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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA&M at War L A.& M. AT WAR: HOW WORLD WAR II AFFECTED THE CAMPUS OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS Lisa Rush =4`( University Undergraduate Fellow 1r Texas A &M University Department of Journalism APPROVED Fellows Advisor Honors Director lbw A.& M. AT WAR: HOW WORLD WAR II AFFECTED THE CAMPUS OF THE AGRICULTURAL AND MECHANICAL COLLEGE OF TEXAS World War II hit the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas like a tidal wave: It rushed in, had a tremendous effect, and left. The major changes a wave brings are erosion and deposition. In the case of Texas A.& M., the war took away students and the college's normal life and deposited change and new responsibilities. The Wave Comes In -- 1939 to Dec. 6, 1941 As "essentially a military school," A.& M. was no stranger to the military or to war. The college opened in 1876 with the goal of educating an all -male student body in agriculture and mechanical studies and military tactics. A.& M. kept this objective into the war years, citing John Milton's quotation in its annual reports: "I call, therefore, a complete and generous education, that which fits a man to perform justly, skillfully and magnanimously all the offices, both private and public, of peace and war. " More graduates of A.& M. served as officers during World War.I than from any other college or university. It was the largest military school in the nation, with daily routines run on a military 1 format. A.& M.'s main contribution to World War I was trained men. World War II would see the same contribution on a much larger scale. 1939 A.& M. began preparing for entry into another European war as early as 1939. Lecturers, like Cornelius Vanderbilt, Jr. and German refuge Max Brauer visited the campus in early 1939 and warned of a coming general war that the United States could not stay out of. In February, Colonel Ike Ashburn, assistant to A.& M. President T.O. Walton, warned the local chapter of the Reserve Officers Association that the United States was unprepared for a conflict. The U.S. government soon began to entice A.& M. students and graduates into military programs. A.& M.'s Reserve Officers Training Corps system required all freshmen and sophomores to take basic ROTC training. Students became eligible for military contracts at the beginning of the junior year. Juniors who received contracts took advanced military sciences courses and were commissioned in the Officer Reserve Corps upon graduating The War Department controlled the number of contracts available. It was a bone of contention for the College administration that although enrollment at A.& M. had steadily increased, the number of available contracts did not. In the fall of 1939, 493 juniors applied for 410 contracts. Cr 2 l bw But because of changing world events, students who did not receive contracts gained another opportunity for commission. Congress passed the Thomason Act in May to increase the number of Army personnel to 40,753. Under the Thomason Act, graduates could enlist in the Army for one year as second lieutenants. In October, the peace -time limit on the size of the Army was expanded to 280,000. At this time, A.& M. established an air field and an aeronautical engineering course, knowing that the government would be interested in the aviation field. Built a mile or two from the main campus, Easterwood Airport was in a direct line between Barksdale and Randolph fields. The War Department designated the airport "suitable for National t iv Defense " and A.& M. began seeking funding from the War Department to upgrade the field into an airport in early 1940. The College hoped an Army Air Corps Unit would be stationed at Easterwood and touted its potential ability to train 1,000 men a year. In the Department of Aeronautical Engineering's first year, the Army and Navy donated equipment, including three airplanes. Many graduates of the pre - flight courses joined the Army. Both the Aeronautical Engineering Department and the Civil Aeronautics Authority taught the flight courses. In May 1939, Texas A.& M. offered the use of the airfield and all of its other facilities to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. The next year, the College surveyed the campus to determine just how its facilities could be best 3 L used by the government if the United States became embroiled in the war. President Walton reported to the College Board of Directors in November 1940, "We here at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas have sensed the necessity for gearing this institution up to stimulated schedules to meet the requirements of our National Defense Program which has [been] and may be increasingly imposed on us. " At the end of 1939, the war in Europe had barely tapped A.& M. on the shoulder. Its only effect on students was a radical remodeling of the ROTC infantry drill to be more like the French and German drills. The new aviation course caused considerable interest with 250 students applying for fifty available slots. Students read about Anne Moore, t or daughter of George F. Moore, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, and a survivor of the British steamer Athenia torpedoed by Germany on September 3, 1939 — the day France and Britain declared war on Germany. Students were so interested in her story, The Battalion, the campus newspaper ran a three -day series on her. A professor asked his students their opinion of the war. Not one student was willing to fight unless the United States was invaded. A year later, the professor asked the same question. This time seventy percent of the Cadets thought that the United States should enter the war then, rather than wait until a U.S. entrance might be too late. In an editorial on student opinion on the war in 1940, The Battalion wrote, "Aggie opinion, it seems, goes something 4 like this: Yes, we'll fight if that is what it takes to preserve the American way of life. Really, though, we'd much rather stay out of this thing if that is possible. But, if and when the United States does enter armed conflict again, Texas Aggies will lead the way. " The war's slight "tap" of 1939 became a stronger blow in 1940 and 1941. A.& M. got a small taste of what the campus would be like under wartime conditions. The government began calling men from campus into service and the College took on a responsibility it had in World War I: defense training. This loss of men and the addition of defense training only began in 1940 and 1941. After Pearl Harbor, both would • continue at furious pace and become major sources of change on a campus at war. 1940 -1941 The Selective Service Act, passed on September 16, 1940, made all men from the age of 21 to 36 eligible for compulsive. military training. The law became the source of confusion, rumors and unanswered questions for the next few years. Universities and students alike wondered who would be exempt from draft registration. When would students be called? Would they stay long enough to finish their studies? Was their any need to return to school another semester? Who would qualify for a deferment? "The matter seems to be either very secretive," said Lieutenant Colonel W. A. Watson, 5 new Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, "or else the final t ar plans have not as yet been formulated. " The list of who qualified for deferments was debated and changed throughout the war as needs for certain skills changed. The Selective Service Act deferred only those in occupations necessary to the "maintenance of the national health, safety or interest. " All students and faculty on campus from the age of 21 to 36 had to register on October 16, with the exception of juniors and seniors with advanced ROTC contracts. Because President Walton had served on the National Committee on Education and National Defense when the conscription laws were formulated, the campus newspaper called him "largely responsible" for the amendment exempting t or advanced ROTC Cadets from the draft. Those Cadets were already receiving military training and could go on active duty as soon as they completed that training. They could be called even if they finished their military training before fulfilling the scholastic requirements to graduate. For this reason, the College recommended that if a five -year student lacking a year to graduate were called, he would receive his degree anyway. This was one of the first unprecedented moves A.& M. was forced to make because of conscription. All told, 1,445 students and 900 faculty registered for the draft on the same day as the rest of the nation. No sooner had registration taken place when rumors arose that (, the draft law may be changed. President Walton suggested the 6 possibility that Congress may amend the law to allow all students to complete their schooling It didn't happen. Almost a month after the rumor surfaced, senior ROTC members received an active duty call for June 1. Commencement exercises were not scheduled until June 6, and the 102 graduating Cadets had to report for duty before then. For the first time since World War I, A.