AGGIE MUSTER
 

The 1946 Corregidor Muster (see Gen MacArthur's message below sent that day)
 
 
 
Muster 2013: 21 Apr 13, 1700, Magnolia Grill

157 Brooks Street

Fort Walton Beach, FL

Muster Speaker:

Jim Ferguson '72, PhD

Dadeville, AL

Jim Ferguson '72

Reading the Roll Call of the Absent

Main Campus Muster

April 21, 1972

G. Rollie White Coliseum

Dr. Jim Ferguson '72

Jim Ferguson was born in Corpus Christi, Texas, but grew up in the Dallas suburb of Garland.  He graduated from Dallas Christian High School in the spring of 1968 and entered Texas A&M University that fall. 

As a fish in the Corps of Cadets, he was a member of Company D-1, known somewhat infamously at that time as Spider D, Last of the Old Army.  After Spider D was disbanded during his sophomore year, he completed the year as a member of Company C-1, Cobra C.  He served on Corps Staff both his junior and senior years, and served in the Student Senate, Town Hall, and SCONA .  During his senior year, he held positions as Corps Adjutant, Head Yell Leader and First Sergeant of the Ross Volunteers.  Upon graduation, he was recognized as a Distinguished Military Graduate.

After graduating from A&M in 1972, Jim enjoyed a career spanning 34 years that included six years active duty as an officer in the United States Army (with six additional years in the Army National Guard and Army Reserve) and 28 years as a university administrator.

After completing the Infantry Officer’s Basic Course, Airborne School, Jumpmaster School and Ranger School at Fort Benning, Georgia, Jim’s active military service included assignments with the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, the 6th Ordnance Battalion at Camp Ames, South Korea, and the 1st Cavalry Division at Fort Hood, Texas.  After leaving active duty, he served with the 49th Armored Division (USANG) and the 420th Engineer Brigade (USAR).

Jim’s career in university administration included service at Texas A&M University, Stephens College, Auburn University and the University of Texas at Tyler.  As a retiree, he continues to work part-time as an Admission Advisor at Auburn University.

Jim’s formal education includes BS, MBA and PhD degrees, all from Texas A&M University.

Jim and his wife Jane live at Lake Martin near Dadeville, Alabama, where Jim enjoys golf and SEC/Aggie football.   They stay busily engaged with the families of their two adult daughters, Carey and Katie, where activities are especially centered around their three granddaughters, Bailey, Lucy and Sylvie.

 
Previous Musters: Muster 2012

Previous Musters: Muster 2011

Previous Musters: Muster 2010

Previous Musters: Muster 2009

Previous Musters: Muster 2008

Previous Musters: Muster 2007

Previous Musters: Muster 2006

Previous Musters: Muster 2005

Previous Musters: Muster 2004

Previous Musters: Muster 2003

Previous Musters: Muster 2002

Previous Musters: Muster 2001

 The Muster Tradition
 
On April 21, 1946 General of the Army Douglas MacArthur sent a message from his office as Supreme Allied Commander for the Allied Forces to Aggies. It is quoted in its entire text below:

 Sons of Texas A&M

On Corregidor - 21 April 1946

In this hallowed soil lie the mortal remains of many men who have died that liberty might live. Among the bravest of these brave are twenty officers, sons of Texas A&M, unable themselves to answer this year's annual muster. It is for us, therefore, to do so for them -- to answer for them in clear and firm voice -- Dead on the battleswept Corregidor where their eternal spirit will never die but will march on forever, inspiring in those who follow the courage and the will to preserve well that for which they bled.

Of them and those of their fellow alumni who lie in hallowed soil of other lands and those who survive them, may it truly be said that in the noble teachings of their Alma Mater -- in the tradition of the great American leader, Sam Houston, who this day, one hundred and ten years ago, wrested Texas from foreign dominion by defeating Santa Ana on the historic battlefield of San Jacinto - they stood steadfast, unyielding and unafraid through those dark days of our country's gravest peril - and by inspiring example helped point the way.

Signed - Douglas MacArthur

Softly Call The Muster, The Evolution of a Texas Aggie Tradition, John A. Adams, Jr '73
Aggie Gram - April 20, 2004, Volume 7, issue 37

Muster Aggie Gram

For the past several years a special Muster Aggie Gram has been published. Comments each year continue to reflect that it continues to support everyone's desire prepare for Muster. In response to those comments the Muster Aggie Gram is being republished with some small modifications.

As Aggies, we will observe our greatest tradition on April 21 - The Aggie Muster. Through this observance, we renew our A&M values by participating in the singular tradition that uniquely recharges our Aggie Spirit as we remember classmates, Texas A&M, the state of Texas, and the United States.

This year Aggies again will gather while serving our nation in combat. For many the sharp change that Muster 1943 made to A&M traditions will be more focused then ever before as we recall the memory of the gallant men of Corregidor.

However, this article is not meant to simply retell the story of Muster. We all know how it started and what it means to each of us. Instead, I suggest you allow the article to sustain your thoughts about A&M and Muster as you prepare for this year's observance.

