Western Military Academy - Recall Yearbook (Alton, IL)

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directs and plays the violin simultaneously. At 10:30 our siege of military work begins. For thirty minutes we pour over our R.O.T.C. manuals — or do we? After we have been dismissed and have spent three whole min- utes of leisure, drill call echoes and re-echoes in our ears. As Assembly ' ' sounds, we take our seats in the front room of the basement of C barrack. Thusly . . . Needless to say, we are in Sergeant Pigg ' s military sophomore class. This industrious tactical officer of A Com- pany came to us two years ago from Jeffer- son Barracks, and during this time he has fulfilled his duties with untiring diligence. Sergeant Warren Pigg — Inspection arms! Whenever we wait for our rifles to be fixed, we are not surprised to note that, with his infatuation for neatness, he keeps the armory in spic and span condition. Speak- ing of rifles, naturally we remember that it is the Sergeant who is responsible for the crack rifle team which Western has had for the past two years. However, this sport alone does not occupy all his free time, for he devotes much energy to aiding the foot- ball team and coaching the wrestling and boxing squads. At 7:45 in the evening, the bugle orders those unfortunate underclassmen who did not succeed in making a three-point average to an hour and a quarter of study in the school- room. Although all of us seniors do not meet this requirement, all but a few, mentioning no names, are allowed to spend this time working in our rooms. The less energetic fellows find Major Wilk- inson as Officer in Charge, ready to super- Major Robert E. Wilkinson: Ah . . . Mistah Glazah! vise them in their studies. We can always depend on him to help us out of a tough spot with his generous and cheerful assistance. Have you ever heard, Class . . . Thank you, Mr. ? This little expression imme- diately makes us think of his math classes, which he has capably instructed for thirty- seven years. His sporting spirit is carried on to the athletic field, where his attendance is a noticeable feature at all contests. Wednesday morning we stumble out of bed. Oh-h-h-h, what ' s that pain? Shouldn ' t have eaten that 10:30 hunk of salami! Not •28 —

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down to the science rooms in the basement of E barrack. As we lug our books to the bottom of the stairs, we — Look out! you ' ll step on Butch! No, it ' s not dwarfs, that ' s just one of Captain Schrantz ' s pet guinea pigs. Now that we ' re here, it won ' t take long for Captain to corner them. Call goes, class begins, and Captain Schrantz starts the discussion with, Well, today we ' ll take up ... His congenial Captain George F. Schrantz: Well, it ' s this way . . and interesting methods of instruction offer a real incentive for his students to work. Although he asks over 18,500 questions a year, he reserves ample time to explain each subject adequately. His interest in the cadets extends beyond the classroom. We seldom attend an athletic contest without noticing the familiar figure of Captain Schrantz on the sidelines. He is and always will be a favorite with the cadets and faculty. At 3:20 it is with great relief that we lay aside our school work and hurry out for two full hours of baseball practice — sigh! sigh! After this strenuous exercise, and after a hard evening of studying, we are ready to hit the hay at 9:30. What ' s this? Why is mess call going so early? It ' s only twenty to seven . . . Oh, yes, it ' s time for dear old calisthenics. Well, we ' re out on time today, and look, Captai n — er, er, we mean Major — Moore notices it. Keep forgetting that well- deserved promotion this spring! Major Moore, who received his first military train- Major Charles H. Moore: Hold it down, there! ing as a cadet at Western, is assistant com- mandant. And doesn ' t the sight of this ener- getic man bring back the memory of the science classroom when, around I 1 :20, we heard the familiar, It ' s a fact, you ' ll find a turtle in every class . . . , and we knew that it was the tactical officer of C Company instructing the junior military class? His knowledge of weapons is not limited to the classroom, as is shown by his efficient spon- sorship of all outdoor shooting. Subtle humor and genuine enthusiasm are his dominant characteristics. From formation on the company street, we march onto the upper field, where we all indulge in early morning set ups . When mess call goes, a few minutes later, we are ready to devour everything in sight. At eight o’clock we reluctantly climb the three flights of stairs to the music room in C barrack. We hesitate before entering, for we know how sour our playing will sound, as we have not touched a key since our last lesson. Gathering up courage, we throw open the door. Soon we are put at ease, for Mrs. Porter, with her characteristic smile, assures us that just this once she will take into consideration the busy weekend which we have had. We receive individual instruc- tion in music from this proficient lady, who also devotes many of her evenings to the direction of the school orchestra. In this she kills two birds with one stone, for she — 27 —

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hesitating long, we falter down the company street to that little office in C barrack. Hopefully we knock on that door and hear immediately the sharp Come in. After a little questioning, Major Henderson grants us permission to visit the hospital. Major Frank N. Henderson: Well? It is seldom that a staller is able to pull a fast one on the Major, for he him- self was once a cadet here and therefore knows all the tricks. As commandant, he is strict, but his witty manner and cheerful disposition make it a pleasure to obey all his commands. It is a simple matter to hit the Major ' s soft spot by just asking him about his splendid collection of guns, but don ' t think that by so doing you will be shov n any partiality. The Major shows fav- oritism to no one. After leaving the Major ' s office, we pro- ceed to the hospital on the third floor of the Administration building. The prospect of spending a morning in the hospital does not bother us in the least, for not only will we get out of school, but we will also have the advantage of the expert care of Miss Burns and Mrs. Wilson. As we hurriedly turn the corner in the hall, we bump smack into Miss Burns and knock her tray of medi- cines to the floor. Thank heavens nothing is broken, and Miss Burns passes off the acci- dent with her usual good humor. After we are in bed, she comes in to give us a pink pill and to take our temperature. Did a patient ever come up here but what he got these two things? Though Miss Burns has been at Western only one year, her kind care Miss Grace Burns: You must not visit the sick rooms. of all cadets has already won her many friends. In a few minutes after she has left, Mrs. Wilson comes in, carrying our breakfast. Mrs. Anna Wilson — Hello, Mom. It is to Mom that we come when we feel put out with everything, for she is really a second mother, not just a nurse. She under- stands all our needs. During her twelve years here she has never once failed to be on hand when she was needed. If she should leave, we would all keenly miss her wonder- ful care. At 10:30 Dr. McCuistion, the school phy- sician, comes to make his usual morning tour of the hospital. He convinces us that our little stomach ache is not appendicitis or a cancer, as we had made ourselves be- — 29 —