& M. conducted a special commencement exercise, graduating those 102 seniors on May 30. The ROTC seniors who were not to report until later in June, graduated with their class. Juniors expecting to graduate the next year did not know what plans to make. Were they going to be called or should they look for a job? President Walton advised them to look for jobs and hope they were employed when they were called. He said, "It is imperative that we go ahead and complete the design and pattern for our living with the full faith and confidence that after this stupid eruption in conflict all around us eventually comes out of chaos and that our serious concern again will be fruitful and purposeful living. " Because contracts were not given until September, sophomores faced being called to active duty during the summer between their sophomore and junior years. The War Department changed this by allowing them to receive advanced ROTC contracts in late May. Colonel Watson told students that it would be "doubtful than any draft board would enter a man into service knowing that he has been given advanced ROTC (,, standing. " The War Department also increased the number of 7 available contracts in 1941 for the second year in a row, but half the juniors and seniors still lacked contracts. The ranks of the graduate schoo1 and faculty were thinned during 1940 and 1941 because reserve officers who were called to active duty or left for more lucrative jobs in the defense industry were difficult to replace. Faculty replacements were usually younger and less experienced. This was especially true of the military department. The War Department transferred large numbers of military officers to other posts, including two commandants in two years. Colonel George F. Moore was transferred to Hawaii in 1940. From there, he went to Corrigidor, Philippine Islands, where he gained the rank of Major General and stayed C until the island fell to the Japanese in late Spring of 1942. General Moore took 25 commissioned former students with him to Corrigidor. On April 21, 1942 they held the most famous Aggie Muster. In 1941, Colonel Watson was transferred. He was replaced by Colonel M.D. Welty. As a consequence of the transfers, President Walton said, "Instruction in military science during the past session has been somewhat interrupted and that the Department has not been able to perform its functions as efficiently as it did prior to the emergency. " Defense Training The faculty who remained found they had an increased work load. A.& M. began participating in civilian defense 8 training in 1940 and 1941. The teaching staff taught the courses in addition to their regular classes. They sometimes received a small raise in pay, but not always. The College saw defense training as one of the three contributions to national defense it felt equipped to make. President Walton reported to the Board of Directors that, after surveying the A.& M. facilities, A.& M. was especially equipped to train civilian technicians for defense industries, men for service and leaders for agricultural production. The school found it could offer ten fields of training: quartermaster construction, cooking and baking, finance, communication and Signal Corps, mechanics, machinist and aviation, ROTC, flight training, design, and the Veterinarian Corps. The responsibility of civilian defense training fell to the School of Engineering under Dean Gibb Gilchrist. President Roosevelt appointed Gilchrist to the Advisory Committee on Engineering Training for National Defense in the summer of 1940. The first defense courses began in February 1941. Seventy men took courses on camp sanitation, engineering drawing or materials inspection. Courses on explosives, radio communication, architectural and structural drafting, and field lubricants were added in the summer. Qualifications for the government- funded courses varied. Shortages and Enrollment The war touched the campus in smaller ways as well. Shortages ranged from fewer materials in chemistry labs to 9 the temporary loss of paper napkins in the mess hall. Lack of materials slowed construction on dormitories. Defense taxes raised the cost of senior class rings in 1941. That year, The Battalion published an editorial called, "SOS — Save our Spoons." Editors told students that it would be impossible to replace equipment or utensils that failed or were removed. The Battalion asked students to refrain from taking spoons in particular from the mess hall because "there is an acute shortage of spoons. " One reason for the spoon shortage was recent years of record - breaking enrollment. A.& M. was growing on the eve of the United States entry in to Word War II. The fall 1939 enrollment of 6,063 was an 8.6 percent increase over the 1938 enrollment. Enrollment increased in 1940 to 6,528 students. 1941 saw an enrollment drop of just 23 students. Part of the increases may have been caused by a College drive to encourage more high school seniors to enter military colleges. That students over 21 years old having a ROTC contract were deferred may have been another reason. For some reason, an all -male land -grant college in a cow pasture five miles from the nearest town was gaining popularity when Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor pushed the United States into war. The Wave Hits • On December 7, 1941, "A Yank in the R.A.F." was playing at the campus theater. The film broke and Charlie Tiegner, 10 manager of the theater, announced, "We'll be ready in a ,, minute, fellows, and if you would care to know, Japanese planes have just bombed Pearl Harbor." After a stunned silence, A.& M. Cadets in the audience began to yell, "Beat the hell out of Japan" and "Let's take a Corps trip to Tokyo." Another student yelled, "Japan, then Alabama" (Alabama was a rival). Someone brought up the idea of an Aggie Expeditionary Force. Then they sang the Aggie War Hymn . 75 The College responded just as quickly. "The Government needs officers, industry needs farm and livestock experts. It is our duty to provide'them. A.& M. is at war, and will remains so until final victory is ours." In these three sentences President Walton summed up the role Texas A &M would play in the war effort. President Walton rushed to assure the Cadets that if they were needed, they would be called to duty. In the mean time, they should not volunteer, but continue their training at A.& M. The faculty told them to stay in school because "students will be more valuable as technicians than cannon fodder. " President Walton and the faculty repeated this message into 1942 and 1943 but students still left school to enlist. By enlisting, a student could choose his branch of service but would give up academic credits earned during the semester. If drafted, a student's daily grades would count as his final semester grade. 11 The faculty reaffirmed the previous offer of A.& M. rkir facilities to the government and adopted a resolution pledging their support. The resolution recognized that A.& M. was established, in large part, to give men technological instruction and military training and this modern war demanded men with both. The resolution said, "The College is the largest producer of reserve officers in the Nation with thousands of its graduates, and a considerable number of its faculty, already on active military duty. " The Corps of Cadets adopted a similar resolution and wired it to President Roosevelt. It said, "As students of an institution which has as one of its primary purposes the training of young men in military training, we stand prepared to join with other graduates of A.& M. College in the common defense of our country. The Cadet Corps of Texas A.& M. therefore, extends to the President of the United States its services whether as members of military forces or of civilian defenses. " The Aggies, as students of Texas A.