"Coup" in Honduras - Marco Caceres, Class of '76

William "Bill" Hathaway dies

William "Bill" Hathaway, 85, formerly of 163 Sutherlin Avenue, Danville, died Saturday, March 14, 2009, at Sitter Barfoot Veteran Care Center in Richmond, Virginia.

Born July 7, 1923, in Norfolk, Virginia, he was the son of the late Samuel Devereaux Hathaway and Katheryne Taylor Hathaway. He was married to Mildred New Hathaway who predeceased him.

He lived most of his life in the Danville area and was a graduate of Hargrave Military Academy and Averett University. He served 8 years with the US Marine Corps during World War II and the Korean War. He retired as Resident Naturalist Emeritus for the Pittsylvania County School System and was of the Episcopalian faith.

Bill Hathaway was an avid naturalist and devoted most of his life to the study of nature and science. He was always eager to share his knowledge with others through his writings in Nature's Niche, the various local museums he contributed to, and field trips that many students still remember. Bill began teaching a few years after he left the Marines in 1956. He taught at Dan River, Whitmell, Tunstall, and the Governor's school summer program. His practical approach to teaching with hands-on techniques generated enthusiasm in his students. It is much more interesting to apply trigonometry measuring the height of a tree than solving equations in the classroom. Bill touched many lives with his love of nature and he will always be remembered as the teacher from the University of Outdoors.

He is survived by his daughter, Katheryne H. Terry of Richmond; two brothers, Samuel D. Hathaway of Virginia Beach and Gardner Rugg Hathaway of Falls Church, Virginia. He is also survived by three grand-children, Jonathan T. Decker, Matthew and Benjamin Terry and two great-grandchildren, Ruby and Bella Decker. In addition to his wife and parents he was predeceased by a daughter, Peni Ray.

The family request memorial contributions may be made to the Danville Life Saving Crew, 202 Christopher Lane, Danville, Virginia 24541 or the Danville Science Center, 677 Craghead Street, Danville, Virginia 24541.

Those who wish may visit Bill's web site at http://www.pittpaths.com.

Published in the Danville Register & Bee, March 19, 2009

HMA teacher resigns after bringing weapon to school

An instructor at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham has resigned after bringing a weapon to the school.

The instructor brought the weapon, a World War II relic, to class April 2 as a prop for a lesson about the conflict, William Wiebking, director of communications at Hargrave, said Friday. The school declined to identify the instructor.

The weapon was not loaded and was brought to the campus with no malicious intent, Wiebking said. A student informed Hargrave officials after the class ended, he said.

"He was in violation of policy," Wiebking said. "He offered his resignation, and it was accepted."

Students and staff are forbidden from bringing weapons to the school. The academy has weapons for its rifle team and a shooting range, but the firearms are secured, and special staff must be present for them to be used, Wiebking said.

"School safety is extremely important to us," Wheeler Baker, a retired U.S. Marine colonel and president of Hargrave, said in a prepared statement. "A weapon has no place in the classroom."

The instructor's actions were not illegal and no arrest was made.

By John Crane
jcrane@registerbee.com
Danville Register & Bee
April 10, 2009

"Hambone"

Bill Hathaway's photo album can be viewed at http://www.pittpaths.com/author/photo. Bill attended Hargrave. The photograph is from the school yearbook of Bill's senior year (1941-1942). The photo is captioned:

William Taylor Hathaway, Danville, Virginia — “Hambone”
Private, Second Platoon, Co. B; Private, First Class, Second Platoon, Co. B; Corporal, Second Platoon, Co. B; Sergeant, Second Platoon, Co. B; First Lieutenant, Commanding Co. D; Track Team; Football Squad; Intramural Basketball; Military Proficiency Award; Y. M. C. A. Social Service Committee; Varsity Club; Sabre Club; Honor Roll.

Homecoming 2009

This year's Homecoming weekend at Hargrave will be on April 24-26. The school will welcome back returning alumni, former students, former teachers and current faculty and staff. The reunion classes served will be for the years 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2008.

Weekend activities will include a round of golf, alumni class photos, a Cadet parade and an awards ceremony. There will be a breakfast and lunch on Saturday. See the schedule at www.hargrave.edu/alumni/reunions.html

For more information, please contact Brad Broskie, who is the Director of Alumni Relations. Brad's e-mail address is broskieb@hargrave.edu. His phone number is (434) 432-3187.

The Sounds of Hargrave

By Leon Rue, '49

The slap of several hundred rifles hitting the left hands of several hundred cadets when "Port Arms" was called.