THE GENESIS: Muster's origins are found in the state celebration of Sam Houston's defeat of Santa Ana at the Battle of San Jacinto on April 21, 1836 and the winning of Texas Independence.

THE EARLY HISTORY: Accounts of San Jacinto Day celebrations at A&M are noted as early as 1879. In those early years, campus holiday observances ranged from picnics to solemn ceremonies. To the faculty, it was a day of honor. To the Corps of Cadets, it represented a spring holiday away from classes.

The first uniquely Aggie addition to the observance occurred in the spring of 1883 when the Ex-Cadets Association established the "Roll Call for the Absent." In 1889, the college administration made April 21 an official A&M holiday and set the day aside as the annual cadet track and field day.

Some say the real linkage between San Jacinto Day and Aggies began in 1903 when A&M President Davis Houston attempted to cancel the April 21st field day activities.

Confronted by a student body of over 300 determined to keep the holiday, Houston relented. He then urged the cadets to use the holiday for some sort of constructive activity. From that confrontation came the annual Cadet Field Day.

INITIAL CHANGES: America's entry into the "European War," changed the focus of San Jacinto Day. The Class of 1917, graduated in a special ceremony at Camp Funston, found themselves on April 21, 1918 scattered all over France. They renewed their ties to A&M by "pledging A&M and all our brothers over there and here in the wine of France." For sure, their emphasis was no longer sports oriented.

While World War One refocused April 21st away from a day of on-campus sports, A&M President Bizzell is credited for ensuring the off campus change was permanent. He strongly endorsed April 21st, as the "appropriate day for students and former students to assemble and, thereby, became the first A&M President to truly support San Jacinto Day.

With Bizzell's support, the 1920s saw the beginnings of A&M clubs and a more formalized approach to San Jacinto Day. The first significant April 21st celebration occurred in 1922 in Waco. In 1923, the student radio station WTAW broadcast a statewide program for more than two-dozen Aggie gatherings across Texas. In 1924, the Texas Aggie's headline banner proclaimed "IN EVERY TOWN WHERE THERE ARE AS MANY AS TWO AGGIES LET US HAVE A MEETING APRIL 21." In 1924 Cadet Col. of the Corps H. L. Roberts "read the roll call of the dead." In 1927, Taps were played in honor of the dead. In 1928, 23 former students were added to the roll call. As the decade ended, A&M clubs hosted organized events and observances throughout Texas and in Panama, Mexico, and Guatemala.

San Jacinto Day was refocused again in the 1930's, a decade more different than any America had experienced. As W.W. I. faded into the background and the harsh realities of the "Great Depression" became an every day event, April 21st often was referred to as simply "A. and M. Day" and served directly the needs of Aggies. On-campus, The Association of Former Students created a student loan program and a job placement plan. Off-campus A&M clubs used the April 21st observances to raise money to support The Associations efforts.

A NEW FOCUS: W. W. II and the 1940s changed the way Aggies celebrated San Jacinto Day forever and ultimately created the Muster ceremony we know today. In Aggie lore, the change is attributed to Major General George F. Moore '08.

BACKGROUND: As a Colonel, Moore was Commandant of Cadets at A&M from 1937-1940. Consequently, he was very conscious of A&M's support of San Jacinto Day celebrations. In early 1941, then Brigadier General Moore was commanding the turn-of-the-century fortifications on Corregidor Island he had the mission to defend the tiny island at all costs and protect Manila Bay and Manila Harbor. Should America retreat from Bataan, Corregidor was to provide back-up support.

It is difficult today to envision how bleak the free world was in 1942. The Japanese appeared invincible as they expanded their empire across the Pacific. America's morale seemed non-existent as Japan gained victory after victory against American forces. In March 1942, the President ordered General Douglas MacArthur to evacuate the Philippines. MacArthur's last words to Moore were, "Hold Corregidor."

On April 9, 1942 Bataan surrendered to the Japanese. The "Rock," as its defenders called Corregidor Island, became the last refuge for Americans. Over the next month, Corregidor would earn its reputation as one of the fiercest battles of the 20th century.

THE EVENT: In mid-April the American defense on Corregidor was entering it's most desperate period and the nation needed something to fuel America's will to win. Not knowing he was doing anything other than organizing a possible San Jacinto Day, Major General Moore asked Major Tom Dooley '35 and aide-de-camp to Lieutenant General Wainwright, for a list of the Aggies assigned to the "Rock." Dooley, head yell leader at A&M in 1934-35, provided 24 names. Moore's intent was to discuss with those Aggies the upcoming San Jacinto Day.

Because of the intensity of the battle the Ags never did get together. Instead, Moore used Dooley's updated list of 25 Aggies to conduct a roll call -- in Army terms a muster -- of the Aggies present on the "Rock" during the Japanese siege. In reaching out to each other, these 25 Aggies risked their lives to honor their beliefs and values in Texas A&M. Knowing that Muster could soon be called for them, these Aggies embodied the essence of commitment, dedication, and friendship - the Aggie Spirit.

