The Blue Guidon The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Spring 2018
David Spencer Hackett ’61
They Don’t Come Any Finer Quang Tri, the northernmost province in South Vietnam, was bordered to the north by the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) and to the east by the South China Sea. Though the beaches, coastal rice fields, and wooded highlands with peaks surpassing 8,000 feet might depict tranquility, Quang Tri experienced intense conflict during the Vietnam War.
second in command. The unit had recently arrived in Vietnam, and within Hotel Company was a young platoon commander, Elliott, fresh out of Princeton and Quantico, happy to be reunited with his friend.
The battalion was on a Search and Destroy mission in late April 1967. Operating just south of the DMZ and seven kilometers northwest of their Khe Sanh firebase, David Spencer “Moose” Hackett Elliott recalled, “We were the grew up in Ligonier, PA. At first company to move north of Andover, Hackett captained varsity [Hill] 861. The terrain was thick, soccer, competed on the varsity steep, and rugged. We moved swimming and lacrosse teams, slowly and settled on a knoll chaired the Athletic Advisory for the night that was not quite Board, and much more. Following midway between [Hill] 861 and Andover, Hackett attended [Hill] 881 North. My friend Dave, Princeton, where he played soccer now the company executive and lacrosse, and was a member officer, camped with my platoon of the Naval ROTC program. for the night. We had had many discussions in our time together Robert Mueller, Princeton ’66 in Vietnam. Dave was fond of and former director of the FBI, Indian stories and was reading a recalled, “In the spring of 1965, series of novels on the Old West. I was a junior. I played lacrosse The protagonist in this series was with a senior by the name of David Spencer Hackett, 1961 Pot Pourri a half-white, half-Indian named David Hackett. He was also a Big Lou, whom he described superb soccer player; indeed, as strong, wily, tenacious, very courageous, and there is a soccer trophy named for him. He was a without fear. Big Lou always commanded his good lacrosse midfielder; perhaps not the best on respect; Dave had always had mine. the team, but he was a determined, natural leader. He enjoyed nothing more than going headfirst into “Dave would often recount one of Big Lou’s more the mud to pick up a ground ball. David Hackett harrowing feats or escapes. He had just finished graduated that spring and was not far from our the last novel in the series before we left the thoughts as we went on to our senior year.” USS Princeton a week earlier. In the end, the invincible Big Lou is finally killed. There was a quiet Hackett was commissioned a Marine Corps second nostalgia in Dave’s voice as he told me the tale. lieutenant upon graduating from Princeton in 1965. We drank a cup of coffee silently and peered into One of his close friends at Princeton was Ord the darkening hills. He was a very close friend and Elliott, Princeton ’66, who followed Hackett into the companion and a good Marine. He never questioned Marines one year later, as would Mueller and others the war much. He was a professional; like Big Lou, who were inspired by Hackett’s example. he accepted the rules of the game he was in.” By the early months of 1967, First Lieutenant In the early morning hours of April 30, the predawn Hackett had advanced from rifle platoon commander light was shattered by violence. The citation for in Hotel Company, 2nd Battalion, 3rd Marine Hackett’s Silver Star Medal, earned that morning, Regiment, 3rd Marine Division, to Hotel Company’s reads: “the company came under a sudden and continued on page 2
They Don’t Come Any Finer continued from page 1
vicious attack from fortified enemy emplacements less than one hundred meters away. Armed with .50 caliber machine guns, automatic rifles, and small arms with sniper scopes, the enemy inflicted heavy casualties. First Lieutenant Hackett unhesitatingly charged 30 meters through a hail of automatic fire to direct an M-60 machine gun team against an enemy bunker. Once this mission was completed, he again exposed himself to the intense fire to organize a stricken platoon and help evacuate the seriously wounded. Upon completion of this task, he once again rushed to the base of fire to encourage and direct his men’s fire. While pressing the assault and encouraging the Marines, First Lieutenant Hackett was mortally wounded, shot in the head by a sniper. By his outstanding courage, indomitable fighting spirit, and selfless efforts on behalf of others, First Lieutenant Hackett served to inspire all who observed him and upheld the highest traditions of the Marine Corps and the United States Naval Service. He gallantly gave his life for his country.” Years later, Tom Beaton ’73—an Andover and Princeton soccer player—and his son visited the elderly Andover soccer coach Frank “Deke” DiClementi. Tom asked DiClementi to show him—within the photo album that Deke had assembled of his teams over his 40 years of coaching—the picture of the finest boy he had ever coached. Deke was quick to reply that every boy was special. He then flipped through the pages, stopped, and with a tear in his eye, turned to Tom’s son, and said, “Well, this boy, David, was an American hero. Class of 1961. Went to Princeton just like your dad. Died in Vietnam. They don’t come any finer than young David.”
ALUMNI CURRENTL Annette Bell ’16 Benjamin Bolduc ’16 AnnaMaria Dear ’16 Anirudh Murali ’16 Alexandra Bell ’13 Taylor Perkins ’12 Christopher Kent ’11 Adrian Lehnen ’10 Ansley White ’10 Lieutenants David Hackett (left) and Ord Elliott on Okinawa, a month before Hackett was killed on April 29, 1967.