& M. called themselves, felt their duty was not just to their country, but to "upholding the name of our school as a military institution. " 1942 When the Aggies returned from Christmas Break in January 1942, they found their beloved school had changed: The curriculum was accelerated and the College began to run on an even more military format. While the students were 12 • unquestionably patriotic and committed, they still found some of the changes hard to take. Acceleration Dean T.D. Brooks called the accelerated program the most fundamental change brought about by the war. The Army and defense industry requested that the College graduate students as fast as possible. Under the accelerated program, students graduated in two years and eight months instead of four years. Semesters lasted four months. "The plan would prevent the $15,000,000 college plant facilities from lying idle during the summer months," said President Walton, "but would use them continuously in the production of trained men and Army officers. " The program called for three sixteen - week semesters for each twelve months, no summer breaks, and holidays were curtailed to one week at Christmas. There were also no final exams. Faculty got around this rule by giving one -hour quizzes. When it recommended the accelerated program to the College, the Academic Counsel pointed out that the average age of the entering freshman was seventeen and a half years. "The plan will not only save one year in the preparation of young men for industry and for commissions in the Army, but with reduction in the draft age to 20 it will enable these students who are able to obtain advanced course ROTC contracts to do so before they are subject to call under the (,,, draft. " 13 Nore Military New discipline procedures and increased military training were announced by the College at the same time as the acceleration program. Students didn't balk at Reveille sounding at 6:15 a.m. for exercise, drill periods lasting four hours, or increased calisthenics. But they did protest new discipline procedures that they considered an attack on cherished Aggie traditions. Before, sophomores disciplined the freshmen or "fish" and fish were required to perform "fish service" for upperclassmen. After the announcement, sophomores (and juniors and seniors) were forbidden to inflict physical t or punishment on freshmen. Instead, offenses were to be reported to the commandant's office. Juniors and seniors must now clean their own rooms and run their own details. The Battalion called this "the grand plan of the New Order." "The board was out, so were bleed meetings, exercising and mess -hall air raids, and so was the spirit of the Corps. " One member of the Class of '42 wrote in an open letter to the College, "Tell us where we are to build the fellowship that existed between the fish and the upperclassmen. What are we going to substitute as a leveling process? You cannot justify your action by implying that our school will be more militaristic. You have called upon us to make sacrifices that will in no way aid in defeating the Axis . "95 14 President Walton responded to the students by saying that in the time of war, changes had to be accepted, and if they were not, the Cadets would be guilty of insubordination. He stressed self - discipline and the evil of wasting time. He added that "practices are to be corrected are an open violation of the laws of the State" without ever mentioning the word "hazing. " The students were still not satisfied. Colonel M.D. Welty, Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, refused to comment on the new order, only saying that the order was not his own. The Navy Arrives and the Marines Land In February 1942 the Aggies got another surprise. Both the Army and the Navy were considering using A.& M. to train college -age enlisted men in technical fields. The Army training school didn't come until later in the war, but 201 naval trainees arrived March 31. The Battalion greeted them with, "Hello, Navy. We're glad you're here. We are glad to see the bluejackets who will be destroying the enemy at sea while we will be doing the same job on land. " The Aggies greeted the "Bluejackets," or "Cadets in Blue" as they were called with a review of the Corps of Cadets. A few weeks later, the Marines landed. A.& M. was now training Cadets for the Army, Navy, Marines and the Civil Pilot Training program. Both rivalry and friendships broke out. The newcomers had difficulty understanding Aggie customs and "slanguage." The Aggies, borrowing from the 15 Army, made up their own terms for food, places, people, etc. To "bleed" meant "to gripe." A "sugar report" was a letter from a girlfriend. Beans were called "artillery. " 103 To get meat in the mess hall, a cadet would say, "Pass the bull neck" (unless a guest was present, then "blood" for ketchup and "bull neck" was considered to too strong) . 104 Relationships between the Navy and the Aggies went well until June. Both groups went about their routines, rarely interacting. Then a rivalry began when some Aggies crashed a dance given for the Navy and Marines. Next, some Sailors and Marines made fun of the Aggie Band when it played "Anchors Aweigh. " 106 In October, the Navy Cadets rooted for Texas Christian University instead of A.& M. at a football game. The Battalion published letters asking for cooperation between Aggies and Sailors in June and October, but the rivalry between "Ole Army" and the "Bath Tub Boys" continued. The contract between A.& M. and the Navy called for A.& M. to provide instruction in electricity and radio materiel, • and radio maintenance and operation; classrooms and accommodations for 1,400 Navy and Marine students. Each course lasted one semester with 200 trainees entering and leaving every 30 days. Regular faculty taught the Navy and Marines. It was so difficult to replace these teachers and those called to active duty that some instructors were carrying a teaching load 50 percent greater than what they t ,, considered feasible during ordinary circumstances. A.& M. 16 lost 322 employees, including 95 teachers, to the armed fir services and defense industries. The School of Agriculture lost 10 faculty members to the Army. The coaching staff was depleted to four. The School of Arts and Sciences lost 24 instructors to the armed forces and the School of Engineering lost 11. The School of Engineering continued to teach Civilian Defense courses at A.& M. and across the state for the duration of the war. Increasing enrollment contributed to the greater teaching loads. The January 1942 enrollment declined by 900 from January 1941 because of the war. The College expected enrollment for the fall of 1942 to reach 6,000 and no more. It reached 6,422 and caused a housing shortage. The Navy and Marines lived in the six largest dormitories, so Aggies lived four to a dorm room or found off - campus housing Rationing While there wasn't a shortage of students or men to be trained in 1942, rationing hit A.& M. The Battalion published a list of what the well - dressed Aggie would not be wearing: brass ornaments, rubber -soled shoes, and uniform trouser cuffs. Students turned war ration books into the mess hall. The mess hall didn't use the books to buy food, it just took them out of circulation. The Aggies ate well during the war. Food was grown on the campus and 13 steers were carved and roasted a day to feed the Aggies. Because sugar was rationed, the mess hall was permitted 20 ounces of 17 sugar a day for every 24 men. All the allotted sugar was placed on the breakfast table. Sugar not used at breakfast was used in the tea at lunch time. A steel shortage forced the College to redesign a dance slab it was building. Official Corps trips to out -of -town football games were canceled because federal law prohibited rail companies from running special trains. Students, including the Aggie Band, could go to the games if they found a way to get there . 127 Fall of 1942 In November 1942, a train brought a Universal Pictures movie crew to Texas A.& M. to film "We've Never Been Licked. " 128 The movie was billed as depicting A.& M. history and traditions. Producer Walter Wanger filmed 80 percent of the movie on campus and included scenes of the Corps of Cadets and A.& M.'s canine mascot, Reveille. The filming caused both excitement and annoyance. The College required students to participate and even canceled classes. Students held mock reviews and stood in ranks for hours for the camera. "The faculty and administrative authorities are anxious to get the movie taking completed as soon as possible, and with the minimum of interference with classes," said Dean F.C. Bolton, "So I urge the fullest cooperation from teachers and students to this end. " 133 "We've Never Been Licked" is the story of Brad Craig, a new cadet who has difficulty adjusting to A.& M. Other 18 students mistrust him because he had lived in Japan for many years and befriends two Japanese gardeners who, Craig learns, are spies. He convinces the gardeners that he is a sympathizer, drops out of A.& M. and goes to Japan. In Tokyo, he broadcasts propaganda against the Allies. Everyone, except his A.& M. roommate, believes he is a traitor. Japanese Intelligence permits Craig to broadcast a play -by -play of an upcoming naval battle from a plane. Once airborne, Craig knocks out the pilot, radios the location of the Japanese ships to the American fleet and crashes the plane into an enemy carrier. In the last scene, a crowd attends a ceremony at Kyle Field awarding Craig the Medal of Honor posthumously. 134 The movie was supposed to premier at A.