12 Pages Vol. 16, No. 3 November 2002

MMA’s 37th Anniversary Weekend a SuccessDespite the RainEven the threat of rain couldn’t keep away

the nearly one thousand family membersand friends from showing up for the manyevents that make up the Academy’s annual An-niversary Ball Weekend, November 1-3. The weekend honored not only the 37th an-niversary of the founding of the Marine Mili-tary Academy, but also the 227th birthday ofthe United States Marine Corps, a revered oc-casion for Marines everywhere. Parents first arrived on Thursday evening,hoping to cheer on to victory the FightingLeathernecks at the pep rally scheduled atBowman Stadium. However, after manymonths of dry conditions in the Valley, MotherNature decided the Valley needed some rain,thus the pep rally was cancelled. The rain didn’t seem to stop many of theHalloween celebrations held that evening inmany of the barracks. Fajitas and sausagescooking on grills could be smelled across thecampus, as could steaming pots of jambalaya,direct from Paul Prudhomme’s restaurant inNew Orleans.

The next morning began with anawards ceremony at Yeckel Hall, present-ing the Cadet of the Month Awards (seepage 4) and the Battalion CompetitionAwards. These awards are divided intothree parts: Academics, Military andAthletics. The winning companies re-ceive colorful streamers, which are thenadded to their guidon. The companywhich has the highest points overall isalso presented the Gold Guidon, whichreplaces their traditional red guidon. The Academic streamer, which isawarded to the company that had thehighest number of cadets on thePresident’s and Dean’s List, the highestnumber of cadets passing all subjects, thelowest number of cadets below 2.0 andthe lowest number of cadets with any

failures, was awarded to Golf Company. The Military streamer, awarded to the com-pany that best performed in the pass in review,weekly uniform and barracks inspection and drillcompetition was presented to Fox Company. Delta Company was presented with the Ath-letic streamer. This award is given to the com-pany that had the highest overall youth physicalfitness score. The winner of the Battalion Competition andthe Gold Guidon award went to Golf Company. Afterwards, the parents spent the morningmeeting with teachers and drill instructors, be-fore departing the campus with their sons thatafternoon. The football game that night inBrownsville against St Joseph’s, althougha little wet, was a hard-fought game, withthe Leathernecks coming up a winner 33 -21. Saturday morning, cadets, parents andfriends woke to heavy rains, canceling the pa-

continued on page 12

GOLF COMPANY Commander DiegoMedina (center) accepts the Gold Guidonfrom (l-r) Battalion Staff Brandon Pinaand Miguel Ancira.

MajGen Wayne E. Rollings, Guest of Honor Maj Robert Scott and Battalion CommanderCadet LtCol Louis Harrington salute the colors during Birthday Ball celebrations

H I K EHiring and retaining the best forcadet educationIncreasing opportunities for scholar-shipsKeeping an aesthetic living andlearning environmentEquipping the Academy with themost up-to-date resources

The Annual Fund helps bridge the gapbetween tuition revenue and the actualcost of the operating budget. Sourcesfor this fund are the donationsreceived from friends of the Academy.These gifts provide the extras that areso important in the life of cadets.

MMA LEADERPublished monthly by the

MMA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE320 Iwo Jima Blvd.

Harlingen, Tx. 78550(956) 423-6006, ext. 235

Web Site http://www.mma-tx.orgEmail address: farris@mma-tx.orgPUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER

Robin Ewbank Farris

PAO SECRETARYConnie G. Flores

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TTTTTAPSAPSAPSAPSAPS

The Academy wishes to express itsprofound sympathy to GySgt and

Mrs. Larry Wisnoski and Mr. and Mrs.Dean Bean, both longtime members ofthe MMA fami ly. Both fami l iesrecently lost a son. Christian Wisnoski graduated fromthe Marine Military Academy in 1986and was l iv ing in Aus t in , Texasworking as an accomplished musician.He passed away on October 17, 2002as a result of a seizure. Wisnoski is survived by his parents;longtime companion Nita Tribble ofLlano,Texas; sisters Norma (Nassar)Zangbar of Corpus Christi, Texas andLisette A. Wisnoski (Alex Rosales) ofHarlingen; brother Stefan A. Wisnoskiof Charlotte, North Carolina. He isalso survived by several nieces andnephews. Christian is preceded in death byhis brother “Little Joe” Moreno andGrandmother Rebecca R. Solis. Mass of Christian burial was heldon October 21, 2002 at Our Lady Mt.Carmel Catholic Church in Portland,Texas. Michael Bean, son of the School ofLeadership secretary Barbara Bean and