From the Editor Fleet Week comes to San Francisco every October. For my family and me, the highlight has always been watching the Blue Angels. Last year, my second son Rex and I (missing Mason ’21, a junior at Andover) were heading to Marina Green to watch the Blues fly from a central vantage point. En route, my phone rang, and it was Charlie Dean ’79 asking me if I’d be willing to take the reins of editor in chief of this publication. There was no hesitation in my mind. When asked to serve, my reply is always “Yes.” “In Service,” this is what we do: Non Sibi. On April 4, our country laid to rest Capt. Thomas Hudner, USN, PA Class of 1943 and Medal of Honor recipient, at Arlington National Cemetery. Charlie Dean was there, in service, to honor Capt. Hudner, who never wavered in his service to his wingman, his Navy, his country. To all who read this publication, whether you’ve donned a uniform and saluted Old Glory or support those who do, here you will read stories of alumni who understand and live non sibi, who were “in service” to their teammates, their flag, their country, their family.
Robert M. Tuller Jr. ’82, P’21 2
Hanson Causbie ’08 Jess Choi ’08 Eamon Hegarty ’08
Beaton had won the Hackett Cup while a Princeton soccer player many years before. Hackett’s legacy persists. —Charlie Dean ’79
Jake Bean ’08
Walker Washburn ’08 Lauren Johnson ’07 THE BLUE GUIDON
The Newsletter of Andover and the Military Vol. 6, Number 2 Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
EDITOR
Robert M. Tuller Jr. ’82, P’21
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
George S.K. Rider ’51, P’86
HISTORIAN
David Chase faculty emeritus
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Charlie Dean ’79, P’10, chair Seth Moulton ’97, cochair Christine Balling ’86 Tom Beaton ’73 Livy Coe ’04 Laurie Coffey ’95 Johnson Lightfoote ’69 Karl Novick ’07 Robert Patrick ’88 George Rider ’51, P’86 Don Way ’63
Helal Syed ’07 Connor Flynn ’06 Jenn Bales ’04 Tom Barron ’04 Livy Coe ’04 Steve Draheim ’04 Matt Fram ’04 Aaron Stroble ’04 Nick Ksiazek ’03 Cat Reppert ’02 Eric Chase ’01 Gil Barndollar ’00 Jarreau Jones ’00 Matthew Sullivan ’00 Hunter Washburn ’00
In Memoriam: Andover in World War I This is the final of five annual articles honoring the centennial of World War I and the involvement of Phillips Academy, its students, and its alumni. For the fullest account of this chapter in Andover history, see Claude M. Fuess’s Phillips Academy, Andover, in the Great War as well as the Memorial Bell Tower rededication program.
LY ON ACTIVE DUTY Justin Accomando ’99 Grancis Santana ’99
At their January 1919 meeting, Phillips Academy trustees approved plans by architect Guy Lowell for Andover’s war memorial, a bell tower. In 1922 the trustees determined that the massive tower—christened the Memorial Bell Tower by its donor, Samuel Fuller, Class of 1894— should rise from the 18th-century militia training field at the corner of Main and Salem streets. Here a flagpole funded by the cadets had been erected in June 1917. Carved into the tower’s granite base are the names of 85 Andover servicemen who died during World War I. Completed in 1923, the bell tower became the most prominent feature of the campus.
Ali Ghaffari ’98 Luis Gonzalez ’97 Michelle Kalas ’97 Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96 Rush Taylor ’96 Kenny Weiner ’96 Randy Allen ’95 Laurie Coffey ’95 Rebecca Calder ‘94 Matthew Macarah ’93 Ryan Shann ’93 Craig Der Ananian ’91 Kenneth Jambor ’91 Eric Hawn ’89 Rob Patrick ’88 Graeme Henderson ’83, P’14 Kazimierz Kotlow ’83 Douglas Creedon ’79
This list, based on data we receive from alumni, may be incomplete. If you or someone you know is not on this list, please email Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu.
In all, 2,166 Andover alumni served in the armed forces during World War I. Notable veterans included Major General James Parker, Class of 1870, commander of the 32nd Division; and French national Antoine Henri Engel, Class of 1914, who left school before graduating, returned home, and joined the Army. Corporal Engel was killed in the Battle of Bois le Prêtre, July 3, 1915—the first alumnus to perish in the Great War.
The Memorial Bell Tower symbolizes a fundamental Phillips Academy value: service. Andover’s 18th-century credo, Non Sibi, is shorthand for service to others, service to the community. From the first, military service has been viewed as one aspect of this concept. Tellingly, nine of the students matriculating as members of Andover’s very first class in April 1778 were Revolutionary War veterans. The Memorial Bell Tower bears witness to the high-water mark of Phillips Academy’s engagement with the military. During World War I, the school focused on preparing students to participate. By the spring of 1918, every
able-bodied youth 16 years or older joined the school’s khakiclad cadet regiment. Sports were curtailed. After classes, cadets marched, trained in riflery and bayonet attack, mastered first-aid techniques, and built trenches and bomb-proof shelters worthy of the Western Front to the east of Brothers Field. Commencement 1918 featured a mock night battle complete with aerial starshell bursts and cadets “going over the top.” Approximately 150 members of the Class of 1918 either entered the armed forces immediately after graduating or joined military training units in college. Five months later, on the 11th of November 1918, the war was over.
