years, i i T T asked me if I woulclflike to spend the night in a warm I i , I 3 Korean house nearby. Needless to say, I agreed. After I I eating a meager supper of C rations, we took our bed I rolls, fire arms, packs, and personal effects' and headed for the house. We entered a warm but barren room shortly before I curfew. No one was there to greet us, so immediately we prepared our bed rolls for the night. Within minutes the I Executive Officer was fast asleep. When I prepared to I i take my medication of two APC's, I reached for the can- I teen and found it empty. I then decided to return to I our camp site for water. While going back to the house -M through. the blackout, I passed several groups of excited I A Marines and Koreans. From what I could gather from their incomplete remarks was that two U. S. soldiers were I found decapitated at the op osite edge of town, and it I was believed that the Iocafi Koreans' were responsible for it. This information disturbed me, so immediately when I got into the room I awoke the Executive Officer and told him. I-Ie sleepily told me not to worry and to get some sleep. While trying to sleep I began to hear noises from the other part of the house: it was short of an Oriental sing-song, which developed into chanting by several voices. I just knew that this was a prelude of what my unknown neighbors had in store for me, and thoughts of the two decapitated soldiers kept returning. I then decided not to sleep, and to maintain a close watch with my hand close to my pistol. The longer I ff' v I, - ,D listened to the chanting the more familiar it be-came. ' ,gay- The chanting was a prayer which I had learned well as ,? .q . ,,f a young boy going to Catholic School. It was the prayer, ' i g The I-lail Mary. :Zigi Qi 'T'-TT Capt. John C. Mericantante, U.S.M.C. lRetiredl

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AWK' -'15 Kenneth E. Hathaway Lieutenant Colonel, USA, Ret. S. McCrary -Col. Hathaway PPEH SIIHUUL IIIJMM!-KN ANTS Contrary to popular concept, Leaders are trained, not born. A child should be trained for Leadership from the age of understanding. To become a Leader the child should first be trained as a Christian: taught tolerance, understanding, responsibility, re- spect for authority and self-discipline. The saying that to be a good Leader you first must be a good follower, is absolutely true. There has never been a really great and lasting Leader who was unable to accept and follow the orders of his superiors-just as the great majority of our civilian and military Leaders are als'o Christians. Christianity and Lead- ership go hand in hand. To be a Christian-you must believe in Jesus Christ and follow his teachings: subjugate personal desires and beliefs to ,his teach- ings-thus becoming a follower accepting the Lead- ership of the Creator. Once theyouth has become a Christian the basic qualities of Leadership follow easily and naturally as they are an integral part of being a true Christian. Before a youth can become a mature Leader he must obtain an above-average formal and practical education, receive training from a mature and ex- perienced Leader and most important he must be given responsibility and placed in minor Leadership positions consummate with his degree of Leadership training and maturity. From these facts come our motto, Training Youth to Live -to live and get along well with others, to face the facts of life with self-assurance, to live with themselves without shame, to be proud but with the proper degree of humility, and to intelligently exercise authority. It is thus that our Christian stu- dent cadets' become the future Leaders of our civilian and military communities. John ' Captain, USMC, Ret. r.,,, , , M erica ntante

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Allen T. Hendren Captain, USA Your experiences in the months that have just passed have added immeasurably to your poten- tial value to America: and, during the years that will follow, whether your life be military or civilian, you will be given the opportunit to realize that potentiality. The work that you have completed at the Academy of the Warriors can only be compared to those cadets' who have preceded with honors and the many that are carrying on the high standards ofa Gentleman l am also confident that your training here will have prepared you to meet any contingency which may confront you. This confidence is based on my faith in the cadet training that you have received from my staff and the individual outlook on life of the cadet. PHIIFESSIIH IIF MILITARY SCIENCE AND TZIIITIIIS