The Blue Guidon The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Fall 2023
An Unwavering Commitment to Service & Leadership By Rush Taylor ’96
PHOTOS COURTESY OF DR. JESSE EHRENFELD
“I left PA feeling an incredible obligation to serve.” —Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96, Cmdr., USN (Ret.), MD, MPH USAF Lt. Col. Rush Taylor ’96, the new editor of The Blue Guidon, recently interviewed friend and classmate Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld about his non sibi spirit and how his time at Andover influenced his serving 10 years in the Navy, achieving tenure as a professor of anesthesiology and director of the “Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin Endowment” at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and making American Medical Association history as the organization’s first openly gay president. Ehrenfeld credits his Andover experience as playing the lead role in each of these career pathways. The first hurdle to overcome when trying to catch up with Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld is just working around his amazingly hectic work and travel schedule. The second hurdle is trying to digest just how many entities he’s involved in. About half his month is spent traveling the world in support of his role as the 178th president of the American
Medical Association (AMA). He joined the AMA board in 2014 and was elected president in 2022. As president, he is responsible for influencing health in America. As broad as that sounds, his goals are fairly straightforward: fight back against the “twindemic” (the pandemic and the spread of misinformation surrounding COVID-19), ensure health care becomes more equitable and sustainable, and remove technical and administrative barriers surrounding health care. Ehrenfeld regularly meets with law makers, members of Congress, U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials, and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services officials to further these goals. Ehrenfeld’s position as AMA president is, in reality, a part-time position. He divides his time, he said, “among clinical practice, teaching research, and directing a $560 million statewide health philanthropy.” He is a senior associate dean, tenured professor of anesthesiology, and director of the “Advancing a Healthier Wisconsin continued on page 2
The Purchase of Opportunity
Walter Pinchback in the Spanish-American War By David Chase, AATM Historian Walter Pinchback, Class of 1893, was Phillips Academy’s first African American alumnus to join the U.S. military. For him and thousands of Black volunteers during the Spanish American War, joining up represented opportunity for advancement. Or so it was hoped. The Spanish American War was brief—and wildly successful from the U.S. perspective. Pinchback served in Cuba in 1898 and 1899. Some 5,000 African Americans volunteered, filling the segregated ranks of what were classified as “immune” regiments (immune, it was erroneously thought, from tropical diseases). Men of color became enlisted troops, NCOs, or lieutenants. Above the rank of lieutenant, officers were white. Nevertheless, junior officer slots were prized. In July 1898, Walter Pinchback gave up his government clerkship in Washington, D.C., to be appointed 2nd lieutenant, Company M, 9th U.S. Volunteer Infantry.
After the war, Pinchback returned to Washington—which, despite segregation, had a large and vibrant African American community. His military rank served him well. He earned a Howard University law degree and opened his own practice and was identified as Lt. Pinchback in frequent mentions in D.C.’s Black newspapers and
occasionally in the white press. Pinchback became a civic leader—president of his neighborhood association and champion of home rule in a city still directly controlled by Congress. Testifying before a congressional committee in 1938, Pinchback asked: “Suppose it was under consideration to have our Federal Constitution changed,
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Endowment” at the Medical College of Wisconsin—and also a professor of anesthesiology and health policy at Vanderbilt University. Lastly, Ehrenfeld has an appointment as adjunct professor of surgery at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and serves as a consultant to the World Health Organization’s Digital Health Technical Advisory Group. Beyond impressive! Yet Ehrenfeld’s 10 years in the Navy Reserves garnered enough accolades to rival his current civilian resume. He claimed in the same sentence that he did not feel as if he had direct ties to the military—but that his dad was an Army dentist and both grandfathers served as well. “I didn’t directly identify with the military even though people in my family served,” he said. During his anesthesiology residency in 2008, Ehrenfeld felt the urge to join the military as a way to serve and give back. He wrestled with the decision for a long time, debating how, as a gay man, he would handle the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” ban on gay and lesbian service members. He signed up anyway, and two years later the Senate overturned the “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” policy, freeing up gay and lesbian 2
deployment to Kandahar in 2014, he served as the department head for anesthesiology and as the lead public affairs officer (PAO)—a job he says he was uniquely suited for due to his civilian public affairs training. He brought his own professional-grade equipment and returned home with more than 50,000 photos. As a Harvard- and Cmdr. Ehrenfeld and a navy corpsman provide anesthesia to a wounded service University of Chicago–trained member in Kandahar in 2014. anesthesiologist, he knew his elite medical training would military members to serve openly. Ehrenfeld benefit the deployed service members. “I went to work furthering health-care equity know that at least three service members for LGBTQ+ service members. He has testi- are alive today because I was there, and fied before Congress in support of transthat is one of my proudest memories,” says gender health care and was nominated for Ehrenfeld. Lastly, during his promotion ceran Emmy for his work on a New York Times emony to commander, which was presided documentary. over by Secretary of the Army Eric Fanning, Ehrenfeld puts his military service Fanning told Ehrenfeld that “he was the accomplishments into three categories: spark that led to approving transgender mentoring sailors, advancing health care people to serve in the military.” for LGBTQ+ service members, and bringReminiscing about his military sering world-class medical care to deployed vice, Ehrenfeld said he misses it every day. service members. During his six-month One of his favorite quotes: “You can have
2nd Lt. Walter Pinchback, pictured here with his Black “immune” regiment, is front row, second from right.