& M. in early 1943, but because of delays, the Aggies didn't see their movie until August 6, 1943. On the whole, the Aggies liked the movie. Some felt it accurately depicted "Aggieland "; others said it did not. Critics panned the movie. The Boston Herald suggested the writer of the script be shot and . called the plot impossible and the climax ridiculous.136 A New York Times reviewer wrote that the movie was based on cliches and "The spirit of the film is sophomoric and plotting so artificial that its pretensions to reality are ridiculous. " 137 After H.L. Monk of the St. Louis Globe Democrat criticized the movie, he received a letter signed by 61 Aggies of the Class of '47 criticizing his criticism. The writer published part of their letter and wrote that his 19 criticism was directed at "We've Never Been Licked" and not at A.& M. 138 The Draft Again 1941 ended with the draft age lowered to 20. 1942 ended with the draft age lowered to 18. Realizing the change would come, A.& M. worked with the War Department to keep students enrolled as long as possible. The War Department announced the Army Specialized Training Program in the fall of 1942. It would replace the advanced ROTC courses that were discontinued temporarily in the spring. Sophomores could not get contracts unless they joined the Enlisted Reserve Corps. The program worked like this: Students enlisted in the Army but were placed on inactive status and remained on campus to continue their training. If they left school, they were called to active duty. Like young men who didn't join, students in the Reserve Corps could be called at any time after they reached draft age. This was symptomatic of the confusion that still plagued the conscription laws. Universities and students were told that trained men were vitally important to the war effort and that students should remain in school as long as possible but the government provided no way to protect college students from the draft. Students majoring in "necessary" courses like physics, chemistry and engineering could receive deferments, but only after reaching their junior year. The Association of Former Students wrote 20 President Roosevelt, members of Congress, and the Secretary of War, urging them to fix the college student's place in the conscription laws and "end the confusion and even unfairness of the present situation. " 147 In September, the Secretary of War announced that all members of the Army Enlisted Reserve would be subject to call to active duty when they reached draft age. This began a new collection of rumors, some saying that the Enlisted Reserve would be called on a certain date others that the whole Corps would be drafted and that A.& M. would be turned into an Officer Training Camp in 1943. President Walton and Colonel Welty tried to squelch the rumors. The were afraid that students, thinking they were about to be drafted, would leave school to volunteer. They pointed out that, while rumors were flying that the Enlisted Reserve would be called soon, no one had been called yet. Both encouraged freshmen and sophomores to join the Enlisted Reserve.15o By the close of the Enlisted Reserve Program in December, 1,839 Aggies had joined the ERC. Several hundred joined the Navy and Marine Reserve. The rumors continued into 1943. On the last day of 1942, the Battalion announced that contract juniors had received their orders to active duty. 1943 The wave that hit in December 1941 deposited change and the new responsibility of teaching defense training and the Navy and Marine training programs. It eroded some Aggie 21 traditions and removed teachers from the college. That erosion and deposition continued in 1943. Students were called to active duty, and new changes came about as A.& M. continued to model itself even closer to a military format. The College gained the responsibility of the Army Specialized Training Program and of giving pre- flight instruction to Army Air Corps officer candidates. In August, President Walton retired and was replaced by Interim President F.C. Bolton. In two ways, 1943 began like 1942: A &M became home to another group of trainees, this time the Army Air Corps; and the College remodeled the campus on an even more militaristic format. The Navy and Marines were still on campus. The Battalion asked them to contribute columns in February. It wanted "editorials, features and gossip. " 155 More Military The War Department required that all military colleges adopt a new schedule in which each week students attended class for 25 hours, had supervised study for 25 hours and participated in five hours of compulsory physical education. Classes would be held Monday through Saturday. All students would observe Call to Quarters, and lights were to be extinguished at Taps. "The success of the new program will be a deciding factor in the future of A.& M. and of its students in the war effort," said President Walton. "Now we are face to face with the hard reality of war and there are 22 certain things, such as the traditions of A.& M. which we love so much, that must be surrendered. " 156 As in 1942, the Aggies complained about the attack on A.& M. traditions. But in 1943, the complaints were tempered. An editor of the Battalion wrote, "We liked to have died when they took the fish away; we nearly had a fit when they installed the new order; the corps threatened to walk out when we felt we were being pushed around. We don't worry about things now. True, we feel that A.& M. isn't the same." But, "We have a war to think about, a war that is above and beyond our own personal and local bellyaches. " 157 Induction All juniors and seniors enrolled in the advanced ROTC were called to active duty effective at end of the semester. Juniors were assigned another semester of training at A.& M. as Army privates. They received Army pay but wore a slightly modified cadet officer's uniform. "Provided the War Department issues no further instructions," said Colonel Welty, "we will continue with the cadet system of controlling and disciplining the Corps with a few modifications." After completing the semester and becoming seniors, the privates were sent to a replacement training center and to officer candidate school for commissions. A War Department memorandum in February answered some of the questions concerning the Enlisted Reserve Corps. Seniors (Ikr with advanced contracts would continue at A.& M. until 23 graduation or June 30, 1943. An active duty call for all tir other members of the Enlisted Reserve having contracts was to wait until the Army Specialized Training Program was in place at A.& M. 160 Since the War Department did not mention exactly when the Army Specialized Training Program would be implemented at A.& M., the rumor mill kept churning out dates that the Enlisted Reserve Corps would supposedly be called up. One rumor said February 1, 161 another said the third week in February. On March 2, the Battalion ran the headline, "Thousands of Rumors Killed, Nothing New on ERC call. " 163 Nine days later, Colonel Welty announced that implementation of the Army Specialized Training Program was postponed "indefinitely. "164 A week later, the first activation orders arrived. Every five days, 270 Enlisted Reserve Corps contract -ROTC men would be called until all 1,306 juniors and seniors were activated. Students reported to receptions centers, were issued uniforms, and returned to A.& M. as privates for further training. Since the government would pay for their training, A.& M. refunded inducted students the unused portion of their fees. The activation was marked by a full -dress review of the Cadet Corps, Army Air Corps, Sailors and Marines .167 Students, like Clyde C. Franklin and Henry Rougegnac, were relieved to be called. Franklin told The Battalion, "Activation of the ERC 'falleth as a gentle rain from Heaven' 24 ending a long period of suspense." Rougegnac said, "I think it's a good deal because its just about the same set up with that fifty bucks thrown in for good measure. n168 Private Darrell E. Griffin wrote to the Battalion from the Camp Wolters reception center, "It ain't no rumor about the ERC's being called in!" and said their new motto was "22 promotions and we will be 4 -star generals. " 169 At the end of the semester 1,304 were sent to special service schools. In June 1943, advanced ROTC courses were discontinued and the number of ROTC fields was reduced from nine to seven: Infantry, Cavalry, Field Artillery, Coast Artillery, Engineers, Signal Corps, and Chemical Warfare. Changes Plans for the Army Specialized Training Program were announced when advanced course ROTC was suspended, but it was not implemented until April. "The objective of the Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was to meet the need of the Army for the specialized technical training of soldiers , on active duty for certain Army tasks for which its own training facilities were insufficient. " 172 ASTP classes at A.