8 Pages Vol.14, No. 2 February 2000
--INSIDE THIS ISSUE--
MMA LEADER
Published monthly by the
MMA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE
320 Iwo Jima Blvd.
Harlingen, Texas 78550
(956) 423-6006
PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICER
Robert A. Beckley
PAO SECRETARY
Connie G. Flores
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DIRECTOR OF Admissions Col Robert G. Grider welcomes Lucas Teer of Lake Havasu City, Arizona to the Marine Military Academy during midterm registration, 9 January. Teer, 16, was one of 64 new admissions from 18 different states. New cadets came from as far away as Rhode Island, Michigan and New Hampshire.
This year’s performance of the world-famous USMC Battle Color Ceremony at MMA has been scheduled for 1 March, starting at 7 p.m.
The one-hour show features the music and marching of the USMC Drum and Bugle Corps, and the precision drill exhibition of the Silent Drill Platoon. The program concludes with a pass in review and presentation of the Battle Colors, whose many streamers represent battles and campaigns in which Marines have participated.
These units, which are based at Headquarters Marine Corps in Washington D.C., give hundreds of performances throughout the country each year, displaying the discipline and professionalism associated with the Marine Corps. The MMA performance is the only one in the state of Texas.
The approximately 80 members of the Drum and Bugle Corps, in the ceremonial red and white uniforms, perform a variety of both popular and patriotic music. The 24 members of the Silent Drill Platoon pass and twirl 10-pound M-1 rifles in complex maneuvers without the sound of commands.
Seating for the performance at MMA is limited and is on a first-come, first-serve basis. The gates to Bowman Stadium open at 5 p.m. Lawn chairs are welcome. Admission is free. For more information, call Veronica Yznaga at (956) 423-6006, ext. 232.
On 18 February, the Marine Military Academy will add eight new members to its General H.M. Smith Foundation.
The foundation is named for the late General Holland M. “Howlin’ Mad” Smith, a famed WWII commander and early supporter of the Academy. With the founding of the Marine Military Academy in 1965, General Smith became one of its board members, and also the first person to make the Academy the beneficiary of his will.
Donors who give the school $100,000 or more are inducted as “Fellows” in the foundation, and have their names engraved on a pedestal supporting a larger than life bust of General Smith.
Five of the eight inductees will be present for their induction during a formal dinner and observance at the Academy’s Neuhaus Messhall. They are Maj Edgar Aronson, USMCR (Ret) of New York, New York, John G. Brunner of St.Louis, Mo., Col H. Wm. Card, Jr., USMC (Ret) of Harlingen, Texas, Col George W. Carrington, USMC (Ret) of Beverly Hills, Ca. and Anthony McIntyre of Philadelphia, Pa.
Also to be inducted, though not present, will be MajGen Louis J. Conti, USMCR (Ret) of Inverness, Il. and LtCol and Mrs. Kelvin Bailey, USMCR (Ret) of Burbank, Ca.
During the observance, new members will receive a watch and a ceremonial blue blazer adorned with a crest. In attendance will be MMA cadets, their families, MMA trustees and other H.M. Smith members. Also scheduled to attend will be the Academy’s chairman of the board, LtGen Wm. H. Keys, USMC (Ret), and the school’s chancellor, Gen Alfred M. Gray, Jr., USMC (Ret).
The H.M. Smith Foundation Observance is based on traditional Marine Corps mess night, with a “parading of the beef”, and toast to Corps and Country.
The guest speaker for the evening will be Gen Terrence R. Dake, Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps. General Dake, a native of Missouri, has been a Naval aviator throughout his 33-year Marine Corps career, flying more than 6,000 hours in various military aircraft.
Major General Emil R. Bedard, Commanding General of the II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C., gave an informative presentation to cadets, 15 January, about the organization and deployment of Marine forces.
He was the third general officer invited to speak at the Academy this year by MMA president MajGen Wayne Rollings. The others were MajGen R.R. Blackman, Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Division, and MajGen W.L. Nyland, Commanding General of the 2nd Marine Aircraft Wing.
“General Bedard kind of tied it all together since he commands and controls the ground forces, air power and logistics support,” Rolling said. “He was able to describe the organization and commitment of a 43,000-man force throughout the world.
“It’s good exposure for the cadets,” Rollings added. “They may get briefings about this in their classes, but it’s more credible and informative when it comes from the actual commander of the forces.”
DURING HALFTIME of the MMA basketball game with Harlingen South, 11 Jan., MMA President MajGen Wayne Rollings (R) recognized the donation that Texas State Bank made to the Academy, enabling the school to purchase a new scoreboard for the athletic center. Shown with General Rollings is Texas State Bank president Danny Buttery.
