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About The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current | View Entire Issue (Sept. 30, 1993)
The Battalion upgrades its computer system with Macintosh and moves to the basement of Reed McDonald Building. In addition, the paper fully converts to pagination software and laser printers. 1992- The Battalion wins the Regional Pacemaker award, making it one of the top 12 college newspapers in the nation. The award is highest honor bestowed on any college newspaper. — President Bill Clinton, 42nd President (1993 • present) Oct. 1,1993 The Battalion enters its second century, Page 12 1893 •The Battalion • 1993 Thursday, September 30,Iffl World War II Continued from Page 5 “With full knowledge of the conse- quences of entering this blazing inferno (re fineries hit by the preceding planes were ablaze) when his airplane was profusely leaking gasoline in two separate locations, Lt. Hughes, motivated only by his high conception of duty which called for the de struction of his assigned target at any cost, did not elect to make a forced landing or return back from the attack.” Maj. Gen. George F. Moore, Class of L 08, was honored for his command of the island forts of Mills and Corregidor during the Japanese invasion of the Phillipines. The former commandant and student was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross by ~ ' cAi Gen. Douglas MacArthur. General Reveille The war was a tremendous expense and strain nor only to the men in the field, but also those on the homefront. To help the war effort, all A&M employees and faculty members pledged 10 percent of their in comes to purchase war oonds and stamps. “This is not a gift; it is a loan to be re paid with interest in 10 years,” said T. O. Walton, former president of A&M, in the June 23, 1942 issue of The Battalion. “This indeed is a small price to pay for the maintenance of our liberty and the perpet uation of our American way of life. “We are in the critical time of our histo ry — we must in months build the ma- cnines of war that our enemies have had years to build — we must equip and main tain an army that in a democracy is of stu pendous size,” Walton said. Not all of the money toward the war ef fort went to men and materials. Some of the money was used to produce movies about the war to raise spirits in the United States and abroad. film producer Walter Wanger would por- During the war many Aggies received promotions in the military. The most dras tic of the promotions given, however, was to a female at A&M. On August 21, 1943 The Battalion reported plans to enlist Reveille as a general in the Womens Army Corns (WACs). Dogs could be enlisted into the K-9 corps by paying a fee according to rank — from $1 for a private to $100 for a general. Cadets raised the money in the first week of the drive and sent it to the office of Dogs for War Defense, where Reveille was processed. She was too old to serve in active duty, but was still awarded the rank of general. From Aggieland to Hollywood Death of a friend On January 18, 1944 at 1 1 a.m. the school’s first mascot passed away at the Io ta! cal veterinary hospitz “Oldtimers remember now with a small tear in the corner of their eye, the night when she was found by the side of the road and brought to the Aggie campus for the first time, ’ Battalion reporter Harold Bo- rofsky wrote in the Jan. 20 issue. “Reveille was more than just a dog,” Bo- rofsky said. “She was a symbol of the mem ory of every boy who stopped to pet her, a symbol that reminded one of the pup left behind at home, and a reminder of the many other things left behind in the quest for greater knowledge.” JP r . . - . tray Texas A&M traditions in an all-star motion picture. “We here at the College feel confident that the portrayal will be an inspiration to the youth of America and will reflect credit on the institution and the entire state of Texas,” Walton said. The film was tentatively titled “Ameri can Youth Has Never Been Licked” , but released with the final title “We’ve Never Been Licked.” A&M received a special pre view of the film on Aug. 7, 1943. “I thought the picture was very fine,” Bolton said at the time. “The Spirit of Aggieland was shown up nicely. The film should be very good publicity for our College.” Head Yell Leader Jack M. Knox agreed. “It is much better than the Corps ex- ? ected,” Knox said in the Aug. 7, 1943 he Bartalion. “The story was woven in very well and typifies the real Aggieland. It is a picture we can all be proud of and can enjoy taking our friends to see what lies be hind Aggie traditions.” This $750,000 production gave America a glimpse of the ‘undying spirit of Ag gieland.’ The movie memorialized the spirit of those Aggies who had fallen in the war. However, it would not be the only testa ment to their sacrifice. The Oct. 1, 1942 issue of The Battalion reported the first steps were taken toward the building of the student activities center. The center was planned as a memorial to the thousands of A&M students men who had served in the armed forces. This pro ject would later be known to all A&M stu dents, faculty and staff as the MSC. the^y were ready for service. r ‘Now that the time is definitely here, we have something that we can sink our teeth into and a goal toward which to strive,” said senior class president Gus Boesch, ‘43. “The time of distractions from movies, rumors and so forth is passed, pointing us on to a better service to our country, in the hope that we can bring as much glory to the name of Ag gieland as have those before us.” The war increased College enrollment. The Battalion reported on May 4, 1943, that summer enrollment totaled over 5,000. “The summer enrollment is far beyond our expectations,” said A&M registrar H. L. Heaton. “Although it is below the 6,205 registered in the same period last September, it indicates to us that high school graduates are anxious and willing to go to school the year around so that they may be better fitted to serve their country when needed.” Peace breaks out Vol. 93 No The On May 8, 1945 Germany surrendered Marching orders The movie "We've Never Been Licked" was filmed at Texas A&M and showed wartime life in Aggieland to America . The July 16, 1942 issue of the Battal ion announced that Universal Pictures During the course of the war the gov ernment gave orders for the assignment of men in the Army’s Enlisted Reserve Corps. The Jan. 12, 1943 issue of The Battalion reported that juniors, sophomores and freshmen in the ERC would remain in school on an inactive basis until the end of the semester starting February 1. Seniors taking second year advanced military sci ence would be called to active duty upon completion of their current semester. On March 18, 1943, The Battalion re ported the activation orders for 270 junior and senior members of the ERC had ar rived. On succeeding days more orders came in at the rate of 270 per day. In a poll conducted the same day, students said ay to Allied forces. Texas A&M students, fac ulty and staff, as well as College Station res idents joined together at Guion Hall to cel ebrate the Allied victory in Europe. President Gibb Gilchrist reminded the Corps members that the war was only half over and they could not relax until the final victory. “The fight with Japan will be a long and hard one,” Gilchrist said. “We must give our government the full support that it needs in order that final victory will be ours.” The service ended with the playing of “Taps” to commemorate the Aggies who had fallen in battle. On August 6, 1945 an atomic bomb dropped from the bomber “Enola Gay” destroyed the Japanese city of Hiroshima. Three days later the city of Nagasaki met a similar fate. The war came to a close when the Japanese surrendered on Aug. 14, 1943 aboard the U.S.S. Missouri and were witnessed by Col. Tom Dooley, one of the Agg ies captured by the Japanese on Corregidor. In front of Goodwin Hall, the Aggies held a traditional Yell Practice to celebrate the victory. Nine hundred and fifty Aggies had lost their lives in the conflict. I he veterans who returned used the GI Bill to continue their studies at A&M after Texas A&M often held dances with Tems State College for Women in Denton. they were discharged from the militari Many of these men were married andreadj to finish their educational careers,sale Richard Alterman, Class of‘49. Alterman, managing editor of The Bai- talion in 1947, described these menaj “serious players” because they instilled intense sense of competition among student body. He said , however, i books and teaching methods still in ist after the war had not progressed to sho» the technological advances that had oo curred during the war. “I felt that I was short changed in mj education,” he said. Alterman said many veterans were mil matized by the war and would not u about their experiences on the battlefield Final tribute In 1951, the MSC was dedicated as memorial to those who never came back. “In humble reverence ... to those mti of A&M who gave their lives in defenst of our country,” The inscription reads “Here is enshrined in spirit and in bronit enduring tribute to tneir valor and their deep devotion. Here their memon shall remain forever fresh — their sacri fices shall not be forgotten.” WASH I Secretary l the head of Tobacco at day and sc officials a faulted the a Texas re four agents Field co ,.. shoulc with the Branch Da Waco upc leader Da' were com it He anne Co] rac Adminii video conf university ( The prei ing faculty race relatic multicultui Karan C sources de] interest abc "The pr< campus," C University, The pro section of i listened to During Dean Gage relations. The Battalion Congratulations to The Battalion for 100 Informative Years "... and the Department of Recreational Sports Jtas been a tradition at A&M since 1876, when the cadets played intm-battaliohgames... n | From One Tiradition to Another Happy Birthday! ■Worn previ< 1 Texas footb,