Paxton High School - Reflector Yearbook (Paxton, IL)

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18 Paxton High School Reflector CLASS OF 1913. The graduating class of 1913 has won the greatest military distinction. This must be evident from the following facts: Of its 13 boys, 9 are in some branch of the U. S. war service. Two of them are West Point graduates— PAUL COLE and LEO WARNER. Three of them are commissioned offi- cers in the Regular United States Army. The third commissioned officer in the Regular Army is Eugene Frederick, son of Mr. Sherman Frederick of Clarence, 111. The other six soldiers of this honored class are Bernard Asper- gren. Randall Bear, Arthur Currie, David Danielson, Claude Stine and Mack Wylie. LIEUTENANT PAUL COLE, U. S. ARMY Lieutenant Paul Cole, P. H. S., '13—West Point, ’17 Paul Cole of Ludlow, 111., after graduating with the Class of 1913, taught school for one year in Champaign county. Having received an ap- pointment as a cadet from this Congressional District and being successful

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Paxton High School Reflector 7 R. O. T. C. at Fort Dodge. He proirptly chose the latter, and no doubt will receive a commission within a short time. Wendell McCracken, '12—U. of I., ’16- Some time before the holidays. Wendell McCracken, '12, enlisted at Detroit. Mich., in the aviation department of the Signal Corps. He expected to be assigned for study and training at some ground school by February 1. 191S. At the last report the assignment had not been received, but he was ex- pecting to be under ordeis in the near future. Mr. McCracken, after completing his high school course, entered the University of Illinois, and graduated therefrom in June, 1910. Since that time he has been successfully engaged in the real estate and insurance busi- ness at Detroit, Michigan. Corporal Donald Moffett, '12. Donald MofTett enlisted in his country’s military service some time last fall or summer. He chose for his branch of army work, the Signal Corps. He was assigned to Co. A. 311th Field Signal Battalion, and since some time in August has been stationed at Camp Grant, Rockford, 111. Indirect reports received through relatives and friends indicate that he is taking a lively interest in his work, and his efficiency is attested by ♦he fact that he has so soon won the rank of Corporal. A friend who recently visited him said: I saw Don at Camp Grant and he was the same eager fellow in soldier life as in times of peace—right up on the bits and doing his best.” Donald entered the U. of I. in September. 1913. after having spent the year immediately following his graduation from high school in travel and in «•roughing it” on a Western ranch with his two elder brothers. He graduated from the University with the class of 1917, having won high honors. Frank Morgan, ’12, and Clarence Morgan. Frank Morgan, who transferred to Paxton High School after three vears at Buckley, and graduated here in 1912, enlisted last June in the am- bulance service. He left July first for Allentown. Pennsylvania, and is now with the 610th U. S. A. Ambulance Section at that place. He is a proficient cometist and plays in the army band. He does not expect to go to France before April. While Frank was at home for the Christmas vacation, Clarence decided to go into the same branch of the service, and now the two brotners are in the tame section at Allentown. Clarence did not graduate from Paxton High .being a graduate of Buckley, but took one year of post graduate work bore. Both brothers were working in banks at the time of enlistment, Frank at Hoopeston. and Clarence at Rankin.

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Paxton High School Reflector 19 in passing the physical examination, he entered West Point in the fall of 1914. Prior to this time, no candidate for admission to West Point had been per- mitted to enter upon presenting a certificate of graduation from an accredited high school. A new ruling resulted in his admission, and also that of Leo Warner, upon his Paxton High School credits. As a result of the declaration of war in April, it was decided to grad- uate the 1918 class with three years of regular West Point training and some intensive supplementary training during the summer of 1917. He therefore received his diploma and the commission of Second Lieutenant August doth of that year. He was then given a thirty-day furlough before being assigned to special duty. This furlough period was very happily utilized by Mr. Cole in the consummation of a little romance that had enlivened the later months of h!s military training at West Point. The nature of this romance will be understood when it is known that the day following his graduation, he was married to Miss Teance Espy, of Atlanta, Georgia, at the Hotel Astoria in New York. The remainder of his furlough period very naturally became the occasion of a honeymoon trip to the home of his wife in the sunny southland. On October 1st, accompanied by Mrs. Cole, he reported for duty at ihe lT. S. Army Post at L.aredo, Texas, for official duty in the G th Infantry, 3rd Battalion. Upon assuming this duty he was advanced to the rank of First Lieutenant. Lieutenant Leo. V. Warner, '13; West Point, '17. Attention has been elsewhere called to the special distinction won b the class of 1913 in military matters. In addition to the distinction there noted, this class, and the school as well, may be very justly proud of the fact that this class and the Paxton High School furnished two of the five Illinois students who received their diplomas and commissions from West Point with the class graduating in August. 1917. To have furnished at one time 40% of Illinois’ quota at a West Point Commencement is certainly an unusual dis- tinction for a class, school, or community. It is also worthy of note that Lieutenant Leo Warner is the only student from Ford County who has been able to stand the rigid mental and physical tests necessary for graduation from our government military school. After graduating from high school, Leo spent a term of nine months in supplementary study at a special West Point preparatory school at Wash- ington. D. C. He devoted himself there especially to mechanical drawing and trigonometry in anticipation of having to take the. until 1914, uniformly required educational test for entrance; but the new order accepting credits from high schools of high standing, as in the case of his classmate, made it possible for him to be admitted upon the certified credits furnished from the Paxton High School. As a result of vacation work, and the emergency arising from the declaration of war, his class was graduated with 3V6 years work, though the