Cadet Spencer Receives Prestigous General Megee AwardOne of the most prestigious awards a ca-

det can receive, the General Vernon E.Megee award, was presented to Cadet Cap-tain Jared B. Spencer of New Orleans,Louisiana. Spencer, the son of Mr. and Mrs. LuciusClay Spencer, III, is a senior cadet at theAcademy, Company Commander of DeltaCompany, a member of Boy Scout Troop32, a HOST volunteer and a member of theRotary Interact Club. He is also on theFighting Leathernecks football team. The Megee Award is presented each yearto a senior cadet officer who participatessignificantly in sports or extracurricularactivities, possesses commendable conductand typifies the kind of cadet that best rep-resents the Marine Military Academy. The award is named for General VernonE. Megee, the first superintendent and long-

time trustee ofthe Academy,who during his40-year MarineCorps career,rose from pri-vate to AssistantCommandant ofthe MarineCorps. Cadet Cap-tain Spencerwould like to at-tend the UnitedStates NavalAcademy in An-napolis, Mary-land or StanfordUniversity inPalo Alto, Cali-fornia and majorin engineering.

Cadet Captain Jared B. Spencer (r), a senior from New Orleans,Louisiana, receives the General Vernon Megee Award from MajorGeneral Wayne E. Rollings, USMC (Ret) and President of the Academy.Assisting in the presentation is (l) cadet Andre Toce, Jr.

her husband, Mike , passed away inSan Antonio on November 4, due tocompl ica t ions fo l lowing a l ivertransplant. Bean was employed withFederal Express as a courier. He wasalso a US Navy veteran, a MasterMason, an Eagle Scout and was anav id spor t sman , hunte r andfisherman. Bean is survived by his parents;his wife, Leslie and his two children,Danie l le and Ryan , Har l ingen ,Texas; sister, Nancy Higginbotham,Louisv i l l e , Miss i s s ipp i ;g randmothers Hat t i e Lewis o fGroesbeck , Texas and Vio le tHigginbotham of Pres ton ,Mississippi. Funeral services were held atPorter Funeral Home in Louisville,Mississippi on Saturday, November9, 2002. Interment fol lowed atJacksonfield Cemetery. “Our thoughts and prayers arewith both families during their timeof sorrow and loss,” stated ChaplainLeo McDonald, USN (Ret), Directorof Planned Giving.

Information Availablefor Scholarship Assis-tance for 2003-2004School Year

Marine Military Academy awards finan- cial assistance to returning cadets onan annual basis. The number of applica-tions and amount of financial assistance re-quested each year is far greater than thescholarship fund. Thus the cadet must com-pete for scholarships based on his perfor-mance and the family’s ability to pay.

The largest single factor consideredin the cadet’s performance is his GPA, whichmust be at least 2.5 for the spring semesterand at least a 3.0 cumulative MMA GPA.Other factors such as conduct, military lead-ership and participation in extracurricularactivities are also considered.

To request an application, pleasecontact: Institutional Advancement Depart-ment (Attention Scholarship Committee).Marine Military Academy, 320 Iwo JimaBlvd., Harlingen, TX. 78550. If you haveany questions, you may call Veronica Yznagaat (956) 423-6006 ext. 231. An applicationwill be forwarded immediately and must becompleted and returned no later than 19May 2003. Recipients of financial assistancewill be notified by 7 June 2003. As part ofthe application process you must providea copy of your 2002 federal income taxreturn (including copies of W-2 forms) oryour application will not be considered.Your cadet must be re-enrolled for theAcademic year 2003-2004 before theScholarship Committee meets in May2003. Applications received after 19 May2003 will not be considered.

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Cadets Honor Our Veterans

during Veterans Day Parade

On November 11, 2002, the cadets of the Marine Military Academy paid specialhonor and tribute to area veterans during their annual Veterans Day Parade.

Moving performances were made by the MMA Band, playing such patriotictunes as Stars and Stripes Forever, America the Beautiful and God Bless America.Cadet Alan Holt serves as the Drum Major. Additionally, the Silent Drill Team performed several maneuvers, showcasingtheir abilities to perform complicated drill movements. They were led by Cadet2ndLt Brian Brickles, the Drill Team Commander. Marching infront of the IwoJima Monument,close to 400 youngmen, in their dressblues paid tributeto all veterans..past, present andfuture. During the passin review, theapproximate 120veterans inattendance wereasked to step outonto the paradedeck and berecognized. Several veteranscommented thatthey were very happy to be at the parade, and noted that they thought September11 had brought about a new feeling of patriotism across the nation. In 1954, President Dwight Eisenhower signed a bill proclaiming November 11as Armistice Day, now known as Veterans Day. However, a law was passed in1968, changing the day to the fourth Monday in October, but in 1978 Congressreturned the observance to its traditional date. The Academy is proud to express its gratitude to all veterans who have sacrificedso much for this country.