Montague Rendall, headmaster of Britain’s ancient Winchester College and an authority on war memorials, considered Andover’s memorial the most perfect: “It stands in the highway of your daily life, to which it adds a special note of aspiration…reminding those who pass, whether bent on work or play, that the end of all endeavor is faithful service in peace and war.” A Latin inscription above the names on the north face of the tower reads: Post Eos Lucet Via. Literally translated as “the way shines after them,” the meaning may be rendered more compellingly as: They have shown us the way. Rebuilt in 2005, thanks to the leadership and generosity of the late David M. Underwood, Class of 1954, and others, the Memorial Bell Tower continues to inspire. —David Chase
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The Core Purpose Non sibi sed patriae. Translated from the original Latin: “Not for self, but for country.” These words, inscribed upon the Chapel door of the United States Naval Academy, have inspired generations of men and women to devote themselves to the defense of our nation in war and peace, often under the harshest of circumstances. I first encountered these words not on the hallowed grounds of Annapolis, but rather as a wide-eyed adolescent traversing the wandering paths at Phillips Academy. At first glance, these institutions present a stark contrast. Annapolis—with its immaculately manicured grounds and midshipmen clad in creased black uniforms—evokes thoughts of rigidity, conformity, and tradition. Conversely, the budding youthfulness, unabashed selfexpression, and heated debate that permeate Andover represent a nonconformist beacon of intellectual curiosity and exploration. To me, however, these two institutions are intrinsically tied together by the same core purpose.
the value in persevering through struggles. Lower year was a particularly difficult one. In hindsight, however, I am greatly indebted to my teachers and coaches for setting a high standard, one which I often struggled to meet. One example comes to mind: The seemingly insurmountable struggles I overcame in Dr. Hodgson’s Proof and Persuasion philosophy class unwittingly prepared me for the study of Aristotle, Kant, and Epictetus during my sophomore year at Annapolis. Now, nearly two years after receiving my diploma on a chill, rain-soaked June afternoon, I continually call upon the lessons I learned at Andover. As I rise into leadership positions within the Brigade of Midshipmen, I face new challenges each day. Having developed a passion for racing sailboats since arriving at Annapolis, I now devote several hours each day to this new craft. In August, I will officially sign the contract that obligates me to at least five years in the Naval Service. And if all goes according to plan, in a few years I will find myself in the cockpit of an aircraft or silently patrolling the ocean depths in a submarine.
While the Academy that Samuel Phillips established in 1778 has changed a great deal superficially, the tenets upon which the I am awestruck that, in the face of this everinstitution was founded remain steadfast. changing world, the same trials and tribulations MIDN 3/C Anirudh “Ani” Murali ’16 Andover is a school designed to produce the I encounter at Annapolis today are identical to next generation of non sibi leaders, committed those faced by generations of Andover alumni in some way to the betterment of the world. The U.S. Naval who have donned the Navy Blue and Gold. I am humbled by their Academy exists for much the same purpose, albeit with the distinguished legacy, which includes Capt. Thomas Hudner ‘43 caveat that each graduate begin their non sibi journey with an and Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen ‘91, revered leaders and the officer’s commission and a commitment to support and defend embodiment of the non sibi spirit. It is Andover graduates such as the Constitution. these who inspire me to strive for the same devotion and desire to serve not for myself, but for my country. Through four years of continual challenge, Andover instilled in —MIDN 3/C Anirudh Murali ’16 me the values of non sibi as well as the foresight to recognize
Deming Speaks at Campus Veterans Day Dinner Marine Capt. Angus Deming ’44, retired senior writer in international affairs for Newsweek, was the guest speaker at Andover and the Military’s 8th annual Veterans Day program on November 9, 2017. Deming received the Silver Star Medal for “conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity” in North Korea on June 2, 1951, detailed in “Courage Under Fire: Take Hill 800!” in the fall/winter 2016 issue of The Blue Guidon. The large crowd gathered in Paresky Commons was spellbound by Deming’s concise recollections of his battalion’s deadly encounter with the North Koreans. Visit https://media.andover.edu/media/t/1_z03ab2r7 to hear Deming’s Veterans Day talk.
A Legend in His Own Time Capt. Thomas J. Hudner ’43, U.S. Naval Academy Class of 1947, died November 13, 2017. President Harry S. Truman presented Hudner with the Medal of Honor on April 13, 1951, for his heroism in the Korean conflict. Hudner’s wingman, Ensign Jesse Brown—the Navy’s first African American pilot (Distinguished Flying Cross)—was shot down by enemy fire at the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. In a valiant rescue attempt, Hudner crash-landed his Corsair wheels-up in frigid, snow-covered mountainous terrain. On April 4, 2018, Hudner was interred at Arlington National Cemetery with full military honors. Many from Andover and the Military and the Phillips Academy community were in attendance. Fair winds and following seas, Sir. We have the watch. —George S.K. Rider ’51, P’86