Brothers Together at Sea By George S.K. Rider ’51
and…the President would appoint all State officers and the laws for the several States would be enacted by the Congress of the United Sates—what do you think would be the reaction of your constituents?” Clear as Pinchback’s logic was, Washington, D.C., did not achieve home rule until 1973. Writing shortly after the Spanish American War, Pinchback’s Army chaplain, W. Hilary Coston, described the military as “a medium through which the African American may acquire a place in American civilization.” Military service for the Black man, Coston wrote, represented a “purchase of opportunity…The pessimism of despair will not deter him. He is optimistic, and will not be palsied by doubt.” Full acceptance in the military came, officially, in 1948, with President Truman’s Executive Order 9981. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King, “The arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends toward justice.”
everything you want, just not at the same time.” He knew that his time in the service had to end so he could focus on other endeavors, and, most importantly, his family. In 2016, Ehrenfeld married Judd Taback, a practicing lawyer with the county of Milwaukee, and they are the proud fathers of two young sons.
My brother, Kenneth Rider ’52, and I served together on the USS Abbot. Both NROTC in college, we had also been PA hockey and lacrosse teammates and summer lifeguards together. At the time, we were purported to be the only brothers serving as officers on the same ship in the Navy. Dad was proud, Mother not happy about it. During World War I, Dad, a Brit, joined the Merchant Marine at 17. At 18, his ship was torpedoed in the Irish Sea. The sub surfaced and machinegunned the survivors. Dad was lucky. He was creased in the scalp and wounded in the right knee. Navy and service were ingrained early. In the winter of 1956, the Abbot was undergoing modifications at the Charlestown-Boston shipyard. Ken was a senior at Brown. Their hockey team was playing a tournament in Boston. I invited the Abbot’s captain and two others. Ken was a talented, hard-hitting wing. He was boarded on a cheap shot. A dozen stitches later, he returned to play, remembering the culprit’s number. Retribution was swift. Post-game, he joined us, blood still oozing from the bandage. The captain was impressed with Ken and vowed to get him aboard the Abbot. Dad convinced Mother to let nature take its course. Ken joined us in July. Egyptian President Abdel Nasser blocked the Suez Canal. We were deployed
Ensign George Rider and Midshipman Ken Rider with their father, Peter, in 1956
to the Mediterranean on Election Day 1956 and spent 31 days at sea, patrolling north to south, from Turkey to Egypt. Thanksgiving at sea with Ken was one I’ll never forget. The cooks served a meal rivaling any in memory. We fueled from a carrier that high-lined us ice cream and movies. Casa Blanca was shown around the clock. Later, we spent four days in Beirut. As the welfare and recreation officer, I arranged a great, long day’s outing to Baalbek, an ancient Phoenician city 41 miles northeast of Beirut. Twenty-five Abbot crew boarded a bus replete with iced beer and lunch prepared by the ship. Returning took us near the Syrian border. A barrier had been erected. Five locals armed with Kalashnikovs blocked our passage. I moved forward behind the driver, facing the door. “They’re after your film,” he said. “Stay seated!” Ken had my camera with the day’s pictures and more. Two of the locals boarded, confiscated everyone’s film, and left without incident. When I returned to the back of the bus, Ken handed me my film—intact. “I took the good film out and replaced it with a blank,” he said with a smile. That’s what brothers are for!
Summer 2023 Kristensen Scholars Three students—each with family members who are serving or have served in the military—were the recipients of this year’s AATMsponsored Kristensen Scholarship, established in honor of Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen ’91, USN, SEAL, who was killed in action while leading Operation Red Wings in 2005. The students enjoyed five weeks of Summer Session academics and fun on the Andover campus at no cost to their families. “I’m going to be a lot more prepared for the school year because the teaching at Summer Session is amazing,” said Justin (pictured at left), who lives in Upstate New York. “Also, I’ve become way friendlier, so I’m going to be talking to a lot more people.” Carlos (center), from Virginia, has more than a dozen family members connected to
PHOTOS BY TORY WESNOFSKE
Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96, MD, MPH, was inaugurated as president of the American Medical Association in June 2023. His husband and other son (not pictured) also joined him on stage when he accepted the position.
