1942

1942

by Rufus McClure

Lieutenant Lyons was the first of thirteen cadets who would make the supreme sacrifice in WWII. Four more would lose their lives in the Korean War and three more in Vietnam.

He is certainly a handsome soldier.

Colonel Ligon has now been promoted to academic head , Principal, a position he will retain until his retirement in 1953.

Captain Mark M. Bradley appears here for the first time.

He will later become Major Bradley and Commandant during the war. After the war, he became director of admissions and basket ball coach, and he was responsible for many other administrative routines.

His basket ball team won the state title in 1952.

Lieutenant William (Johnny) Davis begins his outstanding career at Bolles. He is a much revered commandant of cadets and math teacher and a very successful coach, primarily boxing. He departed Bolles for the Korean War. Following his discharge, he returned to Jacksonville, but he chose to finish out his career in the public schools.

To our knowledge, The Reverend Wilder was the first person ever designated school Chaplain. Little else is known about him except that his tenure was short-lived.

Although two or three other individuals are sometimes addressed as chaplain at various times, the school never had a full-time chaplain.

Cornell died while serving in the navy during the war.

We think Hartman died during the war.

Major Lester Varn is the younger brother of George Varn, who was Battalion Commander in 1938, thereby becoming the first of two pairs of brothers in the history of the school to be so honored.

He writes that his most vivid memory was standing on the parade ground on a chilly December 7, 1941, when Major Hooker announced that Pearl Harbor had just been attacked. Both brothers would go on to serve with distinction in the war; and both would establish Family traditions at Bolles.

Each has sons and grandchildren who have attended the school. In fact, the name appears on the roster for 2010.

I can’t tell what the sign in the middle says, but this is the exact spot where the Class of 1952 will erect the War Memorial, discussed later.

Many in this picture will be heading off to war in the very near future.

Here for the first time the boxers are called a team.

A View of downtown from the Main Street Bridge. A parking garage now occupies the Respress corner in the center