& M. included advanced classes in civil, electrical and mechanical engineering and veterinary medicine. Enlisted men called for duty in the ASTP were placed on active duty, wore Army uniforms, and received pay. The A. &.M. curriculum shifted to courses needed by the Army and Navy training programs .174 25 When the ERC and Navy and Marine Reserve were called to active duty, Army trainees filled the dorms and classrooms as fast as they were vacated. Total student registration for June 1943 dropped to 1,655. Enrollment in the School of Agriculture dropped from 1,496 in July 1942 to 249 in July 1943. Enrollment rose in the fall to 2,033. Juniors and seniors were called at the end of the previous semester. Most of these students who remained were below draft age, received deferments for necessary training or were physically unfit for service .179 The depopulation caused more changes to the campus. Over a hundred teachers were gone.l All but one or two reporters on the Battalion left for service in June. Membership in the Aggie Band was opened to any cadet who could play an instrument. The average age of 1943 football players was 17 years. Because of this, they were nicknamed the "Kiddie Korps." Jesse 'Red' Burditt, a member of the Kiddie Korps, said that at other schools, the Army and Navy trainees were allowed to play on college teams. The Aggies . made it all the way to the Orange Bowl that year because, "No one told us we weren't supposed to win. '1184 The Aggie Band was also largely made up of freshmen. It dropped from a 210 - piece marching band to 60 pieces. 1944 The confusion over the Selective Service laws eased as • the war progressed. Figuring out who would be called and 26 when became simple: Everyone who was physically able would go after their 18th birthday. Students and teachers in certain science and engineering fields considered necessary to the war effort could remain in school, but deferment regulations were strict. In February 1944, they tightened even further. Quotas were assigned to colleges for deferment. Selections were based on scholarship. 186 In April, the Selective Service canceled the engineering, physics, and chemistry deferments allowed under the quota system. The regulations tightened further, making deferrable only veterinarian medicine students and students scheduled to graduate by July 1, 1944. Students 18 and over were still encouraged to remain in school as long as possible and try to complete enough of a semester to get credit for it. Enrollment dropped to 1,665 in the summer semester but climbed to 2,073 in the fal1. One of the reasons the summer semester had so few students was that A.& M. dropped junior- and senior -level courses for the summer semester. The deferment cancellations left too few juniors and seniors for A.& M. to hold the classes. The juniors and seniors left on campus were listed as physically unfit for service, were veterinary students or had been discharged from service . 193 The Servicemen There were over 2,500 ASTP men on campus in January • 1944. "Courses taught at A.& M. are concentrated versions of 27 regular college courses, adapted to Army needs," said the chief of the Army Specialized Training Branch, Colonel Beverly H. Coiner. "Military training is not forgotten because classes are carried on in military fashion and soldiers have plenty of military drill. " 194 In February, the War Department announced that basic ASTP training would be canceled. In March, the ASTP trainees were assigned to regular units. In May, the Army Specialized Training Program in Veterinarian Medicine was discontinued. The Battalion expressed regret that the ASTP men were leaving. "Since these men have been on the campus of the college, they have become a part of the customs and the social life of the campus. Through their friendliness and t or their adaptability to their surroundings they have become 'Aggies' and have willingly and proudly carried on the traditionalism and spirit that has made this school famous from coast to coast. " 197 When asked their opinion of A.& M., the ASTP men said they liked the school but there was a "terrible lack of things to do." One service man said, "Fine• school, but no women. " 198 The other services began to either reduce the number of men in training or depart in 1944. The Army Air Corps left campus in the summer. From its start in February 1943 to its end in June 1944, 4,092 were assigned training at A.& M. When the Marines left in November, 2,380.marine trainees had been enrolled since the program began in April 1942 and 2,108 had graduated. A much smaller group of trainees 28 replaced them on campus. The Army Specialized Training Reserve Program instructed boys who had finished high school before reaching the draft age. They wore government- issued uniforms and studied engineering. Because so many students and trainees left, the College found itself over - staffed in the summer of 1944. Some teachers had returned from the armed services though 72 remained on active duty. A.& M. asked the excess teachers to find temporary work in the defense industries so they could gain experience and contribute to the war effort. Around 20 teachers followed this plan. The Naval Training School remained on campus. The A.& M. - Navy contract helped the College keep its doors open to civilian students. But the rivalry between the Sailors and the Aggies continued. Though the rivalry was not obtrusive (few former students remember it) a committee was formed in September to better relations between the two groups. Each side admitted it knew little about the other and agreed to abolish a dividing line separating the Aggie and Navy dormitories. The two sides developed a plan to improve relations and in November the Cadet Corps honored the Navy with a formal dance. Student Life Two complaints the Aggies had about the Navy were that the Sailors rooted for other football teams and failed to follow Aggie hitchhiking etiquette. The Battalion published 29 an editorial encouraging the Aggies to make the Navy feel welcome. If the Sailors felt they were a part of the school, they might support the Aggie football team. "When the first naval detachment arrived on the campus the Aggies ignored the sailors and the sailors drew into a shell and overlooked the Aggies. They did not know the Aggies and the Aggies did not know them. Mistakes have been made on both sides.i The Battalion asked the Sailors to follow proper hitchhiking etiquette. Hitchhiking, important to Aggies before the war, became their primary means of transportation during the war. Aggie lore told of Keyes Carson who, in 1941, hitchhiked from campus to New York then to the Pacific and back to campus in a weekend. When official Corps trips were discontinued in 1942, 6,000 Cadets made it to the SMU football game by hitchhiking. The system worked like this: Certain corners on the road were designated highway corners. Cadets needing rides would form a line at the corners and cars would pick up the first man in line. They believed drivers would be less likely to stop if they saw a mob of hitchhikers waiting The Sailors upset the Aggies by "upstreaming" — a breach of hitch hiking etiquette.209 A person upstreamed by cutting ahead in line or flagging down a car before it reached the designated corner. When picked up, Aggies were expected to be courteous passengers. Gasoline and tire rationing made it more difficult to get rides. At the end of 1944, the Aggies dedicated their annual f ifr Thanksgiving Day football game against the University of 30 Texas at Austin to their mascot Reveille, who had died in January. While in Austin, they were seen by Horace B. Shelton who wrote the Dallas Morning News wanting to know why they were not in the armed forces. "To me," he wrote, "it seems particularly out of place that these young men, clothed in the uniform of their country, are parading to a football game instead of to the battlefields, where 11,000,000 other young men are fighting gloriously for their country. " 213 A.& M. responded by saying that of the 1,893 students enrolled, only 18.8 percent were eligible for military service. Of these, 365 were in the reserve, 190 were studying veterinary medicine and one was a service man. The rest of the student body was ineligible, mostly for age and physical reasons. A.& M. had 1,025 students below draft age who were still being told they could best serve their country by staying in school. "For the record," the response went, "in the present war A.& M. has nine major - generals, 16 brigadier - generals, 12,000 commissioned officers and 4,000 enlisted men in the army." In the Marine Corps, A.& M. had 300 enlisted men, 300 commissioned officers and one major general. Of the 500 A.