The author reported aboard the USS Preston (DD-795) after graduating from Yale in June 1955. He transferred to the USS Abbot (DD-629) six months later.
the military. He particularly liked exploring the library’s Makerspace and using the 3-D printer. “My dad joined the Army after college and has been in the military for over 17 years,” said Gabriel (right), who lives in Kansas. Gabriel was “excited to learn new things and make new friends.” To donate to the Kristensen Scholarship, please visit andover.edu/paserves. 3
CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE FORCES
Reppert Speaks at Annual Veterans Day Event Andover and the Military and Phillips Academy were honored to welcome Cmdr. Catherine A.B. Reppert ’02 to campus as the guest speaker for the 14th Annual Veterans Day Dinner and Program held November 9. A recent graduate of the Naval War College’s College of Command and Staff with an MA in defense and strategic studies, Reppert currently serves as military faculty in the college’s War Gaming Department of the Center for Naval Warfare Studies. Reminiscing about her initial apprehension about joining the military, Reppert says she bristled at the idea of joining a profession purportedly littered with “followers.” “I would have to follow orders,” she said, “and was not sure how that would go.” Reppert found that the immediate
responsibility for her junior sailors’ readiness and wellbeing was exactly what she sought in a profession and in life. Her focus now is on “building teams, learning fast, and working together to do hard things.” Reppert credits her experience at Andover as the foundation for the non sibi ethos that has helped shape her Navy career thus far. For a video of this event, please visit andover.edu/paserves. Pictured above are, from left, Rush Taylor ’96, Blue Guidon editor; Rob Patrick ’88, AATM Executive Committee chair; Cmdr. Catherine Reppert ’02, guest speaker; Justin Accomando ’99, Executive Committee member; and Hector Membreño-Canales, faculty member and activeduty reservist. Photo by Marc Harrison.
From the Editor What an honor to serve on the Andover and the Military Executive Committee alongside such dedicated, selfless individuals! First off, I need to thank Robert Tuller ’82, P’22, ’23, for his mentorship and patience during this transition. He fulfilled his duty as an AATM Executive Committee member and as editor of The Blue Guidon—we wish him well in his future collaborations with AATM historian David Chase. I also need to recognize Col. Kenny Weiner ’96’s service to the AATM Executive Committee. Kenny, who recently took over as the Operations Group commander at Dover Air Force Base, was replaced as committee vice chair by Capt. Luis Gonzalez ’97. As I was writing the article about my conversation with Dr. Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96, I reflected on my own career highlights. It became apparent that I could not do what he has done in his short 45 years on this earth in five lifetimes. It was a truly humbling and insightful conversation. It was also motivating. Those of us who spent time at Andover are imbued with the non sibi spirit. Jesse has lived a life serving others. After talking with him, I realized that I can do more and in fact that I need to do more. Thank you, Jesse, for motivating me to be a better person!
Rush Taylor ’96
THE BLUE GUIDON
EDITOR
Vol. 12, No. 1
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
The Newsletter of Andover and the Military military@andover.edu Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
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Rush Taylor ’96
George Rider ’51, P’86, GP’22
HISTORIAN
David Chase, Faculty Emeritus
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Rob Patrick ’88, Chair Luis Gonzalez ’97, Vice Chair Justin Accomando ’99 Rush Taylor ’96
The “Currently Serving” list is based on data we receive from alumni. To add or delete a name, please email Mary Corcoran at mcorcoran@andover.edu.
Andres Aleman ’23 Remy de Saint Phalle ’23 Maximillian Gomez ’23 Daniel Zou ’23 Daniel Ferris ’22 James Isenhower ’22 Harrison Milbert ’22 Jordan Rayford ’22 Yong Seong Cho ’21 Alexander Grande ’21 David Graves ’21 Matt Veneri ’21 William McGrath ’21 Zachary Peng ’21 Mackenzie Lucas ’20 Joseph Kacergis ’19 Jack O’Neil ’19 Neil Thorley ’19 Nicholas Isenhower ’18 Joseph Simourian ’18 Larson Tolo ’18 Annette Bell ’16 Benjamin Bolduc ’16 AnnaMaria Dear ’16 Anirudh Murali ’16 Kasey Welch ’16 Eleanor Blum ’15 Nicholas Forti ’15 Eden Livingston ’15 Marcus Thompson ’15 Renee LaMarche ’14 Thomas Mullen ’14 Alexandra Bell Farr ’13 William O’Donnell ’13 Taylor Perkins ’12 Christopher Kent ’11 Adrian Lehnen ’10 Ansley White ’10 Hanson Causbie ’08 Lauren Johnson ’07 Helal Syed ’07 Brendan de Brun ’06 Connor Flynn ’06 Jenn Bales ’04 Livy Coe ’04 Steve Draheim ’04 Nick Ksiazek ’03 Priya Sridhar ’03 Cat Reppert ’02 Spencer Willig ’02 Eric Chase ’01 Gil Barndollar ’00 Charles Fuller ’00 Jarreau Jones ’00 Jonathan Harrington ’00 Matthew Sullivan ’00 Hunter Washburn ’00 Grancis Santana ’99 Phil Risseeuw ’98 Luis Gonzalez ’97 Michelle Kalas ’97 Ian Stephenson ’96 Rush Taylor ’96 Kenny Weiner ’96 Randy Allen ’95 Rebecca Calder ’94 Ryan Shann ’93 Craig Der Ananian ’91 Peter H.U. Lee ’90 Eric Hawn ’89