Western Military Academy - Recall Yearbook (Alton, IL)

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om a» Science

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As we lie under the shade of the old apple tree thinking of Western, we can hardly be- lieve that the 6028 hours of our senior year have already ended. It hardly seems fair that this year, to which we looked forward for so long, should have passed so rapidly. As we think back on the crowded weeks, we can easily see what little time we had to stop and think of the flying hours. Strange as it may seem, our new grading system has bee n one of the chief reasons that the time seemed to pass so rapidly. Now we receive grades in alternate four and five-week periods, instead of the six-week periods we had had heretofore. This is just one of the many changes that Major Pers- ing, our new principal, has brought into our school year. As he is one of the leaders in progressive education, it is only natural that he introduce new ideas to the cadets and faculty. Major Chester L. Persing: Come in! Those cadets who expect to go to col- lege had better be getting their applica- tions in for the college they hope to attend. At the soonest possible date! We seniors have heard this speech many times and are ever grateful for the help he has given us in choosing a college in which we could be both happy and successful. His earnest en- thusiasm is not confined to helping the sen- iors, but extends to the underclassmen as well. One of his most helpful suggestions was the evening conference about vocations between successful business men and us cadets. Let ' s see, what else has he done? There is so much that I can ' t name everything . . . guess I ' ll just lie here and rest a little longer. Of course that — $t — bugle is bound to blow now! And me only half dressed. As I dash down the front steps, tucking in my shirt tail, I keep a watchful eye on Captain Thomas, only to discover that he is watch- ing me equally as close. With these same Captain Carl A. Thomas, friend of all cadets keen eyes he has watched the development of B Company, which has been under his supervision for many years. Throughout his fifteen years as tactical officer at Western he has instructed every military class offered by Western. According to our crude calcu- lations, he has corrected 6,600 military test papers. Nice job, eh? However, it is not wholly on account of his military work that we remember him, but we also think of him as the quiet, unassuming friend of all cadets. After the report, Captain Thomas in his sharp voice orders, Two steps backward — MARCH! and Squads right — MARCH! In a few moments we find ourselves comfort- — 25 —