Campion Jesuit High School - Knight Yearbook (Prairie du Chien, WI)

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Progenitor of Monday p.m. band practices. Early Thirties — goon platoon or drill tour? won honor ratings and the right to wear the red star every year except one. The drill team took 2nd and 1st in 1936 and 1938 in the state ROA drill competition. The rifle team won 1st in 1931 and 2nd place in 1936 in the 6th Corps (now the 5th Army) matches and 12th in 1936, 8th in 1938 and 1940, and a sparkling 3rd in 1953 in the William R. Hearst Matches in competition with all ROTC high schools in the country. The ROTC marching band won 1st in the 1936 district competition, played over a coast-to-coast broadcast from Villa Louis in 1942, and took 1st in the Wisconsin School of Music in 1952. The record of Campion ROTC men in the ser- vice of their country is a glorious one. They merited 156 special American decorations: 1 Distinguished Service Cross, 11 Silver Stars, 3 Legions of Merit, 17 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 3 Soldiers Medals, 38 Bronze Stars, 38 Air Medals, 5 Army Commenda- tion Ribbons, 30 Purple Hearts; and 10 special foreign decorations. Brig. Gen. John P. Henebry, class of 1936, the youngest ever to become a gen- eral, merited the Distinguished Service Cross (sec- ond highest military award given), as well as the Silver Star, the Legion of Merit, the Distinguished Flying Cross, and the Air Medal. The late Col. Gregory J. Kessinich ' 14, invented the bazooka, a portable rocket launcher which is used for knocking out tanks, and for 30 years was chief of the patent section of Army Ordnance in Washington. Campion especially cherishes the memory of 65 of her sons who died in service for their country, and in partic- ular, the first chaplain to die in World War 11, Lt. Aloysius Schmitt, ' 28, at Pearl Harbor.

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From 1919 to 1939 Cantpion ROTC boasts colorful record of accornplishtnents . .i. ■ ■■■ ■ ■ ' f II I! ir Hi nli sf II II I! li It {{ ii ii ii 11 I! !1 !1 Lawler, Kostka, Campion Halls In 1919. Back in 1919 when Campion was both a college and high school and the campus showed a yawning gap between Campion and Marquette Halls, Cam- pion became one of the first schools in the nation to offer military training. Realizing its value from watching the 231 student inductees of the short- lived SATC (Student Army Training Corps) among the college students the fall of 1918, far-seeing Fr. Albert Fox, S.J., president, petitioned the Army to establish a Reserve Officers Training Corps. The Corps was organized Nov. 1, 1918, into a senior section for college men and a junior section for high school students, and held its first official drill Tuesday, Jan. 28, 1919. Those hardy pioneers drilled for an hour Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday after- noons plus two 45-minute military instruction per- iods weekly. Thus was born ROTC at Campion. The history of ROTC at Campion is one of pro- gress and accomplishment. The first cadets drilled in olive drab uniforms with leather leggings and campaign hats, shouldering British Enfield riflles. In 1924 cadet officers sported sabers and Sam Brown belts. Six years later the Springfield Ml 903 rifie was introduced. In 1934 new uniforms of slacks and blouses with blue lapels became GI. Then in 1949 the Ml Garand rifle and in 1950 the Eisenhower jacket brought elegance and modernity tO) the bat- talion. Federal inspection beginning in May, 1925, and the fabulous Military Ball in 1950 have become the traditional annual highlights of the military department. The accomplishments of the past forty years, both of the corps and of individuals, have been spec- tacular. Beginning with 1929, the Battalion has