& M. alumni in the Navy, 250 were commissioned and 250 enlisted. To date, there were 350 Aggie war dead, 67 missing, and 118 prisoners of war. Traditions General George F. Moore, former Commandant of the Corps of Cadets, was a prisoner of the Japanese. He had been 31 stationed on Corrigidor in the Philippine Islands when "the Rock" fell to the Japanese. Before the island fell, General Moore and the other former students held a Muster ceremony. Muster had begun in 1903 to commemorate the men who died in the Battle of San Jacinto. Since then, the students and former students have come together on April 21 to answer roll call for Aggies who have died. One unique Muster ceremony took place in 1944 with the theme "The 1944 Muster Follows the Sun." Hundreds of meetings would be held wherever there were Aggies, beginning on one of the islands near the international dateline (Guadalcanal, the Fiji and Marshall Islands, and New Zealand) and follow the sun around the Earth, ending with Hawaii. The last Muster ceremony would be held in Hawaii. Many times during the war, Aggies felt their traditions were being eroded away, but the tradition of Muster grew because of the war. In May 1944, the Aggies submitted a proposal to the governing board asking for the return of upperclassmen privileges and a revision in the demerit system. Over a thousand marched to the Academic Building and formed ranks. A student committee tried to enter the board's meeting but was refused. The Cadets marched back to their dorms in military fashion, picked up blankets and returned to the Academic Building where they spent the night. When Reveille and First Call sounded at six the next morning, they marched back to their dormitories, then to breakfast and attended classes as usual. The student committee submitted 32 t ur a modified proposal that was accepted a few days later. Juniors and seniors regained privileges of late lights. They could go out two nights a week after signing the pass book. Cadet officers could grant late lights for underclassmen to study until midnight. No change was made in the demerit system. The Cadets made one more request in October: They wanted a party when Germany was defeated. The Battalion wrote, "It must be that the directors of these institutions have realized that regardless of whether the holiday is official or not that the students will take the day off for celebration. " 219 Victory in Europe Day did not come until May 8, 1945 but A.& M. had begun preparing for the post -war period long before. The Wave Leaves -- 1945 A.& M. had begun looking toward the post -war years in 1941. The College established committees to research changes the war would bring and to foretell how those changes. would affect A.& M. The College used the committee reports on enrollment, housing, veterans' needs, etc., to determine the plans for a post -war A.& M. Although veterans had begun to return to campus in 1944 the large influx began in spring of 1945. They used their G.I. Bills to continue their education. . Of the 70 who enrolled at A.& M., only one joined the Corps of Cadets. Even with the addition of the veterans, enrollment at A.& M. 33 dropped to a war -time low of 1,303. This drop in enrollment was compounded by the departure of the Naval Training Schoo1. The army continued to assign boys under 18 to the ASTP program until July 1946. Running low on people to teach, A.& M. concentrated on preparing for the post -war years. It expected a large influx of returning veterans but was unprepared to house or teach them. The College would need many more teachers and more advanced courses. Other institutions would also need more teachers. All would have to compete with industries that could offer higher salaries. "As a result," wrote President Gibb Gilchrist, "some substandard members will be employed and all will, of necessity, carry a heavier load than is desirable. " 228 Lack of classroom and lab space would also be a problem. The College asked for and received the Bryan Army Air Field to house and teach overflow freshmen. Since enrollment rose to 5,800 in the 1945 -1946 school year and was expected to reach 7,750 in 1946 -1947, no out -of -state students would be admitted in 1946 - 1947. The College expected enrollment to reach 10,000 within four years after that. In August 1945, the Aggies held an impromptu midnight parade and got President Gilchrist out of bed on a false peace report. The next day was Victory in Japan Day. That night, they celebrated with a yell practice. The last major changes caused by the war were fading from the campus in 1945. A.& M. canceled the accelerated program, effective 34 in spring 1946. The War Department reactivated the ROTC in Lir October. The servicemen left and in the fall, enrollment began to recover. It became obvious that the permanent change the war brought would not be felt until after the Armed Forces demobilized and veterans returned with the G.I. Bill, forcing the College to grow. Conclusion A.& M. first sighted the wave that would hit in 1939. The changes the war caused were minor until December 7, 1941. The few people called to duty were just a taste of the bite the war would take out of the College's enrollment. The "Save Our Spoons" campaign didn't prepare the Aggies for the • changes in their uniforms and Corps trips that rationing would bring later. The real erosion and deposition occurred from 1942 to 1944, when teachers and students were called to duty in large numbers and the Army and Navy deposited trainees on campus. A.& M. trained 4,000 Air Corps pre- flight cadets, 13,364 Navy' and Marine trainees and 4,105 students in the Army Specialized Training Program. Some 17,500 former students served in the war, 950 of them dying The war eroded some A.& M. traditions but they remained intact. When the war left in 1945, A.& M. was already recovering from temporary changes brought. The lasting effect of the war would come in the form of returning veterans. The large 35 post -war influx of students spurred A &M to grow into the University of 42,524 it is today. 36 tor END NOTES 'Gillis, Tom, The Cadence: A Handbook For Freshmen (No city or publisher given, 1942), 7. 2 Gillis, Tom, The Cadence: A Handbook For Freshmen (No city or publisher given, 1942), 13. 3 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Lanaal Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 3. 4 "Texas Aggies and the World War -- No. 2," Battalion, 17 September 1940. 5 Gillis, Tom, The Cadence: A Handbook For Freshmen (No city or publisher given, 1942), 23. 6 "2000 Aggies Served In Army, Navy, And Marine Corps During World War" Battalion, 11 November 1939. 7 "Ninety Days After Pearl Harbor A &M Marches On," Battalion, 7 March 1942. 8 "WORLD WAR SOON TO COME, SAYS VANDERBILT," Battalion, 17 February 1939. 9 "Another World War Soon to Come Predicts Max Brauer, German Refugee, During Lecture Here Monday Night," Battalion, 7 March 1939. 10 "ASHBURN TELLS RESERVE OFFICERS U.S. NOT READY; BRELAND HONORED," Battalion, 24 February 1939. 11 "Air Corps Wants List of Graduates," Battalion, 31 October 1939. 12 Fuerman, George, "A &M College Is Pushing National Defense Cooperation," Battalion, 7 January 1941. 13 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas 37 for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 12. 14 "410 Contracts Are Available to Juniors; 493 Are applied For," Battalion, 31 October 1939. 15 "A.& M. MEN MAY HAVE CHANCE AT REGULAR ARMY," Battalion, 21 February 1939. 16 "SENIORS HAVE CHANCE AT REGULAR ARMY," Battalion, 2 May 1939. 17 "U.S. Army Will Be Expanded to Peace Limit of 280,000," Battalion, 12 October 1939. 18 "Airport May Be Established Here Soon," Battalion, 26 September 1939. 19 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1939 -1940 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 1, 1940), 24. 20 "War Department Holds Fate Of $350,000 Airport," Battalion, 11 July 1940. 21 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 27. 22 "Fire At College Airport Destroys Two C.A.A. Training Planes; Course Is Slowed," Battalion, 4 July 1940. 23 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1939 -1940 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 1, 1940), 7. 24 "W Time Log of A &M," Battalion, 7 March 1942. 25 Dethloff, Henry C., A Centennial History of Texas A &M University, 1876 -1976 (College Station: Texas A &M University Press, 1975), 451. • 26 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1939 -1940 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 1, 1940), 7. 38 27 "Radical Changes Now Being Planned in Infantry Drill [ Likely to Be Adopted at A.& M. Next Year," Battalion, 24 February 1939. 28 "Students to Take Flying Study Named," Battalion, 6 January 1940. 29 "Athenia' Passenger Anne Moore Tells of Torpedoing," Battalion 10 October 1939. 30 "Texas Aggies and the World War -- No. 2," Battalion, 17 September 1940. 31 "2000 Aggies Served In Army, Navy, And Marine Corps During World War" Battalion, 11 November 1939. 32 Rudy, Willis, Total War and Twentieth- Century Higher Education (Rutherford: Associated University Press: 1991), 72. 33 "1,445 Aggies Register For Selective Service," Battalion, 19 October 1940. 34 I.L. Kandel, The Impact of the War Upon American Education (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1948), 123-128. 