Western Military Academy - Recall Yearbook (Alton, IL)

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★ THE RECALL. 1934 ★ The Honor Men of 1934 THE VALEDICTORIAN Each year from the senior class the man highest in academic studies for that year is chosen as valedictorian. This year the honor fell to Cadet Captain James N. Banks. James has been the leader of his class in scholastic ability during his four years at Western. In addition to being outstanding in academic work, he is a high ranking officer in the military field and has been very active in all the various extra curricular activities at Western. Banks is an associate editor on the Shrapnel Staff and holds an important position on the Recall. Although study has been his primary aim during his high school career, he has never let it obscure his vision of the other sides of life at Western He is well deserving of the honor of valedictorian and the corps of cadets wishes him the best of luck in his future undertakings. THE SALUTATORIAN The second highest man in the academic department is Cadet Captain Robert C. Win- kelmeyer. Bob ' s average has been constantly high this year, and he gave Banks a close run for valedictorian. However, his marks were not quite high enough and so to him fell the honor of salutatorian. Bob has been very active this year in athletics. He swam on the championship swim- ming team and is a runner on the track team. His abilities do not stop at this, for Winkel- meyer is one of the military leaders pf the school — being captain of A Company. THE HONOR GRADUATE One of the highest honors that can be bestowed upon any member of the graduating class at Western is that of Honor Graduate. Cadet Major Nathaniel D. Ewing has been given that honor this year and there is no one in the corps more deserving than he. Ewing is the only cadet in the history of the school to hold the office of Private First Class while still in grade school. Since then his military career has been remark- able, and finally, in his senior year, he received the highest office attain- able at Western — that of Cadet Major. Ewing ' s scope of activities is one of the most remarkable things about his career at Western, as he has been connected with many of the organizations in the school. He will wear this laurel well, and may he consider it one of the finest he has won in his long career at Western. Page Twenty-seven

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★ THE RECALL. 1934 ★ The Upper Tens SILVER SCHOLARSHIP MEDAL WINNERS Upper Ten” for First Semester Year 1933-34 FEBRUARY, 1934 GOLD SCHOLARSHIP MEDAL WINNERS JUNE, 1933 (1) Banks. Winkel- (6) Cutler, Pope, Sny- (1) Banks (6) Bilgere meyer der, Rulkoetter (2) Pope (7) Ellinwood (2) Drell (7) Anixter, E. (3) McCroskey (8) Burrows, Young, T. (3) Schippers (8) Anixter, A (4) Baumgartner (9) Rulkoetter (4) Baumgartner (9) North (5) Cutler (10) Snyder (5) McCroskey, Tick (10) Rush GRAMMAR SCHOOL (Honorable Mention) GRAMMAR SCHOOL (Honorable Mention) Handlan Castles Allen Peet WINNERS OF ACADEMIC A s HONOR GRADES— 85 AND ABOVE FIRST SEMESTER ENDING FEBRUARY 3rd, 1934 Arvey, H. Brown, W. Ellis, J. Knapp Rosenblatt Anixter, A. Burrows Ewing Latham, J. Rothstein Anixter, E. Castles Handlan McCroskey Rulkoetter Banks Cox, H. Henderson, G. North Rush Baumgartner Cutler Humphreys Pope Schenberg Bergesch Drell Keith Roberts Schippers MEN HAVING 100 IN DEPORTMENT A Cohen H M Abrams Handlan Miller, J. Anixter A. Coombs Hartkopf Morgan Anixter, E. Costello Henderson, G. Arvey, E. Henderson, J. P Arvey, H. B D Dischinger Drell J Jackson, R. Paullin Pope Barroll Jacobberger R Baumgartner E Johnston, F. Raithel Remmers Berg Bergesch Ellis, J. Ewing K Billstone, J. Kennedy Richmond Blives F Kevil Riesmeyer Bradley Ferguson Knapp Roberts Brichler Kundtz Roddy, R. Brown, W. Fowler Rothstein Brownell Burrows G Gibbons L Latham, J. Rush S C Granquist Me Sackett Castles Grant McCroskey Schippers Snyder Thogerson Tick Walker Walter Winkelmeyer Young Smith Snyder Streeper T Thogerson Tick V Von Hoffmann W Winkelmeyer Y Young, C. Page Twenty-six