Cadet Drum Major Alan Holt leads the Marine Military Academy Marching band inthe pass in review during the Veterans Day Parade. Approximately 120 veteranswere in attendance.

ImportantDates

Gen H.M. Smith Dinner -February 14, 2003

Gen H.M. Smith Parade -February 15, 2003

Battle of Iwo Jima Parade -February 19, 2003

Each month a cadet is selected from each company, from the band and from the drill team, to be recognized for theiroutstanding attitude, conduct and performance. Below are the selections for October with a comment from their DrillInstructor or activity coordinator.

“Those selected are to be commended for their outstanding performance.” - Col. James Gillis, USMC (Ret) Commandant of Cadets

Cadets ofCadets ofCadets ofCadets ofCadets of the Month f the Month f the Month f the Month f the Month for Octoberor Octoberor Octoberor Octoberor October

Alpha CompanyCHRISTOPHER THOMAS

MOONEYHAMJunior - Arlington, TX

“He has made great strides asa cadet. He has really come to

the fore as a leader who isrespected by his peers, superi-ors and juniors.” - CWO3 Ed

Harris, USMC (Ret)

Charlie CompanyGEORGE ADAM

GILLESSophomore - Harlingen, Tx“He is a mature, intelligentand dedicated cadet. He is

always willing to helpothers. Performs as if he

has been an MMA cadet foryears instead of months.” -

SgtMaj Al Szczepek

USMC (Ret)

Delta CompanyROBERT CHARLESHOUSERJunior - Phoenix, AZ“Houser has demonstratedoutstanding potential and hasperformed his duties as a cadetin an excellent manner. He hasa ‘can do’ attitude and anunselfish work ethic.” -SgtMaj Larry Carson,

USMC (Ret)

Echo CompanyDANIEL LORENZOCONNORSenior - Gales Ferry, CT“Cadet Corporal Connor hasimproved 100% from lastschool year. He has devel-oped himself into an overalloutstanding leader.” -GySgt Kosta Maravelias

USMC (Ret)

Fox CompanyJAN SALMAN

CRISTOBALSenior - MexicoCity

“He has the ability to get anyjob done with enthusiasm. He

is caring of the cadets in hisplatoon. He is trustworthy and

honest, with an outstandingacademic record.” - 1stSgt

Alvin Thomas, USMC (Ret)

Golf CompanyCARL JUSTIN

FOSTERSophomore - Arlington, Tx

“Cadet Foster is a first-yearcadet; he hit the ground

running and has not stopped.This cadet is the future of

MMA.” - SgtMaj Albert

Wilson, USMC (Ret)

BandsmanEDWIN JAMES COMBS,JR.Sophomore - Chicago, IL“Jimmy is a very talented,driven, dedicated and loyalmember of the band. He isalways prepared and performsflawlessly. He is sure to be aleader in the band in years tocome.” - CWO3 Ed Harris,

USMC (Ret)

Drill Team/Color GuardLELAND OPERACZSophomore - RedondoBeach, CA“He has outstanding growthpotential as a leader. Hehas been selected to lead theDrill Team as the actingDrill Team Commander inour 1st competition.” -GySgt Kosta Maravelias,

USMC (Ret)

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Editor’s Note – Mr. and Mrs. ManuelBarba are the parents of two former cadets,Manuel (class of ’99) and Jeronimo (classof ’01), and current senior cadet Cesar,the Battalion Staff Operations/TrainingOfficer (S-3). The family lives in MexicoCity, where Mr. Barba is a physicist andMrs. Barba is a dentist. They have beenactive members of MMA’s ParentsOrganization and outspoken advocates forthe Marine Military Academy.

Leader: When did you fist learn aboutthe Marine Military Academy?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: The first time weheard about MMA was in 1993 when mytwo sons, Manuel and Jeronimo, attendedESL Summer Camp when they were 12 and11 years old. That was the last ESL fromthose years.

Leader: There are lots of other privateschools located closer to your home inMexico City. What made you decided onMMA?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: It was an option thatwe had because of the discipline, theleadership, and the ability to attend amilitary school that gave them an optionfor learning English. That was the mainreason we looked at MMA, to learn English.The boys had good results from the ESLprogram; and, from that point on, we wantedthem to continue their studies at MMA.