The splash of a "cannonball" into the pool.

The rat a tat tat of my drum playing "My Old Man" along with the bugles as the batallion marched into the mess hall.

The lornful sound of Taps.

The rifle reports on the firing range.

The lush sound of Russ Carlton and his 17 piece orchestra.

The thud of my vaulting pole hitting the "box".

The "ain no mo" of the dining room servers when asked for seconds.

The swish of the officer's sabres coming out of the scabbards.

The clink of medals on my dress uniform.

The bellow of the Battalion Commander as he called for "ATENNNN-HUT".

The peal of Chatham church bells calling us to worship.

These sounds of Hargrave still echo in my mind.

The Bullring

Hargrave history

Graduation Day in 1963

Lt. Col. William Zemp awarded Bronze Star, Purple Heart

Lt. Col. William Zemp on duty in Iraq

Lt. Col William Zemp said his most recent duty in Iraq was his most gratifying. He recently returned from service in Iraq has been awarded two of the nation’s top medals by the United States Army.

In December 2008, Zemp, commander of 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, received the Bronze Star and the Purple Heart for his service as a battalion commander in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

“The medal is awarded to an individual who, while serving in the U.S. Armed Forces, has performed a heroic act, meritorious achievement or distinguished service during armed conflict or ground combat while engaged against an armed enemy of the United States,” according to a brief from the Army/Air Force Hometown News service. “(Lt. Col.

Zemp’s) superb leadership, technical and tactical expertise and commitment to excellence while serving in combat operations contributed to the overwhelming success of the command’s mission,” the brief continued.

Zemp, son of Sid and Madge Zemp of Hartsville, was stationed in Mahmudiyah, Iraq, and commanded 700 soldiers responsible for an area known as the Triangle of Death. He and his unit worked with Iraqi security forces to defeat al-Qaeda and Iranian-sponsored insurgent groups, and the Bronze Star was awarded for the unit’s efforts during deployment.

“Being in a position of a commander,” Zemp said, “there is a tremendous amount of pride (in being awarded the medal) because it represents what your men have done. And it serves that someone is recognizing that.”

Zemp was injured in a blast that also injured two others soldiers and killed one Iraqi Army soldier. “That was a hard day,” he said of the injuries and casualty. “It doesn’t matter if it’s one of your guys or not. That’s one of the good guys. That was one of the guys who was charged with making sure I was protected.”

Zemp said the 15-month deployment is the third such deployment for many of the 700 soldiers under his command. “(The younger soldiers in the unit) continue to dispel the myths about them,” the 16-year military member said. He said many believe the younger generation doesn’t take things seriously and underachieves, but his soldiers have consistently proven those myths to be false.

“We see day and day again, they do a tremendous job with very little resources,” he said. “And whether it’s the scale of ethics, morals or the amount of courage they show on a daily basis, it is unmatched. It’s a privilege to be with them.”

Zemp said the situation in Iraq was much different this time around than the previous two assignments. “It’s just marked improvement all the way around,” he said. “It’s horrific. It’s war. You see some things that no person should have to see, but at the same time, with the Iraqi people stepping forward, it is marked improvement.”

In another difference, Zemp and his troops lived among the civilians in Mahmudiyah on this assignment. The soldiers also worked side-by-side with the Iraqi military. “My troops developed very strong bonds with their Iraqi counterparts,” Zemp said. “They’re good people over there. They just want to live in peace. Yes, there are some bad people over there, but if you treat people with respect then you are treated that way. It was a really good relationship, and that was one of the reasons for success.”

Zemp said due to the heat in the summer, each soldier’s day began at 4 a.m., and soldiers ran missions night and day.

Morale was also not an issue, Zemp said, thanks to the U.S. Army and some citizens back here in Hartsville. Zemp said the Army takes great care of each soldier’s family, and that is a major issue for troops.

The commander said many residents of Hartsville sponsored troops in his unit. He also said Ed Haney of Hartsville raised $3,000 to purchase soccer balls for troops. That was a great gesture, Zemp said. “There is no other way to say it but ‘thank you.’” Zemp said the care packages and letters were a wonderful treat for troops and are part of the things that keep them going strong.

The troops were also in some tough living conditions. “The standard soldier lived (inside a tent) in a four foot by eight foot square built out of plywood with a cot,” Zemp said. “It’s extremely cold in the winter and it is extremely hot in the summer. We were out in what is known as a forward operating base, which is pretty secure. But (soldiers) are never there. We are usually out and about doing things for up to three weeks at a time.”