THREE MMA cadets recently attended a leadership camp sponsored by the Rotary Club at Camp Zephyr on Lake Mathis outside of Corpus Christi. They were (L-R) Wolf Honefenger, Drew Hardberger and Andrew Whatley. After the camp, Cadet Honefenger was presented with a RYLA (Rotary Youth Leadership Award) as the outstanding participant.
The Marine Military Academy awards financial assistance to returning cadets on an annual basis. However, each year the number of applications and amount of requested assistance is far greater than what is available in the scholarship fund. Thus, the awarding of scholarships is competitive, based on a cadet’s performance, and the financial needs of the family.
The biggest single factor that will be considered is the cadet’s grade point average, which must be at least 2.5 for the spring semester, and 3.0 cumulatively for all years at MMA. Other factors considered are conduct, military leadership and participation in extracurricular activities.
To request an application, contact Veronica Yznaga at (956) 423-6006, ext. 232. Applications must be completed and returned no later than 22 May 2000. Recipients of financial assistance will be notified by 9 June 2000.
As part of the application process, a copy of a 1999 federal income tax return, including W-2 forms, must be provided. Applications received after 22 May 2000 will not be considered.
On Saturday, 12 February, there will be a Valentine’s Day dance at the Academy’s Cadet Activities Center from 7 to 11 p.m.
There will be plenty of food and refreshments on hand, and also a wide variety of popular music will be played by a local DJ.
The one thing that may be in short supply is sweethearts for the cadets. Anyone who knows of a young lady who might want to attend the dance is asked to call MMA social directress Barbara Bean at (956) 423-6006, ext. 601.
Barbara said she is also looking for chaperones for the evening, and would appreciate the help of any MMA parents or staff members. Please give her a call if you are available.
TWO MORE MMA cadets have received the Eagle Scout badges recently, though both did so through troops in their hometowns. They are Brian Cripps (L), a second-year cadet from Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Christopher Johnson, a first-year cadet from Harlingen.
After a slow start, the MMA varsity basketball team has really begun to hit its stride.
Through its first eight games, the team was 2-6, though most of those losses came against high calibre competition.
Since then, the Leathernecks are a much improved 12-6, and have won five of their last six games since the Christmas break. That one loss was by six points to the No. 1 ranked private school team in the state, Westbury Christian Academy.
“We played a tough schedule early in the season, and now the team is reaping the benefit of those games,” said Coach Shawn Jones. “We’re playing harder and really coming together as a team.
“I’m especially pleased with the play of my guards, Tyronn Mitchell and Kalen Mahoney,” Jones added. “They’re both averaging in doubles figures in scoring.”
The MMA junior varsity team has not fared quite as well. Coach Eric Maynard said his team’s record was, “one and something.”
He did however, say several players had put forth a good effort this year, including sophomores Ivan Guerrero and Travis Hubbard.
TWO MMA soccer players brought home individual honors from the Corpus Christi Gulf Coast Classic, held 14, 15 January. They were Diego Malpica, the tournament’s high scorer, and goalie Jeff Sandman, named the most valuable player. Pictured (L-R) are Coach Robert Howell, Malpica, Sandman and Assistant Coach Harold Compton.
A roller coaster ride is how Coach Robert Howell described his team’s 5-7-1 season so far.
“It’s frustrating,” he said. “One game we look great, and the next we seem to lose our focus. There’s definitely a lot of potential out there, and I still think we can finish strong.”
Two players currently lead the Leathernecks in scoring. They are senior Jason Martin and junior Diego Malpica. Howell has named senior Isaac Gloger his captain on offense. His defensive captain is senior Saheed Kadri.
The Leathernecks have five more games remaining in their season. Like football and basketball, the soccer program does not compete in TAPPS league games or its playoffs until 2000-2001.
MMA HAS Gold and Red teams competing in the VISA basketball league for eighth graders. The Gold team is currently a perfect 7-0. Its team members are (L-R) Jerrad Smith, Zach Wasson, Matt Scarborough, Kaner Morton, Abe Yuen, Ned Sherer, Coach Mike Krauss, Alex Creech and Alex Aguirre-Lara.
Coach Earl Gander is preparing to take his two swimmers who qualified to the TAPPS state swim meet, to be held at the University of Texas Swim Center in Austin, 5 February.
They are James Ewton, a freshman from Austin, and Christopher Johnson, a senior from Harlingen.
Ewton, the team’s best swimmer this year, qualified in the 100 freestyle, 500 freestyle, 100 backstroke and 100 breaststroke. Johnson will swim in the 200 and 500 freestyle.
“We haven’t done badly this year, with all the beginning swimmers we’ve had,” Gander said. “I think Ewton has a good chance of placing at state, though I’m not sure how high. He’s placed third or fourth place at most Valley meets this year. Johnson hasn’t been finishing quite as high, but he’s always scoring some points.