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Victorious cadet receives Mothers ' Day competition cup. Polished drill team shows precision marching. Aivards to outstanding cadet officers and President ' s Trophy for Best Company 1931.. Co. B. Capt. John R. Doherty 1932.. Co. B, Capt. Michael O. Driscoll 1933.. Co. A, Capt. John J. Hastenrock 1934.. Co. A, Capt. William McKenna 1935.. Co. B, Capt. Francis D. Tyler 1936.. Co. A, Capt. Richard D. Cronin 1937.. Co. C. Capt. John J. O ' Laug-hlin 1938.. Co. B, Capt. Robert P. Heinz 1939 Co. A, Capt John A. Heinz 1940 Co. B, Capt. Joseph F. Eag-an 1941 Co. E, Capt. Francis J. Waicknxan 1942 Co. A. Capt. Walter M. Pomierski 1943 Co. B, Capt. William E. Russell 1944 Co. A, Capt. P. B. Sandman 1945 Co. E, Capt. J. P. Ryan 194G Co. B, Capt. J. A. Wagner 1947 Co. A, Capt. R. E. Cagney 1948 Co. B, Capt. James Rose 1949 Co. B, Capt. Paonessa 1950 Co. A, Capt. Thomas Nolan 1951 Co. E, Capt. Terry Doyle 1952 Co. B, Capt. J. Kennedy 1953 Co. C, Capt. J. Roniweber 1954 No award given 1955 Co. B, Capt. H. Stettler 1956.. Co. A, Capt. Charles Thompson 1957 Co. A, Capt. Paul Hinko 1958 Co. B, Capt. D. Brennan The Captain R. McNamee Trophy for Best-disciplined Unit 1937.. Co. A, Capt. Robert E. Brandt 1938 Co. A, Capt. James G. Cheney 1939 Co. A, Capt. John A. Heinz 1940 Co. B, Capt. Joseph F. Eagan 1941 Co. B, Capt. Francis J. Waickman 1942 Co. B, Capt. Ferdinand Wieber 1943 Co. A, Capt. James E. Barnard 1944 Co. A, Capt. Felix Sandman 1945 Co. C, Capt. Charles Rubey 1946 Co. C, Capt. F. Brisley 1947 Co. C, Capt. Paul Waickman 1948 Co. E, Capt. James Rose 1949 Co. C, Capt. Don Froehlke 1950 Band, Capt. David Benkowski 1951 Lt. Robert Eierraann 1952 Co. C, Capt. James Noonan 1953 Co. C, Capt. James Hefternan 1954 No award given 1955 Co. D, Capt. Ray Harris 1956 Co. C, Capt . Joseph Metzger 1957 Co. C, Capt. Robert Weber 1958 Co. C, Capt. J. A. Chrisman 6 Capt. B. F. Hurless Trophy (Given for individual excellence) 1926 Co. B, Capt. George LeClercq and Co. C, Capt. Gregory B. Bush 1927 Co. A, Capt. Paul N. Eott 1928 Co. E, Capt. Richard E. Montanus 1929 Co. A, Capt. Lloyd W. Mooney 1930.. Co. B, Capt. .John D. Porterfleld 1931 Co. C, Capt. Paul N. Wittig 1932 Co. B, Capt. Louis F. Hillenmeyer 1933.. Co. A, Capt. Edward J. Murray 1934.. Co. B, Capt. George J. Conrardy (Award given in future for the best drilled platoon to its lieutenant) 1935 1st Pit. B Co., Lt. Bernard Hubert 1936 2nd Pit. A Co., Lt. J. Kleinheinz 1937 2nd Pit. C Co., Lt. Chester Benben 1938 2nd Pit. B Co., Lt. J. Laughlin 1939 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. J. Immel 1940.. 1st Pit. B Co., Lt. J. Muenzer 1941 2nd Pit. B Co., Lt. J. V. McDonald 1942 4th Pit. A Co., Lt. Fredrick King 1943 2nd Pit. A Co., Lt. M. Moriarty 1944 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. L. J. Barr 1945 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. Edwin Daly 1946 1st Pit. B. Co., Lt. Vickers 1917 3rd Pit. A Co., Lt. D. F. Doyle 1948 3rd Pit. A Co., Lt. M. Staner ]!|.|9 3rd Pit. A Co., Lt. Herman 1950 3rd Pit. A Co., Lt. Richards 1951 2nd Pit. B Co., Lt. L. Kelly 1952.. 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. Jas. Dresser 1953.. 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. John O ' Grady 1954 No award given 1955.. 3rd Pit. B Co., Lt. C. Cummings 1956 1st Pit. A Co., Lt. D. Miller 1957 3rd Pit. A Co., Lt. J. Corrigan 1958.. 1st. Pit. B Co., Lt. R. Dickinson Department of Wisconsin Reserve Of- ficers Association of the United States for demonstrated leadership, profic- iency in infantry weapons and mer- itorious participation in extracurric- ular activities of the ROTC unit at Campion Jesuit High School. 1953 Lt. David L. Davis 1954 Capt. M. Pfab 1955 Lt. C. Pfab 1956 Major J. Denker 1957 Lt. J. Markey 1958 Major Thomas James Drill Team Commanders 1937 Capt. Robert Brandt 1938 Capt. Robert Heinz 1939 Capt. John Heinz 1940 Capt. Joseph Eagan 1941 Capt. Frank Waickman 1942 Major William Rumpf 1943 Lt. Edward Dineen 1944 Capt. William Bonner 1945 Major Phillip Weisenberger 1946 Capt. Russell Skall 1947 Capt. Paul Waickman 1948 Capt. Edward Beyer 1949 Lt. William Stoeckinger 1950 Capt. WilUam Moffit 1951 No Drill Team 1952 Capt. Donald Stahl 1953 Lt. David Davis 1954 Capt. Martin Pfab 1955 Major Stuart Ratchford 1956 Lt. Col. Paul Weber 1957 Capt. Charles Nicolai 1958 Lt. Michael Scanlon 1959 Lt. Phillip Dagnon The Jewett Military Award 1942.. Bn. Band, Capt. James Senrich 1943 Co. C, Capt. William V. Carey 1944 Co. B, Capt. W. J. Bonner 1945.. En. Band, Capt. Arthur Wagener- 1946 Bn. Band, (3apt. F. Garvey 1947 En. Band, Capt. Thomas Zuber 1948.. En. Band, Capt. Peter Duhamel 1949 Bn. Band, Capt. Robert Power 1950 Co. B, Capt. John Murphy (Changed to the Jack Porter Jewett Trophy to commemorate his death in service to his country, 1944) 1951 Sgt. Jas. Noonan 1952 Sgt. Robert Radtke 1953 Sgt. Stanley Dunin 1954 No award given 1955 2nd Pit. Co. A, Sgt. Valleau 1956 1st Pit. Co. A, Sgt. Davis 1957 1st Pit. Co. B, Sgt. Wagner 1958 Ist Pit. Co. D, Sgt. Garcia