Zemp said one of the most memorable moments of the last mission was a triumph over incredible odds. He said his troops were surrounded during a Shiite uprising.

“It was a small unit. About 300 of us in a small urban area, in about 24 hours, were surrounded. It was a pretty good fight for seven days, and our guys came out on top. But what came out of that was it was one of the first times the Iraqi unit stayed on top of it. They didn’t run, and they stood up for their population. From that point forward, it was kind of a turning point. Things got better after that.”

Zemp said this tour was more encouraging than any other. “Our guys and gals got a lot out of it this time around,” he said. “There was a lot of hope, and things are generally better over there.”

Zemp is a 1988 graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va., and a 1992 graduate of The Citadel. He also attended Hartsville High School where he played football and wrestled. He and his wife Amy reside at Fort Campbell in Kentucky with their two children.

Chad Rhoad
The Messenger

WSET Interview Part 2: Cadet Life

Sandy Gregory named director of North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry

Baptist Children's Homes of North Carolina will undertake a new ministry to aid aging adults. The North Carolina Baptist Aging Ministry will be an educational and information-based ministry connecting aging adults and their families to the resources they need.

"Baptist Children's Homes has had the privilege of meeting the needs of children and families through our statewide services for more than a century," said BCH president Michael C. Blackwell. "This new aspect of BCH's ministry is a natural step as we strive to help meet the
growing needs of older adults."

BCH's corporate offices and the institution's Mills Home residential campus are in Thomasville.

Blackwell has named Sandy Gregory as director of NCBAM. The Statesville native has served BCH as director of development, south central region since 2005.

"Sandy has been a tremendous asset to BCH's development team helping to grow and secure support for the children and families we serve," Blackwell said. "I am confident he will bring to NCBAM the same level of commitment and success as we move forward with this new, dynamic resource to the aging and their families."

Gregory will direct NCBAM's daily operations under Blackwell's leadership. Gregory is a graduate of Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va. He has a Master of Divinity degree from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary in Wake Forest and completed his Doctorate in Ministry from the Candler School of Theology at Emory University in Atlanta, Ga.

Prior to joining BCH, Gregory served as a pastor, associate pastor and children and youth minister at churches in Virginia and North Carolina. He has also served as executive director for the Greater Hickory Cooperative Christian Ministry and the Patrick Henry Boys and Girls Plantation in Virginia.

"I am delighted to be appointed as director of NCBAM, and I am looking forward to working with aging adults and their families across the state," Gregory said. "There is a great need to provide quality resources and information to this rapidly growing population."

In 2008, a task force appointed by Baptist State Convention of North Carolina Executive Director/Treasurer Milton Hollifield, with the approval of the BSC Executive Committee and Board of Directors, created the concept for what is now NCBAM. Blackwell, who served as an ex officio member and advisor to the task force, agreed for Baptist Children's Homes to oversee the new ministry.

NCBAM will offer aging adults and their families education and information through practical and personal ministry applications. NCBAM will also aid North Carolina Baptist churches and Baptist
associations in developing ministries to benefit the aging. The new ministry will be fully funded by the Baptist State Convention of North Carolina and will not involve building residential facilities or any type of brick and mortar construction.

"There are a number of quality institutions already providing residential services to aging adults," Blackwell said. "Our emphasis will be focused on identifying and connecting families to the resources that will best fit their needs."

NCBAM will begin by focusing on three defined areas. First, the ministry will provide education and information on issues important to aging adults ranging from assistance with Medicare/Medicaid to emerging issues such as identity theft and adult day care. Second,
NCBAM will coordinate practical ministry assisting older adults with a variety of in-home needs. Last, the ministry will assist in developing transportation services for older adults who cannot drive.

WSET Interview Part 1: Academic Instruction

Col. John Ripley dies

Col. John Ripley was a decorated Marine, a Vietnam war hero, and an educator with strong ties to western Virginia. Ripley died over the weekend at his home in Annapolis, Maryland.

Ripley taught naval science at Virginia Military Institute during the early 90s. When he retired from active duty, he became President of Southern Virginia College in Buena Vista. He would later lead Hargrave Military Academy as well.

Ripley earned the Navy Cross for his service in Vietnam in 1972, when he rigged a bridge with 500 pounds of explosives and stopped an advancing column of North Vietnamese tanks.

Ripley was a native of Radford. He was 69 years old.

Col. Todd turns 90

The Cadets of the 2007/2008 academic year marched proudly to their neighbor's house to wish him a happy 90th birthday on December 5, 2007. The event was a surprise, and their neighbor and former Hargrave president, Col. Andrew Todd, was initially speechless. Mrs. Todd had to work hard to keep Col. Todd in the house for the event. He remains very much on the go.