35 "Draft Registration Day is Wednesday," Battalion, 15 October 1940. 36 "ROTC Contract Exempt Aggies From Army Draft," Battalion, 22 August 1940. 37 Fuerman, George, "A &M College Is Pushing National Defense Cooperation," Battalion, 7 January 1941. 38 "Military Five Year Men Get Early Degree," Battalion, 24 May 1941. 39 "1,445 Aggies Register For Selective Service," Battalion, 19 October 1940. 40 "Draft Registration Date Wednesday," Battalion, 15 October 1940. 41 "Draft Law Amendment A Possibility," Battalion, 14 January 1941. 42 "Senior ROTC Cadets Receive Active Duty Call June 1," Cir Battalion, 13 February 1941. 39 43 "Seniors Going in Service to Have Special Exercises," 41 1 Battalion, 22 May 1941. 44 "Special Commencement Exercises Scheduled Friday," _ . 1, 29 May 1941. 45 "Seniors Going in Service to Have Special Exercises," Battalion, 22 May 1941. 46 Walton, T.O., "The President's Message," Battalion, 18 January 41. 47 "Sophomores Will Be Given ROTC Contracts In May Senate Amends Bill; Reduces Dormitories From Six To four," Battalion 22 March 1941. 48 "War Dept Grants A &M 100 More MS Contracts," Battalion, 11 January 1941. 48 "510 Contracts Will Be Offered Juniors in ROTC," Battalion, 8 October 1940. 50 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 - 1941 (College Station: Agricultural i and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 12. 51 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 42. 52 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural ' and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 8. 53 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 11. 54 "Colonel Moore Notified of Transfer," Battalion, 30 April 1940. 55 "Aggie Heroes Freed From Japs," Battalion, 6 September 1945. 40 56 Adams, John A., Jr., We Are The Aggies: The Texas A &M University of Former Students (College Station: Texas A &M (610 University Press, 1979,), 149. 57 "Lt. Col. James A. Watson Relieved As Commandant," Battalion, 22 May 1941. 58 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 11. 59 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 29 -31. 6 oAgricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 8. 61 Fuerman, George, "College Is Pushing National Defense Cooperation," Battalion, 7 January 1941. 62 "A &M Will Soon Offer Civilian Defense Training," Battalion, 16 January 1941. "Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 29 -30. 64 "Special National Defense Courses Planned for A.& M. Summer Session, Battalion, 11 June 1941. 65 "No Chance of Getting Out of That Chemistry Lab Because of Shortage of Materials Here," Battalion, 23 October 1941. 66 "Coordination Group Appointed to Solve Mess Hall Problems," Battalion, 20 November 1941. 67 "Defense Rating Slows Completion of New Dormitories," Battalion, 21 October 1941. 68 "Defense Taxes Raise Prices Of Senior Class Rings," Battalion, 14 October 1941. ""SOS — Save Our Spoons," Battalion, 9 September 1941. 41 7 U "481 STUDENTS MORE THAN LAST YEAR REGISTERED," Battalion, 10 October 1939. 71 "Total 1st Semester Enrollment Is 6528," Battalion, 5 October 1940. 72 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 22. 73 "W Time Log of A &M," Battalion, 7 March 1942. 74 "ROTC Contract Exempt Aggies From Army Draft," Battalion, 22 August 1940. 75 "Speculation Runs Rampant As Aggies Hear First War Reports," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 76 "Ninety Days After Pearl Harbor A &M Marches On," Battalion, 7 March 1942. 77 "Walton, Welty Urge Cadets to Continue Studies As (11, Usual," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 78 "'Remain in School'" Profs Tell Students," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 79 "Wishes of US, College in Agreement," Battalion, 11 December 1941. 8o "If Called to Duty Full Credit Will be Given'- - Welty," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 81 "Faculty Cooperates With Selective Service Boards," Battalion, 13 December 1941. 82 "All Facilities of A &M Extended to US Government," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 83 "'If Called to Duty Full Credit Will be Given'- - Welty," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 84 "Army, Stand Ready!," Battalion, 9 December 1941. 42 85 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 22. 86 "No Finals, May 26 Graduation, Three Semester Year, Passes Academic Council, Awaits Final Board Edict," Battalion, 8 January 1942 87 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 34. 88 "No Finals, May 26 Graduation, Three Semester Year, Passes Academic Council, Awaits Final Board Edict," Battalion, 8 January 1942. 89 "Future Educational Policy at Stake Today," Battalion, 10 January 1942. 90 Rosenthal, E.M., "Random Remarks," Battalion, 18 January 1942. • 91 "No Finals, May 26 Graduation, Three Semester Year, Passes Academic Council, Awaits Final Board Edict," Battalion, 8 January 1942. 92 "Board Approves No Finals, 12 Month School Year," Battalion, 18 January 1942. 93 "Sweeping Changes to Effect Every Student Monday," Battalion, 22 January 1942. 94 "Aggieland's New War History Written In Headlines of Your Battalion Newspaper," Battalion, 25 February 1943. 95 Holekamp, James C. "They Capitalize on the War," Battalion, 3 February 1942. 96 Walton, T.O., "From President Walton, A Message," Battalion, 31 January 42. 97 "Sweeping Changes to Effect Every Student Monday," Battalion, 22 January 1942. 98 "Navy Considers A &M As Site for Training Schools," • Battalion, 14 February 1942. 43 ® 99 "Hello, Navy. We're Glad You're Here," Battalion, 31 March 1942. loo "First 1942 Review Marked Up for Navy Arrivals March 31," Battalion, 26 March 1942. 101 "Marines Land, Enjoy Mess Hall; Puzzled by Uniforms, Customs," Battalion, 28 April 1942. 102 "Navy Blue Blends With Army and Marine Corps Khaki on Campus as College Trains Seamen," Battalion, 2 June 1942. 103 Gillis, Tom, The Cadence: A Handbook For Freshmen (No city or publisher given, 1942), 179 -182. 104 "Aggie Slanguage, Duties In Mess Hall Explained to New Freshmen," Battalion, 6 June 1944. 105 "Cooperation With Navy, Battalion, 11 June 42. 1 o 6 Gardner, Robert, "Open Forum," Battalion, 22 October 42. 1 o 7 Wall, Darrell, "Open Forum," Battalion, 22 October 42. C r 108 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), p14. 109 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941-1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), p8. 110 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942) 21. 111 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 - 1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 23. 112 Agricultural and Mechanical College of•Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 7. 44 113 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 - 1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), p36. 114 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 17 -19. 115 "A Coaching Staff Thinned As Karow Goes to US Navy," Battalion, 18 April 1942. 116 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 - 1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), p24 -27. 117 "Late Registration Hikes Second Term Enrollment to 5338," Battalion, 29 January 1942. 118 "Enrollment for Next Half Expected to Reach 6,000," Battalion, 17 September 1942. 119 "Enrollment Hits High For All Time With 6,422 Men," Battalion, 3 October 1942. 120 "Corps Faces Shortage Of Collar Brass," Battalion, 30 July 1942. 121 "What the Well Dressed Aggie Will Not Wear This Summer -- Cuffs, Sport Shirts, Rubber Soles," Battalion, 6 June 1942. 122 "Leftover Sugar At Breakfast Is Used In Lunch Time Tea," Battalion, 6 June 1942. 123 "Hollywood Paper Tells What Movie Makers Think of A &M," Battalion, 5 July 1943. 124 "Leftover Sugar At Breakfast Is Used In Lunch Time Tea," Battalion, 6 June 1942. 125 "Steel Shortage Causes Change in Slab Design," Battalion, 13 June 1942. 126 "Band Rides ?" Battalion, 5 November 1942. 127 "Corps Trip Canceled Because of Transportation," 22 October 1942. 45 128 "Wanger Production Unit Arrives," Battalion, November 1942. 129 "Hollywood Will Bring Aggieland to Screen," Battalion, 17 July 1942. 130 "Hollywood Paper Tells What Movie Makers Think of A &M," Battalion, 5 July 1943. 131 "Filming Will Supersede Classes If Weather Permits," Battalion, 5 December 1942. 132 "S Now We See What a Job It Really Is To Produce a Picture," Battalion, 8 December 1942. 133 "Filming Will Supersede Classes If Weather Permits," Battalion, 5 December 1942. 134 "Synopsis of "We've Never Been Licked" Reveals Unusual Story," Battalion, 3 December 1942. 135 "Corps, Faculty and Staff Pleased with "We've Never Been Licked," Battalion 7 August 1943. 136 "Boston Herald Razzes Universal - Aggie Film As an . Injustice To Texas A &M College," Battalion, 2 February 1943. 137 "NYT Reporter Criticizes WNBL" Battalion, 14 August 1943. 138 "Comments on We've Never Been Licked Continue," Battalion, 14 August 1943. 