Leader: What were your expectations ofthe Academy and were they achieved withManuel and Jeronimo? Are you seeingthem with Cesar?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: Right now we haveour son, Cesar, at the Academy, but Manueland Jeronimo have already graduated fromthere, and we got the results that we werelooking for from them. They had positiveresults in areas of discipline, leadership andconfidence. They have learned to be inde-pendent, not to depend on others and theirstudies were outstanding. All these thingsthat they learned at MMA helped them togo through life, and we hope we get thesame results from Cesar.

Leader: What changes have you seen inyour two older boys? What about Cesar?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: The changes werenotorious. The first thing we noticed waswhen they came back to Mexico they werenot shy anymore and they were indepen-dent. The second thing we noticed was thediscipline and the order they learned. Theorder in life, in school and the confidencethat they got from being at MMA…. it isvery necessary to be successful in life andwe hope that for Cesar, and so far, we areseeing that in him.

Leader: To other parents looking atMMA, what advice or information wouldyou tell them?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: First of all, we wouldtell them about the results that we got inour own sons and then tell them about theAcademy. The leadership, the confidenceand the sports available to their sons…that

those things are very important, because inthese times, young people can go really easyin to the way of drugs, alcohol, and all thethings that can destroy people. Also, wewould tell them about the things that theschool has to offer… that is from the mili-tary courses, the outdoor activities like theCOPE course and rappelling tower, to theacademics, the labs, the class room, the classperiod almost personalized because theclasses are small and the teacher knows allthe students and that is a thing that inMexico we do not have, nor do I think theyhave in the States, because the classes arebig and the teachers are not able to controlall his students. That is a really importantaspect about the Academy, because there,the teachers have control of the students.

Leader: Anything else you would like tosay?

Mr. and Mrs. Barba: We think it is theright place to be for most boys, because ofthe school and the things that we alreadysaid. One thing people that live in andaround Mexico City like us should know isthat it is around 2200 meters above sea leveland the air is thin there, as well as a lot ofpollution, but in Harlingen, which is justabout at sea level, the air is clean…the boyswill also benefit from that…. the exerciseand the studies in that atmosphere will bemuch clearer. We really think this is a goodplace and they have great facilities and thatit is geographically in an ideal place to studyand to grow up in.

WWWWWhahahahahat MMA Means to Me - t MMA Means to Me - t MMA Means to Me - t MMA Means to Me - t MMA Means to Me - MrMrMrMrMr..... and Mr and Mr and Mr and Mr and Mrsssss..... Man Man Man Man Manuel Barbauel Barbauel Barbauel Barbauel Barba

THE BARBAFAMILY, (l-r)sons Jeronimoand Cesar,d a u g h t e rDenise, Mr.and Mrs.Manuel Barbaand oldest sonManuel.

CESAR BARBA, a senior fromMexico, is the Cadet BattalionEducation and Training Officer.

BirBirBirBirBirttttthdahdahdahdahday Ball 2002y Ball 2002y Ball 2002y Ball 2002y Ball 20021.

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1. Fox Company celebrated Halloween and Parents Weekend with a barbeque and pinata infront of the Cadet Activity Center. 2. Classroom visitation gave parents, family and friends achance to see what their cadet was learning about and also a chance to visit with the teachers.3. Despite rainy conditions, many Leatherneck fans turned out to cheer on their favorite footballplayer. 4. Cadets (l-r) Andrew Winney, Clayton Duncan and Sean Darby are ready to go toKing Gym for an evening of dancing. 5. Commandant of Cadets James Gillis, USMC (Ret)adjust the collar on cadet Emmanuel Hawkins’ dress blues. 6. One of the traditions duringBirthday is the Mother/Son dance. It is always the first dance of the evening. Dancing with hismother is cadet Dane Sylvest, II of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. 7. Members of the Battalion Staffbring in the birthday cake for the traditional cutting of the cake.