The band played 'Happy Birthday' and other songs. The Highlanders also had a moment to play, too. At the end of the event, Col. Todd was provided a luxury gift from the Academy.

Col. Todd was impressed with the Corps. But as an expert in raising boys he stated, "It's remarkable how they turn out after 25 years."

Happy Birthday, Col. Todd, from your Hargrave family.

HMA

Camden House

Owen B. Cheatham Chapel, former site of Camden House (photo courtesy of Henry H. Mitchell)

I graduated Class of '69. Col. Cosby was still firmly in charge at the time. My junior year, I was quartered in the Camden House, where the chapel now stands. Richard Abernethy was in charge of the house and it was a great place to stay... except in winter and you wanted to take a shower! That required going around on the back porch into a separate room.

The neat part of the Camden House was the third floor. It was off limits, with a door to the stairway firmly padlocked. Enterprising cadets had gone in the other side, where there was a closet, and loosened the steps, allowing us fairly easy access. There was a balcony of sorts and we had a great time sitting up there, enjoying the view. We were never reported or got caught. I still have a picture somewhere of that balcony.

Mr. MacMillian, who taught theology, lived in a separate part of the house, with his own entrance. Mac was the only person we knew who could walk into the main part of the house without the boards creaking. That was always our tip off during evening study time, when the other teachers made the rounds.

George Fordham
fordhamwv@aol.com
Band Company '69

Enfield rifles

When I started at HMA in '45, I was issued an Enfield rifle, not a Springfield rifle. Clay Draud thinks I am nuts as Enfield is an English arms company. If you go to Google and type in - American Enfield rifle, you will get the whole story. Any one else back me up on this? The school may be using Springfield or M1 rifles now. This is because there was a period when the government took back the Enfields after the school dropped out of the Junior ROTC program.

Later an alumni bought the school rifles to carry. Incidently the Enfields we had originally were operational and that lasted until a cadet obtained ammo and took his out in the woods for a little target practice. Col. (then Capt.) Todd inspected his rifle one day and found it corroded as he had not cleaned it after firing it. After that, all the firing pins were taken out.

Leon Rue
leonrue@adelphia.net
Band Company '49

Col. Manrique's journey

Ken Taber and Col. Fernando Manrique

I would have bet the house that the last thing my 'ole roommate would do would be to join the US military. In the school prophesies that we wrote for the last edition of The Musketeer in 1976, I jokingly had Fernando instigating a revolution somewhere in Latin America or Europe.

Being from Colombia and having been sent to Hargrave under rather false pretenses, Fernando always seemed to carry a bit of a grudge toward the concept of military school and the US in general. The military school one is obviously understandable. And so was the grudge against the US, if you happen to look at it from the Latin American perspective... very normal indeed. I didn't carry this feeling with me because I had been raised in the US since I was 4 years of age. Even though I am of Latin American origin, I've always identified more culturally with North America.

The amazing thing is that Fernando ended up pursuing the two things that he most disliked as a teenager... a military life and a career with the US government. He will be the first to admit that both the Air Force and the US have been extremely good to him, and he has no regrets. In fact, he's extremely proud of the uniform he wears and his service career. Fernando ended up marrying a wonderful North American woman, and both of their children are fairly "true blue".

Keep in mind, though, that ideologically and philosophically Fernando hasn't changed all that much... clearly he's infinitely better read, traveled and experienced. He and his family lived in Japan for many years. He still has an extremely independent nature to him and is very outspoken in private. But he has learned (as we all have to some degree) to pick and choose his battles and be smart about it, particularly when it comes to divisive and very emotional issues. One learns and becomes wiser with age, although there often remains an idealistic flame within many of us.

When Fernando and I got together a few months ago, it was as if time had stood still. Were it not for his blue uniform, leather jacket and receding hairline, and a few additional pounds, Fernando is nearly the same person I knew in 1974-76. And that is a good thing because we were able to talk freely and relate. We did not leave our first encounter in more than two decade with the sad thought, "Gosh, what ever happened to the guy I knew?"

After he left HMA, Fernando went on to graduate from the College of William and Mary in Williamsburg, VA. He eventually earned his PhD degree. In a couple of years, he will retire from active duty with his 20 years. He will be returning to live in Colorado, and he told me that his dream post-retirement career would be head of the Languages Department at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.