“I’m especially pleased how many swimmers stayed with us all season,” Gander said. “We started with 12 or 15 and finished with about 12 at the end of the season. Usually we have a lot of swimmers quit when they find out how much hard work it is. I think we have a lot of potential for next year.”
THREE LEATHERNECK scores were combined with two female scores to comprise a team event at the Lone Star Classic, 22 Jan. The three MMA cadets, shown with their teammates, were (L-R) Ryan Lindsey, Sean DuBose and Abe Kamzan.
The MMA judo team has been pinning and throwing opponents since its first meet in November, and has four more events scheduled this spring.
The most consistent performer for the Leathernecks so far has been Sean DuBose, a sophomore at the Academy and third-year member of the team. In the 132-pound weight class, he has placed first twice, including at the state’s largest tournament, the Lone Star Classic in Arlington, 22 Jan. At that same meet, sophomore Randy Allen, a second-year member of the judo team, took third place.
Other team members are seniors Johnny Pax and Jonathan McBride, juniors Abe Kamzan and Ryan Lindsey, sophomores Chris Eplee, John Eaves and Stan Ferguson, and freshman Charles Harris.
The coach of the team, in his fifth year with the Leathernecks, is German teacher Mike Travis.
The MMA judoka will be hosting their own event at the Florence King Athletic Center, 4 March, the Leatherneck Open Brown Belt Tournament.
The team will also be traveling to judo meets this spring in San Antonio, Odessa and Denton.
Whether you’re a competitor or a contributor, the MMA Parents Club would like to see you at the third annual Leatherneck Golf Classic, to be held Saturday, April 29, at the Atascocita Country Club, near Houston.
The event, which benefits the Corps of Cadets of the Marine Military Academy, has been moved this year to a weekend date to allow more participation from out-of-town teams. Registration for the tournament begins at 11a.m, 29 April. Play starts at 1 p.m.
The format is a four-person scramble. Players may enter individually or as a team. There will be a banquet and live auction for all participants after the tournament. There is a variety of sponsorships available, as well as tickets to the banquet and auction. Direct contributions are also gratefully accepted.
Entry fee for the tournament is $125 for an individual, or $500 per team. Banquet tickets are $15 per person. Sponsorships range from $200 to $5,000.
For more information, contact one of the members of the golf committee. They are L.W. Fite, (281) 277-4966, Bob Keller, (281) 493-0686 and John Brown, (281) 395-4337.
Openings in the event are limited, and entries will be accepted on a first-come, first-serve basis. They may be mailed to MMAPC, c/o L.E. Fite, 4902 Kaylan Ct., Richmond, Tx. 77469. Make checks payable to MMA Parents Club - Leatherneck Golf Tournament.
A registration form is also available at the MMA Parents Club website which is www.mmaparents.com.
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CWO Dan Miller, USMC - 309 Huckstep Ave., Stafford, Va. (240) 720-0786. Dan, a two-year cadet, was a member as a junior of the 1970 MMA silent drill team that performed on Johnny Carson’s Tonight Show. His senior year the drill team made a return trip to New York City to perform at the Leatherneck Ball. Dan has now spent 28 years in the Marine Corps, and is stationed at Quantico. He asked about information for the 2000 spring reunion.
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Christopher Crum - Euless, Tx., email Crcrum@airmail.net. Chris has worked the last four years for Semtek, Inc. as an engineering assistant creating flight simulator instruments.
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Mark Meaders - 3813 Tapestry Ct., Plano, Tx. 75075, (972) 583-1513. Mark, a native of Dallas, spent two years at MMA, then attended George Mason University, graduating with a business adminsistration degree. After several years in Washington, DC with several firms, he returned to Texas so his wife could attend graduate school while he works for Ericsson, a Swedish-based global telecommunications company. . Mark is presently a controller in the company’s Professional Services division. “My time at MMA helped teach me self-discipline, personal responsibility and how to grow up,” Mark writes. “I would not be where I am today if it were not for MMA.”
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David Basler - 2727 Old Alice Rd., Apt. 48, Brownsville, Tx. 78521, (956) 541-2829. David, a two-year cadet, now teaches in Los Frenos, Texas.
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Carter Rohrbough - 2158 West 1345 North, Layton, Ut. 84841, (801) 444-9039, email crohrbough@granite-net.com. Carter graduated from the University of Washington with a bachelor’s degree in construction management and lives in Salt Lake City where he is a project manager for Granite Construction, specializing in highway construction. He and his wife, Anna, have been married almost two years.