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SPORTS ROUND-UPMMA 40 - St Anthony - 6

Marine Military Academy ran its regular sea-son record to 5 wins and 1 loss on Friday

evening, October 11, with a 40-6 shellacking ofthe St. Anthony Yellowjackets from San Anto-nio. Defense and big plays played key roles theentire game. The first big play of the game was a 40-yardtouchdown toss from Parker Betts to JacobMayo for a 6-0 score - the extra point was nogood. The defense gave up one first down andthen forced the Yellowjackets to punt. With theball on the 35-yard line, Aaron Schriver bustedup the middle on a trap play for a 55-yard gain.After several plays, quarterback Parker Bettssneaked the ball over from 3 yards out for a 12-0score. The 2-point conversion was good to AdamPerry, 14 -0. After kicking off to St. Anthony, they drovethe ball down to the 19-yard line and tried a thirddown pass, only to be intercepted at the 4 yardline and returned 96 yards by Adam Perry for atouchdown!! Second Big Play!! 21-0. The thirdbig play came with only 40 seconds before thehalf when Betts threw a “quick out” pass to Perry,who broke one tackle and raced 84 yards for thefourth touchdown. In the third quarter, St. Anthony was threat-ening at MMA’s 21-yard line when MarcusWerner hit the ball carrier and Edward Barrerapicked it off in mid-air and lumbered 70 yards,only to be brought down at the 5-yard line. Twoplays later, Parker Betts found Jacob Mayo overthe middle on a 6-yard touchdown completion,making the score 33-0. The extra point attemptwas no good. The final touchdown of the evening was at theend of the third quarter when Adam Perry reversedhis field, picked up key blocks from Adam Gillesand Parker Betts and scored from 24 yards out.Final score - 40 to 6. For the game, the defense had 5 interceptionsand 2 fumble recoveries. Interceptions were madeby Adam Perry, Omeed Ghafarrian, ScottMiller and James Dulebohn. Edward Barrera was defensive MVP andAdam Perry was offensive MVP. Justin Stantonwas selected Special Teams Player with 9 indi-vidual tackles - 3 on kick-offs.

MMA 35 - Antonian College Prep - 21

The Leathernecks opened district play at homeon October 25, against Antonian College Prep

out of San Antonio. Emmanuel Hawkins scored four touchdownson runs of 31, 3, 7 and 4 yards. Parker Bettsaccounted for the fifth touchdown on a 2-yard

quarterback sneak. Oscar Guerrero wasa perfect five-for-five on extra-point at-tempts. Justin Stanton set up Hawkins’ sec-ond touchdown in the second quarter whenhe intercepted a pass at the 38-yard lineand returned it to the 3-yard line whereHawkins scored on the next play. Just be-fore halftime, Adam Perry ran a reversefrom mid-field and was brought down atthe 7-yard line to set up Emmanuel’s thirdtouchdown of the half - a 7-yard pitch offright tackle. Edward Barrera was voted MostValuable Player on defense for his perfor-mance on the night, while Hawkins wasoffensive Most Valuable Player. JasonBerry received the “pancake” award andOscar Guerrero was recognized for his“big hits” on special teams.

MMA 33 - St Joe, Brownsville - 21

On the Birthday Ball - Parents Weekend, the Leatherneck football team

played St. Joseph, Brownsville in a

T.A.P.P.S. district game. A win would se-cure a play-off berth for the “Necks.” The weather was wet and nasty and sowere the Bloodhounds as they took a 21-18halftime lead. With 59 seconds to go inthe first quarter, Parker Betts threw a 10-yard strike to Adam Perry to make thescore 6-0, point after was no good. St. Joe came right back and tied the scoreat 6-6. On the ensuing kick-off, Perry re-turned the ball to St. Joe’s 45-yard line andMMA pushed the ball down to the 11,where, once again, Betts hit Perry with aquick out - score 12-6, extra point no good. St. Joe scored mid-way in the secondquarter and kicked the extra point to makethe score 13 -12, St. Joe. With 3:13 to gobefore halftime, Aaron Schriver scoredfrom 1 yard out to give MMA an 18-13lead, but St. Joe scored with 24 seconds onthe clock and went for 2. The score was21-18, St. Joe. The Leathernecks came out fired-up forthe second half and out-scored St. Joe, 15-0 to win the game 33-21. Adam Perrycaught a 39-yard touchdown pass from

SENIORSB R A DMiller (69)and CoreyOwens (2)representthe teamfor the cointoss. MMAb e a tA n t o n i a n35-21.

QUARTERBACK PARKER Betts hands off to tailback Emmanuel Hawkins (33) duringa play against St Joseph - Brownsville. The Leathernecks beat the Bloodhounds 33-21.

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LEATHERNECK

BASKETBALL

December

ROUND-UP... CONTINUED

35-71012-1317

January

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February

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Soccer

The MMA swim team completed its dualmeet season at home recently in a tightlycontested meet against Los Fresnos andBrownsville Porter. The MMA swimmers defeated Porter inevery race and in the meet’s overallscoring, but Los Fresnos gave theLeatherneck swim team its biggest com-petition yet, outscoring MMA by a smallmargin. The MMA swim team’s dual meet recordis 6-2 as they enter their final threeinvitationals before they go to the qualify-ing meet for state in January 2003.

