The Blue Guidon The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Winter 2014
180 Main Street Andover MA 01810-4161
A New Calling for Seth Moulton ’97
Tell Us Your Story! Andover’s Military History Project is an ongoing effort to document the long history of service to the country by Andover students, faculty, alumni, and the school itself. If you are an alumnus or alumna who would like to contribute to this project by researching and writing, please contact Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu. We would love to hear your story!
Recent Events October 31, 2013 4th Annual Veterans Day Program and Dinner, with special guests Seth Moulton ’97 and Mohammed Harba, who met in Iraq in 2003
November 8, 2013 Honoring two of the core tenets of military service— non sibi and physical fitness—728 PA community members joined in an effort to break the Guinness Book of World Records’ mark for the most people simultaneously doing push-ups for one minute. Although not everyone was able to complete the full 60 seconds, PA’s numbers far exceeded two previous successful record attempts. Documentation procedures are now underway with GBWR headquarters.
November 11, 2013 Veterans Day campus remembrance in Flagstaff Courtyard To become a member of Andover and the Military: www.andover.edu/forms/AndoverMilitary/contactinfo.aspx Please encourage other Andover veterans to register. To update your information: e-mail Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu Visit our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PAserves
by Carl Dietz ’00 Seth Moulton may come across as someone who has planned on running for Congress his whole life. With three Harvard degrees and multiple tours in Iraq—including two as a special assistant to then–Commander of the Coalition Forces General David Petraeus—public office would seem like a lifelong dream for him. In fact, it wasn’t at all.
Andover and the Military Fund Continues to Grow Don Way ’63, former Marine and Vietnam veteran, spearheads Andover and the Military’s fundraising. Core contributions from the Class of ’63’s Vietnam vets have helped raise nearly $100,000 to finance an endowed fund called Maintaining the Military Legacy on Campus. The fund will support the following components of Andover and the Military’s mission: 1. Gatherings for students, alumni, faculty, and current active duty military and veterans—including the annual Veterans Day dinner and program—to facilitate a better understanding of the military and the part Andover’s men and women have played and are currently playing 2. Caring for three campus memorials to those alumni who died in WWI (Memorial Bell Tower), WWII (Memorial Gym), and Korea, Vietnam, and since (Memorial Place) A future endeavor being explored by Way and campus partners would offer scholarships to students of service families attending Andover’s five-week Summer Session program, which provides high-level academic studies on the PA campus and improves chances for regular admission to Andover. Kit Washburn, assis-tant director of Summer Session, notes that parents often say their child felt “at home” at the summer program—an especially unique feeling for children of military families constantly on the move. We hope to kick off this initiative shortly. Please consider contacting Don Way at don.way@nfp.com or 650-799-2029 to support the Andover and the Military Fund. —Bill McEwan ’57
his students how to lead. “Pete is someone who led by example and by inspiration,” says Seth. “Instead of demanding respect, he earned it, and we wanted to work hard for him because we wanted to live up to his high expectations for us.”
These lessons were reinforced during Seth’s time as an officer in the Marines. His platoon contained young people whose backgrounds and beliefs were as diverse as could be; despite “It couldn’t have been furthis, they united around common ther from my mind,” he said, values and priorities. The aptaking a quick break from his proach to leadership that Seth hectic campaign schedule. As learned from Washburn was a Marine, Seth was deeply Seth Moulton ’97 central to their success, and disappointed in Congress’s lack by fostering an environment of care in its decision to invade of mutual respect Seth and his Iraq as well as its subsequent lack of interest in the Marines were able to complete missions that othercontinuing conduct of the war. After separating from wise would have been impossible. the Marine Corps in 2008, Seth returned to Harvard for graduate school, finishing with the same opportu- This is the attitude Seth would like to take to nities as his classmates: an internship with a large Congress. He is approaching his run as a centrist brokerage firm, a job offer from a private equity firm, Democrat and emphasizes that he’s eager to work every element of the well-trod path to a comfortable with people from across the ideological spectrum, life in the private sector. just as he did as a Marine. “I think it’s time for leaders from our generation to apply these lessons to Seth spent a few years pursuing entrepreneurial public life,” Seth says. efforts, but something felt missing. After returning to his hometown of Marblehead, Mass., he decided “Joining the Marines was the best—and most difthat it was time for him to stop being frustrated ficult—decision I’ve made in my life,” he continues, about the state of public life and partake in it himbut says he doesn’t regret a minute of his service, self. This past July, he announced that he was going and that he had been honored to serve his country to run in the Democratic primary for Massachusetts’ in a time of war. “By going to Iraq, it meant that Sixth Congressional District, which includes the someone else didn’t have to go in my place, and I’m North Shore suburbs and Phillips Academy. proud of that.” When asked what his advice for current students considering military service would be, Seth feels that he’s been well prepared to take up he responded that the country would be stronger for this challenge. Andover taught him about leadership having more of its young people serve, whether in at an early age, and he highlights the influences the the context of the military or elsewhere. faculty had over him. He gives Pete Washburn, his geometry teacher and rowing coach throughout his Non sibi, indeed. four years, as an example of someone who taught