Fernando was an extremely intelligent student at Hargrave. Probably the brightest and most capable of the Class of '76. He didn't try very hard, and yet everything came very easy to him and he got excellent grades. Prior to arriving at Hargrave, Fernando had gone to a great British school in Bogota. I don't think Hargrave challenged Fernando much academically, but I do think that the school helped him mature and perhaps knocked his ego down a few notches...

Ego notching down is a Hargrave strength. It is this one thing that probably helped the colonel adjust, survive and prosper in North American society.

Ripley pays tribute to Marines

The Richmond Council of the Navy League celebrated the Nov. 10 birthday of the U.S. Marine Corps a few days early yesterday with a rousing speech from one of its most decorated members.

Col. John W. Ripley, awarded the Navy Cross and other medals for heroism during the war in Vietnam, talked to about 160 people at the Willow Oaks County Club about toughness, eadership and team work.

Though retired, he made it clear, "Once you're a Marine, you're always a Marine."

Ripley, a native of Radford, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1962. According to the Navy League, he shares the distinction with one other Marine of having the most combat xperience in the Corps.

In Vietnam, he rescued the crew of one downed helicopter by loading them into another helicopter. On Easter 1972, he swung hand-to-hand under a bridge at Dong Ha for several hours packing the span's steel beams with 500 pounds of explosives so it could be blown up, denying the enemy a way across the river.

"The cheapest way to kill the enemy is to send a Marine with a rifle," Ripley told the appreciative crowd. The Marine, he said, gives the United States the best return on defense dollars.

"Austerity has been a way of life in the Marine Corps. Indeed, it is a religion to us, to be the leanest of services."

Noting the current film about the Corps' flag raising on Iwo Jima, "Flags of Our Fathers," Ripley pointed out that one of the six flag raisers was a U.S. Navy corpsman. At Iwo Jima, said Ripley, he Marines suffered 25,000 casualties out of a force of 75,000. Among them were 300 Navy corpsmen, he said.

Iwo Jima, he said, was the only battle in the history of the Corps where the Marines suffered more casualties than the enemy. "That's because we ran out of enemy," he said, prompting aughter.

"I learned how to adapt well in conditions of misery, exhaustion, sleep deprivation, short rations, grief of loss, staggering heat, biting cold, sustained filth," he said.

Ripley, former president of Southern Virginia College in Buena Vista and Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, is a former director of the Marine Corps History and Museums Division.

By Frank Green
The Richmond Times-Dispatch

Some of Hargrave's finer selling points

(photo courtesy of Henry H. Mitchell)

I nearly went to Fork Union, were it not for a few "little things" that caught my father's attention about Hargrave in early 1974. Basically, I think my father simply liked the physical layout of Hargrave. It was more stately than Fork Union's more spread out campus with its rather drab greyish buildings.

In a sense, Fork Union fit more closely the "image" of a traditional military academy. Hargrave looked more like a grand university, with its majestic four-columned main building. Hargrave looked less somber than Fork Union; it appeared more "big league" to my father. For some reason, my father also felt that the cadets looked sharper than those at Fork Union. Who knows what exactly he saw. Perhaps he happened to catch cadets at Fork Union at a down time when most were dressed in gym attire, while we may have visited Hargrave during a formation or during class hours. In any case, my father was better impressed by the manner of dress at HMA.

Then, of course, there was the 'ole statue in front of Cheatham Chapel. That really appealed to my father. He thought it was sharp (... note, the word "sharp" is a staple of my father's vocabulary... look sharp, be sharp, stay sharp!). When my father read the words at the base of the statue... well, he was sold. How does it go?... "I came here a boy. I left a man." Something like that... Huge huge selling point! Never underestimate the power of a statue and an inspirational saying to go with it. Don't know if Fork Union has something comparable.

Lastly, my father liked the name "Hargrave". The name "Fork Union" didn't seem to strike a chord with my father. But "Hargrave" definitely did. Keep in mind that my father's first language is Spanish. He left Honduras in his late-20s to continue his medical studies at the University of Kentucky in Lexington in 1963--the year President Kennedy was shot. He speaks English perfectly well, but occasionally my father misses a detail or subtlety or two.

I am convinced that when he heard the name "Hargrave" spoken, his mind processed "Hard grave". Well, for a macho Latin American man like my father, that was another fine selling point. Any school named "Hard grave" just had to be a no-nonsense institution... and that was where he was going to send his eldest son!

No doubt Fork Union is an excellent military academy, and I probably would have done fine or maybe even better there than at Hargrave. We'll never know. Fact of the matter, I was destined for Hargrave. With such a fine series of selling points, how could it have been otherwise?