Swim Team

Betts and Oscar Guerrero kicked his onlypoint-after to give MMA a 25-21 lead. Withonly 3:15 to go in the game, EmmanuelHawkins scored from 11 yards out and Bettsfound Jacob Mayo across the middle for a 2point conversion. MMA 33- St. Joe 21! The entire defensive unit shut down St.Joe in the second half. They were: TylerFreeze, Edward Barrera, Brad Miller,Andy Aristazabal, Shawn Smith, JoshGasaway, Omeed Ghaffarian, AndrewWinney, Justin Stanton, Leo Dent, RyanSoqui and Jacob Mayo.

MMA 12 -Victoria St. Joe - 49

Playing for the District Championship,the Leathernecks knew that they would

have a battle on their hands. Victoria came into the game 9-0 andranked 6th in the State while MMA was 7-1 and ranked 10th. At the end of the first

QUARTERBACKP A R K E RB e t t sprepares tothrow towidereceiverRyan Soqui.

quarter, the score was Victoria -7 MMA -0.With less than one minute to go before halfand Victoria leading 23-0, the Flyers wereforced to punt. Adam Perry gathered theball at the 13-yard line and raced 87 yardsto “pay dirt.” Halftime score was 23-6,Victoria. The second half was pretty much thesame as the first. In the third quarter, St.Joe struck quick with a 67-yard trap andParker Betts was intercepted. EmmanuelHawkins scored from 4 yards out to make

the score 35-12, but the flyers proved to betoo much for the Necks! The Leathernecks total offensive perfor-mance was 297 yards, but the Flyers con-trolled the game with their running attack,passing only three times for 32 yards. MMA finished regular season play with7 wins and 2 losses, district play 2-1 anddistrict runner-up. The Leathernecks will play El Paso Ca-thedral on Saturday, November 16 (for bi-district) and it will be a day game.

Louis Harrington competes against a Los Fresnosswimmer during their recent swim meet.

JV/V @ Brownsville PorterCornerstone Tourney -VarsityV vs Corpus Christi MillerSharyland Tourney - VarsityJV/V vs Corpus Christi Carroll

JV/V @ Corpus Christi Carroll JV/V vs San Perlita*JV/V vs Laredo St Augustine*JV/V @ Antonian*JV/V @ St Joe - Victoria*JV/V @ St Joe - Brownsville JV/V @ San Perlita*JV/V @ Laredo St Augustine*JV/V vs Antonian

*JV/V vs St Joe - Victoria*JV/V vs St Joe - Brownsville

The soccer seasonofficially openedwith a gameagainst AntonianCollege Prep fromSan Antonio. TheLeathernecks lostto the Warriors,4-0.

Where are they now?Alumni News

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‘74Warren I. Drigger -driggerswi@11meu.usmc.mil LtCol,USMC, still out there with the 11th MarineExpeditionary Unit protecting our homefront, sent an interesting article from theBillings, Montana Gazette on RobertEddleman ’76 which follows.

‘76Robert Eddleman - Took a circuitous routeto law school, enrolling in law school inMissoula, Montana in 1991 at age 33, afterreceiving an English degree from RockyMountain College in Billings, Montana.Along the way he married and divorced, hastwo children, James, 9, and Emma, 5 whomhe describes as “the joy of my life.” With ayear of private practice under his belt, waselected Stillwater County prosecutor in1996. Entering the “real world” afterMMA, Robert is fond of saying “Onceyou’ve shucked oysters for a buck an hour,you know what it’s like to work hard.” Noaddress or e-mail but we’ll get it soon.

‘83Rob Roberson rmcsd@msn.com USNA’87 now a Major USMCR on active dutyfor the next eleven months. Living downin Orlando, FL after thirteen years in SanDiego, CA. Wife Maire and a six year oldson and two year old daughter.

‘84David Hitchcock - Checked in with us.dkhitch@earthlink.net 610 Kennon St.,Middletown, RI 02842.Home – 401-846-3053.

‘85Oscar Serna - Checked in with us.oserna@mcdermott.com 20830 FigurineCourt, Katy, TX 77450. Home – 281-398-7637; Work – 281-870-5879; FAX – 281-870-5402.

‘86Jay Love - jay.love@attbi.com Doing somesubstitute teaching and wishes he could callthe class to attention or hand out a few de-merits or weekend tours. Heading to Floridasoon with a view towards perhaps helpingmanage HSN.com’s website. Good LuckJay.