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Alfonso Mejia - Rancho Estanzuela #89, Mexico City, Mexico 04970. Alfonso is studying industrial engineering and administration at the Technologic University of Mexico City., and also working as an analyst in the international customer service department of American Express. lSaid he misses the Academy, and wanted to say hi to MSgt McFarland and MGunny Hager.
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Michael Arroyo - 11507-23 Fury Lane, El Cajon, Ca. 92019, email mustang66@funty.com. Michael, former drum major at MMA, is a lance corporal in the Reserves, and attending San Diego State University. He is majoring in music and planning to enroll in the PLC program to earn his officer’s commission in the Marine Corps.
Alumni leaders needed
The MMA Alumni Association is looking for “a few good men.” Many former cadets have contacted the Academy to update their current addresses or to inquire about other former cadets. We have an Alumni Information Form to make it easier for you to give us your current information.
Also, we are beginning an “Alumni News” page on the MMA website. Be sure to access it in the coming weeks for alumni news. Some very exciting news involves the 2000 Millennium Mania for Alumni. Be sure to mark your calendars for April 14-16, 2000 for a great time. If you would be willing to help organize your class group, email the Alumni Affairs Department at mma-tx.org/alumni, or call (956) 423-6006, ext. 228.
Should Auld Acquaintances
be Forgot
Did you make a New Year’s resolution to renew those old friendships and acquaintances?
The MMA Alumni Affairs Department, in combination with Computer Services, can help. There is now an on-line bulletin board for MMA alumni. Registered users can touch base by accessing the MMA alumni web page.
In order to get in on the action, you will need a user password. It’s easy to get one. Just click on “alumni bulletin board” in the alumni section of the MMA website. You shouldn’t have any trouble finding the Academy on the internet. It can be accessed through several addresses, including mma-tx.org and marinemilitaryacademy.com.
So check out the MMA website today, and start the millennium off by keeping at least one resolution!
As Dr. Frank L. Colunga, MMA ‘75, so aptly wrote his classmates, “our 25th year reunion will be 14-16 April 2000. It will be 25 years since a pumpkin witnessed our graduation from its perch on the roof of the chapel.
“Who can forget the fresh Valley air at 0600 and the gentle reminders from Sgts Morton, Cullen and Cook to, ‘please get out of bed and, by the way, would you be so kind as to pick up your rooms,’ or something like that. Time does funny things to your memory.
“I can also assure you that Coach Morton’s words, ‘There ain’t no bone sticking out, son, so you can’t be hurt,’ have served me well as a father and an ER doctor. Those memories are but a few that I recall as a cadet, and I’m hoping that the opportunity to share them with a small band of fellow MMA grads will interest you. I’m sure that your wives are interested in the place that is the background to some pretty interesting ‘war stories.’ Mine couldn’t believe that I could actually keep a room clean and would listen to someone’s orders. I told her that if she were 6’4” and shaved her head, it would get my attention.”
A reunion is a time for remembering those events and especially those people who had a tremendous impact on your life: DIs and DIs’ wives and families, teachers, coaches and fellow cadets.
Make plans now to attend the 2000 MMA, 14-16 April, 2000. We intend for 2000 MMA to be remembered well into the next millennium! Look for updates on the MMA Alumni web page as they become available.
Maj Joe Carl Bustin, USMC (Ret)
Preston C. Clark - PFC USMC 1944-45
Ms. Tonya Combest
Dr. James A. Duff
Christopher Lee Heard, MMA Class of ‘99
SgtMaj Walter F. Heckman, USMC (Ret)
BGen Hunter Hurst
Dr. John F. McCluskey, “Mach Doc”
Paul E. Miller - Chosin Few
Mrs. Arline New
Maj Larry Robinson, USMC - KIA RVN
Mr. Phillip S. Rovner
Pvt Adolph Rust, USMC
CWO Oscar Douglas Sayre, USMC (Ret)
Max Scott - MMA teacher 1994-96
MajGen R.H. “Smoke” Spanjer, USMC (Ret)
Lt H.F. Steck
A gift was received from the 7th Marine Reserve Officers Class Association memorializing the following departed members:
Vernon L. Bartram Robert A. Buzard William H. Byrd Grenville Clarke, Jr.
Charles W. Churchill Charles T. Cobb John A. Crown William W. Curtis
William H. Dobbin Robert B. Ewing John E. Flaherty Milton W. Karten
Luther S. Kjos Nathaniel M. Landau Bertil L. Larson Richard MacLaury
Milton C. Marsh Bertram W. Menne Robert L. Morgan Norman A. Nelson
Richard F. Nellson Edwin A. Pakola Robert F. Smith Richard V. Whalen
William “Holly” Whyte Thomas J. Wilkes
The Marine Military Academy has received gifts in honor of: Randal Duncan Rust & Mr. J. Rob Walker
MMA Home Page
New cadets arrive in January