Western Military Academy - Recall Yearbook (Alton, IL)

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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 —

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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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lieve. His experience as a cadet at Virginia Military Institute has given him a clear un- derstanding of boys. The application of his splendid medical knowledge has pulled many a cadet out of a critical spot. Dr. H. P. McCuistion: Let ' s look at it. We spend the rest of the morning read- ing — unless we are able to slip out of our room without being caught and visit some other patient. After dinner Miss Burns tells us that we are well enough to leave so, despite all our pleading, we must depart. At 2:00 o ' clock we sadly watch the other cadets go up town for an afternoon show. Of course we can ' t go, for no cadet is allowed to leave the campus within twenty- four hours after he has been in the hospital. But on second thought, our fate isn’t so bad, after all, for there are many pleasant ways to pass the afternoon, such as pool, bowling or swimming. Just as we settle down to study in the evening, a cadet informs us that we are wanted on the phone in Major Latham’s office. Entering the office, we find Major Latham intent upon his work. In his quiet, pleasant manner, he greets us and then leaves the phone at our disposal. This ver- satile man, who is a former major league pitcher and who was once the head of Wentworth and Gulf Coast Military Acad- emies, is now our assistant superintendent. Yet another mental picture of him is in the Q.M., dealing with athletic equipment. His interest in boys and athletics more than qualifies this considerate officer for his ad- ditional responsibilities as athletic director. Boy, how quickly the time flies when spent pleasantly! We ' ve just finished our phone call, and there ' s only a half hour of study Major Rex K. Latham, busy administrator period left. Well, there ' s no use wasting this half hour, so let ' s just go back to the barracks for a good bull session until taps. What a lousy morning! By the way, what morning is this? Oh, Thursday. I surely didn ' t get much sleep last night, with all that thunder and lightning. Thought my roommate never would get up and close that window! Major H. E. Suhre: Cash, please! Immediately after breakfast we dash through the rain down to the Q.M. and dive