139 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 12. 140 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 7. 141 "Enlistment in Reserves Is Required for Contracts," Battalion, 2 May 1942. 142 I.L. Kandel, The Impact of the War Upon American Education (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1948), 127 -128) 46 143 "Enlistment in Reserves Is Required for Contracts," Battalion, 2 May 1942. 144 I.L. Kandel, The Impact of the War Upon American Education (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1948), 128. 145 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 11). 146 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1941 -1942 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1942), 35. 147 "Ex - Students Offer College Plan for War," Battalion, 5 November 1942. 148 "Enlisted Reserve'Corps Are Subject to Call," Battalion, 12 September 1942. 149 "Walton Tells Probable War Plans for A &M," Battalion, ' 19 November 1942, • 150 "Statement By Walton, Welty Squelches Rumors," Battalion, 3 December 1942. 151 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943), 7. 152 "JUNIORS CALLED TO ACTIVE DUTY HERE," Battalion, 31 December 1942. 153 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, 1940),8. 154 "Walton Resigns As President of A.& M." Battalion, 12 August 1943. 155 "Attention Bluejackets and Marines," Battalion, 27 February 1943. 156 "Full Six Day Week Headlines A &M System," Battalion, February 1943. 47 . 157 "Aggieland's Cycle . . " Battalion, 25 February 1943. 158 "Modified Cadet Set -up Remains," Battalion, 2 January 1943. 159 "Contract Men to Be Called to Duty Here," Battalion, 6 February 1943. 16 o "Contract Men To Be Sent To Induction Centers For Activation When Specialized Training Begins," Battalion, 6 March 1943. 161 "ERC to Remain in School, Inactive and Unassigned," Battalion, 12 January 1943. 162 "ERC Rumors Unfounded, Nothing New," Battalion, 16 February 1943. 163 "Thousands of Rumors Killed, Nothing New on ERC Call," 2 March 1943. 164 "ERC Activation Order Indefinitely Postponed," Battalion, 11 March 1943. 16511 CONTRACT MEN RECEIVE ORDERS," Battalion, 18 March 1943. 166 "Contract Men to Wear Government -Issue Uniforms," Battalion, 20 March 1943. 167 "ALL POST REVIEW HELD FRIDAY AT 2:30, Battalion, 18 March 1943. 168 "Aggies Are Ready," Battalion, 18 March 1943. 169 "First Reports Come in Of Aggies Called to Active Duty," Battalion, 25 March 1943. 170 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943), 35. 171 "Non -ERC's Accepted for Army Specialized Training, Battalion, 8 April 1943. 172 I.L. Kandel, The Impact of the War Upon American Education (Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1948), 152. 48 173 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943) 23. 174 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943) 30. 175 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943) 8. 176 "Summer Semester Enrollment Reaches 1,655," Battalion, 3 June 1943. 177 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943), 13. . 178 "Total Enrollment For This Semester Goes Over 2,000," B attalion, 30 September 1943. 179 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 5. 180 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1942 -1943 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, October 1, 1943), 7. 181 " Swan Song" Battalion, 20 May 1943. 182 "Band Membership Available to All Branches," Battalion, 19 January 1943. 183 Forsyth, John D. The Aggies and the Horns, (Texas Monthly Press: 1981), 18. 184 Jesse, Burditt, member of the Kiddie Korps. Interview by author March 1994. 185 "The Texas Aggie Band. . . ," Battalion, 14 October 1943. • 49 . 186 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 - 1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 5. 187 "Deferment Cancellation Affects Majority at A &M," Battalion, 11 April 1944. 188 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 5. - 189 "Deferment Cancellation Affects Majority at A &M," Battalion, 11 April 1944. 190 "Total Registration Reaches 1665 Mark," Battalion, 15 June 1944. 191 "Enrollment Climbs To 2073; 779 New," Battalion, 6 October 1944. 192 "Junior and Senior Courses Are Discontinued," • Battalion, 3 April 1944. 193 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 5. 194 "ASTP Advantages And Qualifications Stated By Command," Battalion, 4 January 1944. 195 "Basic ASTU Disbands, Trainees Depart From Campus," ' Battalion, 21 March 1944. 196 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 18. 197 "Loss of the ASTP . . ," Battalion, 24 February 1944. 198 "Departing Trainees Find Aggieland Long On Spirit But Short On Recreation, Poll of ASTP Unit Shows, "•Battalion, 21 March 1944. 4/1 199 "Cadet Program Curtailed To Meet Quotas For AAF," Battalion, 4 April 1944. 50 200 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1944 -1945 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 12. 201 "Marine Aviation Detachment Leaves," Battalion, 7 November 1944. 202 "New Group A.S.T.R.P. Trainees To Arrive," Battalion, 1 August 1944. 203 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 -1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, 1940), 6. 204 "Just Friendly . . .," Battalion, 29 August 1944. 205 "Plans Made To Better Aggie -Navy Feeling," Battalion, 15 September 1944. 206 "Cadet Corps To Honor Sailors, Marines At Corps Ball Saturday Nite," Battalion, 31 October 1943. • 207 "Just Friendly . . .," Battalion, 29 August 1944. 208 "All On Campus Can Benefit From Improved Hitch Hiking Manners," 9 May 1944. 209 "Sailors Entertain Group of Aggies," Battalion, 6 October 1944. 210 "Highway Courtesies Toward Motorists," Battalion, 29 July 1943. 211 "NAVY NEWS," Battalion, 10 July 1943. 212 "Aggies To Break Memorial Stadium Jinx And Win One For Reveille As Game Is Dedicated To Her Memory," Battalion, 28 November 1944. 213 Shelton, Horace H., "Question . . . ," Battalion, 8 December 1944. 214 Brumley, Calvin, "A.& M. Replies," Battalion, 8 December 1944. • 215 "Aggie Heroes Freed From Japs," Battalion, 6 September 4/1 1945. 51 216 "Aggie Muster In 1944 To Follow The Sun April 21," Battalion, 24 February 1944. 217 "Cadet Corps Rises In Protest To Executive Order," Battalion, 13 May 1944. 218 "Corps Accepts Modified Privilege Points," Battalion, 18 May 1944. 219 "When the Yanks March In . . .," Battalion, 12 September 1944. 220 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1940 -1941 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, November 15, 1941), 13 -14. 221 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1944 - 1945 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1946), 6. 222 "Registration Reveals 1460 Men Now Enrolled in Student Body," Battalion, 8 February 1944. • 223 "Over Two- Hundred Freshmen Register For spring Term," Battalion, 9 February 1945. 224 "Frank Wiegand, Wounded In Italy Is Only Veteran To Join Corps," Battalion, 20 February 1945. 22 5 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1945 -1946 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1947), Forward. 226 "Naval Unit Stationed Here To Leave Campus Saturday," Battalion, 15 March 1945. 227 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1945 -1946 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1947), 6. 22 8 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1945 -1946 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1947), Forward. 52 r 11111017` 229 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, .se__ Ilk Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1945 -1946 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1947), 5. 230 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1945 -1946 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1947), Forward. 231 "1300 Aggies Register for Summer Semester," Battalion, 7 June 1945. 232 "Aggies Celebrate Victory," Battalion, 23 August 1945. 233 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, .ss__ Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1944 -1945 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1946), 7. 234 Ag ricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1944 - 1945 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1946), 28. 235 "Enrollment Climbs To 2073, 779 New," Battalion, 6 October 1944. 236 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1943 - 1944 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1945), 5. 237 Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, Annual Report of the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas for the Fiscal Year 1944 - 1945 (College Station: Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas, March 1, 1946), 5. 238 Adams, John A., Jr., We Are The Aggies: The Texas A &M University of Former Students (College Station: Texas A &M University Press, 1979,), 158. 239 Figures for Fall 1993 from the Office of the Registrar, Texas A &M University, April 14, 1994. 53