Tim Parkhurst - ParkhurstTA@mfr.usmc.mil Air DeliveryChief, 4th Air Deliver Platoon, San Jose, CA95112. Recently selected for Staff Sergeantand has orders to 3rd Recon Battalion inOkinawa. Thinks that perhaps TimRobinson ’86 has dropped off the face ofthe planet. Anyone heard from Robinson?

‘87Robert Monical - Checked in with us.sgtmon@msn.com 2013 Colt Drive, Stock-ton, CA 95209. Home – 209-473-4423;Work – 209-951-4771.

‘88Blane Moore - blanemoore@hotmail.comWorking with a Marine First Sergeant whoretired after 21 years of service. Blane iscurrently an executive bodyguard. Marriednow for six years to a young lady from Rus-sia whom he met while working there. Hasa four-year-old son and thinks that he’s tooeager to teach the youngster everything.Blane says that not a day goes by that hedoesn’t use what he saw, experienced andlearned at MMA. His grandfather, Mr.Blackie McClelland, a former WWII Ma-rine Raider told him at age 13 to “watch,learn and one day you’ll understand why Iwanted you at MMA.”

‘89Ernesto Becerra - Checked in with us.ebnoetzel@hotmail.com Roberto GarzaSada 101 Casa 8, Lomas del Valle, GarzaGarcia, NL, Nuevo Leon, 66256, Mexico.Home - 55 55 00 92; Work – 55 684 51 75.

‘90John Degeyter - Checked in with us.cobeikl@aol.com 237 N. College,Lafayette, LA 70506. Home – 337-268-9530; Work – 337-394-4801.

‘93Spencer Padgett -padgetts1@mbw.usmc.mil Captain,USMC recently assumed command of theUnited States Naval Academy Company,Marine Barracks, Washington, D.C.

‘94Michael Coleman - Checked in with us.Journeyman electrician, married with twodaughters. 1568 Clinton St., Aurora, CO800010. Home – 720-404-4288.

Mark Womack - Checked in with us.Mark_e_Womack@yahoo.com 102 S.Woodsway W., Conroe, TX 77301. Home – 936-441-5303.

‘96Omar Zermeno - Checked in with us.zero@ahua.com.mex Campillo #48, colcentro, Nogales, Sonora, 84000, Mexico.Home – 016 313 579 547; Work – 016 313579 547; FAX 016-313-125-030.

‘97Evan Battle - evanski_01@yahoo.com En-listed in U. S. Army and was a tank crew-man. Finally woke up in 2000 and appliedfor Warrant Officer Flight Training, sub-sequently completed the Warrant OfficerCandidate School at Fort Rucker and flightschool. Currently driving Apache helicop-ter and will be heading for Frankfurt, Ger-many next spring after completing a weap-ons systems school in Fort Eustis, VA.

2002 GRADUATE Nick Santillo speaks toseniors about the Merchant Marine Academy,the college he now attends.

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‘98Mark Williams - Checked in with us.mark@trixplicit.com 3621 Frankford Rd.,Dallas, TX 75287. Home – 972-662-7362;Work – 972-662-7045.

‘99Robert S. Gagnon - Checked in with us.rsgagn@sbcglobal.net 7008 Wooded AcresTrail, Mansfield, TX 76063. Home – 817-557-0656.

Arthur O’Shea, IV - Checked in with us.1501 Colony Drive, Irving, TX 75063.Home – 972-506-8767.

‘00Luis Huchrak - Checked in with us.luishuchrak@yahoo.com Monte Tauro221, Col. Lomas de Chapultepec, MexicoCity, Mexico City, 11000, Mexico. Home –0052-55 40 0506; FAX – 0052-55 40 0506.

Christopher McGee - Checked in with us.precalmagoo@hotmail.com 2712 LubbockSt. – A, Fort Worth, TX 76109. Work –817-723-5061.

Caleb Pritchard -cpritchard@austin.rr.com New mailing ad-dress is 3301 Speedway #204, Austin, TX78705. Also let us know that home is Texas,By God (Dallas, in fact) instead of Colo-rado.

‘01Cody Billeaudeau -cbilleaudeau@yahoo.com All is going well.Currently attending Norwich University andmajoring in Business Management. Under-went recruit training at Parris Island, SCabout three months ago and says it was dif-ficult but well worth it.

‘02Richard Martinez -martlinezr1@citadel.edu Checked in withus. MSC 1781, The Citadel Station, 171Moultrie St., Charleston, SC 29409. Home– 281-359-5923.