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★ THE RECALL. 1934 ★ The Military Year of 19 34 Always, alter its great wars, and while still staggered by its loss in manhood and treasure, has this country resolved never to allow itself to become so helpless and fatuous as to be forced to pay such a price again. And always, as the wounds have healed and as life has become secure and uneventful, the demands for economy, the indifference of the undisturbed citizen, the cry of the extreme pacifist, and the machinations of the radical, have gradually, but surely, weakened the resolve born from the suffering of war. Military training in the land-grant colleges came into existence during the bloodiest days of the Civil War. The R. O. T. C.. as at present organized, originated in the Amended National Defense Act of 1920, and was one of the results of another lesson on the loss of life that can be expected under untrained leaders in war. The benefits of military education, as conducted in the schools and colleges of the United States, are twofold. First, the obvious and unmeasureable benefits to the nation of a great reserve of trained potential military leaders, ready to step into their proper places if their services are required. Secondly, the physical, mental, and moral benefit to the individual himself incident to properly directed military training. We are witnessing, daily, the passage from active life, of the World War officers and men, many of whom are no longer capable of strenuous field service. In a very few years, all of these men, who since the war have been a great potential factor of National Defense, will have entirely ceased to be available for any such purpose. Our little regular army in case of war, will furnish a certain proportion of higher commanders and gen- eral staff officers for the enormous citizen army that must be put into the field, but in general its powers will be taxed to the utmost to take care of its now hasty expansion to war-strength, and the company and platoon commanders of the emergency army must come mainly from some other source. Where then, can the Government secure the leaders who will be largely responsible for the safety of the nation and the lives of millions of its sons? There is only one possible answer. The R. O. T. C. graduates of our schools and colleges, young men of certified character and military qualifications, young men who should develop into civil leaders as well as military commanders, must assume the responsibility passed on to them by our veterans. Student military training does not involve a sacrifice for the public good without return to the indi- vidual. It has a positive educational value for each student. Our most eminent educators have agreed that aside from its physical benefits, time devoted to military studies in the R. O. T. C. is fully entitled to credit in the general scheme of mental culture. A questionnaire as to the value of military education in their institutions, was recently sent by the Research Organization on Military Training to the head of every college and university having compulsory or voluntary military courses. Almost without exception, these leaders of the educational world were enthusiastic in their praise of the results of this training. What then are the personal benefits from military training that 98 per cent of the R. O. T. C. graduates value so highly? Without quoting, or drawing from the idea of others, I can only tell you what four years of this training has meant to me. It has taught me the essentials of leadership, self-confidence in my powers to control and command, and the ability to handle others in varying situations. In this respect it has taught me that real and vital leader- ship must not be based entirely on official prerogatives of rank or position, but rather on personality, force of character, sincerity of purpose, and personal interest in those whom you would lead. It has developed the spirit of co-operation, loyalty, self-control, courtesy, and reasonable and understand- ing obedience. It has taught me orderliness, neatness, physical and mental alertness, precision, and a feeling of responsibility for my own acts and the acts of those entrusted to my guidance. It has trained me to estimate a situation and make a prompt and definite decision. It has shown me the value of organization and how to successfully work within an organization. It has developed me physically and co-ordinated my mental and physical processes. In this respect it is interesting to note that at Western the uniforms for the new boys are not ordered until they have been at school for some time. So great is the physical improvement of the average boy that his measurements taken on arrival at school would be entirely inadequate one month later. Military education has taught me to do a job at the right time, in the right way, and in an efficient manner and that excuses for failure are a waste of time and effort. It has made me familiar with the true military history of our country and the policies, or lack of policies, that have governed our military forces. It has given me in addition to my knowledge of purely military matters, a large amount of general information that I might not otherwise have acquired, as for instance, in the study of hygiene and sanitation, first aid to the injured, map making and reading, law and court procedure, the elements of engineering, administration and the obligations of citizenship. And finally, but not least, it has aroused in me a spirit of practical patriotism, respect for, and pride in, our flag and country, and a readiness to serve them in time of need, whether the need comes with war, or in the sometime greater needs of peace. Page Twenty-eight