Raul Villarreal - rlv859369@yahoo.comChecked in with us. 15800 Chase HillBlvd., Apt 1908, San Antonio, TX 78256.Home – 210-699-8595.

From the Gunny

Sincere Thanks To all alumni andformer Cadets who attended the MMAAnniversary and Marine CorpsBirthday observance. Also thanks toOscar Garza ’73, down in Brownsville,for the phone call regarding “Who-What-When-Where-Why” photo. Heidentified himself as well as Rood;Gross; New; Johnson; O’Conner;Beasley; Sawyer & Dickerson. Seemsto think it was a 10th Anniversary thing.

About the special guest during BirthdayBall Major Robert Scott, USMC:

In looking at his accomplishments both hereat MMA and in the United States MarineCorps, I can think of only three courses ofinstruction Scott would ever fail:

If there a course of instruction thattaught non-integrity, he would fail.

If there were a course of instruction thattaught non-accountability, he would fail.

If there were a course of instruction thattaught irresponsibility, he would fail.

Still working on reunion 4, 5 and 6 April2003. If you attended last April, pleaselet us know what you think worked andwhat didn’t work. Any comments,recommendations, thoughts, ideas, etc.,are solicited. It’s a team effort.

GUILLERMOMONTEMAYOR(l-r) andManuelBarba catchup on thingsduringParentsWeekend2002.

SEAN DUBOSE (center), class of 2002, is shown with coaches and members attending theUnited States Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colorado. DuBose was one ofthe Academy’s outstanding participants in Judo.

MemorialsCalendar of EventsJanuary

4 Mid-Term Registration forNew Cadets

5 Mid-Term Registration forReturning Cadets

5-7 Military Orientation for Plebes6-7 Teacher In-Service Day8 Begin Third Quarter Classes31 Academic Awards Ceremony

February

1 Plebe Graduation14 H.M. Smith Foundation Dinner15 H.M. Smith Parade19 Iwo Jima Parade

rade, but giving the cadets a little more “sleep-in” time with their parents. The receptionand ball that evening was an occasion all cadetsand their families will long remember. Guestspeaker was ‘86 alumnus Major Robert RyanScott, USMC. Major Scott stated that integrity, bravery andcommittment were just a few of the values helearned while at the Marine Military Academy.He stated he took those values he learned withhim and they are the things that have made himsuccessful today. He encouraged the cadets to take advantageof the opportunities that the Academy providesthem.

Maj John H. Austin, USMC (Ret)Dr. James DuffBrigadier General E. Hunter Hurst

USMCMr. H.L. JamesLtGen John N. McLaughlin

USMC (Ret)Col John G. Metz, USMC (Ret)Mr. Allen R. RundellLtCol John L. Self, USMC (Ret)John S. SproattMr. Christian E. Wisnoski - Class

of 1986

In Honor Of:The Marriage of

SgtMaj Albert and Maryann Wilson

HATS OFF to Nick Lugo, one of our strong jun-iors, who made a 1560 on his October SAT. Hehad a 760 verbal and a perfect 800 math score!Both scores, obviously, were in the 99th percen-tile. We hope he did as well on the PSAT andwill be eligible for Merit Scholarship competi-tion, but that recognition is many months away.Congratulations to Nick for all his hard work. In Honor Of:

MSgt “Red” Shaul, USMC (Ret)

In Honor Of:Mrs. Patsy Johnson’s 74th Birthday

Many parents and cadets stated that they werevery impressed with Major Scott and his remarksmade that evening. A number of parents alsonoted that he was a great role model for theirsons. General Wayne E. Rollings performed thetraditional cake-cutting, presenting the firstpieces to Major Scott, to the oldest alumnuspresent, Mr. Harold Zurlo, class of ‘69, and toeleven-year-old Stephen Samuel Hays, theyoungest cadet present. Hays is the son of Mr.and Mrs. Stephen Hays of College Station, Texas.

About the speaker, Lori Murray, SAT Prepteacher remembered “Robert Scott was my stu-dent in freshman English my first year at MMA.

He was an enthusiastic and motivated studentwho learned to write without fragments, becauseeach one cost him five points off his test grade!I got to know him very well over the course ofthe next four years, watching him rise to Battal-ion Sergeant Major and then Battalion Com-mander, helping him with his college applica-tions (we didn’t have a college placement coun-selor at that time) and with his SAT prepara-tion.” She added “part of the Academy's appealto me as a teacher is that it fosters closeteacher-student relationships, and this has beenmy longest and most treasured one.”

Coach Robert Eric Schmitt

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Job Well Done!