Dooley, working with the UP correspondent, then sent to the USA a short article with a list of the Aggie names who had "Mustered." That April 1942 wire press story from Corregidor Island told Americans about Texas Aggies celebrating San Jacinto Day on the "Rock" while under Japanese siege. That article also became the impetus for other news stories of the "Lone Star on the Rock." With parallels to the spirit of the Alamo and San Jacinto, the Corregidor Aggies quickly captured America's imagination and, during the darkest days of 1942, provided a much-needed boost to America's determination to win.

There are many legends of how the Corregidor Aggies celebrated San Jacinto Day. However, contrary to most accounts, they never gathered together on April 21, 1942 and they never, as legend states, "drank a toast in water to the heroes of 1836." It was just not possible to leave their defensive positions during the heavy and intense bombardment they were enduring.

On May 6, 1942, LTG Wainwright surrendered the American forces at Corregidor to the Japanese. Of the 11,000 defenders, 400 survived the brutal and inhumane Japanese POW camps. Twelve survivors were Aggies. Their fate, unknown in 1942, was not to be forgotten. After the war, the full story of Corregidor came out.

MUSTER REPLACES SAN JACINTO DAY: The Dooley wire press story served as the catalyst to transform the A&M San Jacinto Day celebrations into what we know today as the Aggie Muster. If that small group of Ags, on an isolated outpost during World War Two, began the transformation of San Jacinto Day into what would become A&M's greatest tradition, then it was The Association of Former Students Executive Secretary E. E. McQuillen Class of '20 who was the impetus to give it lasting form and substance.

McQuillen changed the 1943 San Jacinto Day celebration into an Aggie Muster ceremony to first capture and then remember the spirit of the Aggies on Corregidor.

Using the term muster and the events of Corregidor as his theme, he sent the first ever Muster packets to A&M clubs, Aggie Moms clubs and military bases around the world in February 1943. Those packets contained a detailed program, greetings from the A&M President, and a Muster Poem about Corregidor "The Heroes' Roll Call." The response to McQuillen's call to muster was over whelming. World wide 10,000 Aggies attended 500 Musters.

In 1944, McQuillen added a list of recently deceased Aggies to the packet. The introduction to the "Roll Call" noted, "This little ceremony is our tribute to the memory of friends who have passed away. Insert the names and classes of the men whose names you want to call., these of course are symbolic of all those who have died.... [and] as each name is called a comrade will answer 'Here!'"

THE TRADITION BEGINS: As the war ended, two events gave the Muster Ceremony the permanence we know today as the traditional solemn ceremony of remembrance.

The first event occurred in April 1945, eight weeks after the "Rock" was recaptured. Marine LTC Ormond Simpson '36, Maj. R. N. "Dick" Conolly '37, and Lt. Tommy Martin '40 "Mustered on the Rock." Their letters to McQuillan detailed their impromptu Muster and signified that the Aggies had returned. One year later on April 21, 1946 there was a much larger Muster on the Rock.

The second event occurred on Easter Morning 1946. Fifteen thousand Aggies gathered in the North end of Kyle Field to listen to General of the Army Dwight D. Eisenhower, the keynote speaker at the 1946 Kyle Field Victory Homecoming Muster. They also watched in silence as Lt. Col Tom Dooley presented the "Muster Tradition."

To represent the more than 900 Aggies who gave their lives on all fronts in W.W. II, Roll Call for the Victory Muster consisted of just four names. Those names were the deceased W.W. II Aggie Medal of Honor winners.

TRADITION ESTABLISHED: Almost forty years later, in late 1983, there was a short-lived effort to change the Muster 1984 date because of a preconceived conflict with Easter. Then Colonel Don Johnson '55 wrote the Muster Committee, "Any consideration to changing the ceremony to another date, especially on campus, would be a move away from the basic reason for holding Aggie Muster. Aggie Muster was never intended to interfere with the observance of Easter or any other secular holiday, but as a solemn ceremony of remembrance. Aggies will Muster the world over on April 21, 1984 to meet old friends, to remember, and to renew their loyalty to each other and to our great university."

He added, "I hope that each committee will heed the following words of Paul Cooper, Chairman of the 1983 Muster Committee: 'In our world of change, we long for the things which have a continuing heritage. This year's program marks the 100 observance of Aggie Muster (San Jacinto Day), an event which perseveres because it embodies Aggie Spirit, the common thread we all cherish.'" He ended his letter by saying, "Let us never lose our values which set Aggies apart and enable us to share our unique culture.'"

In response to Johnson's letter, Muster 1984 was observed on Easter Sunday.

MUSTER: Century-old roots provide the foundation for many of the traditions incorporated within the Muster tradition Aggies know today - a time-honored reflection and celebration of those initiatives and gallant acts that have made Texas and America a place of independence, freedom, and peace.

Just like San Jacinto Days, and A. and M. Days, Muster has changed over the years. The tone and character of Muster 1943 was certainly different then the relaxed "bull sessions" of the years leading up to it. However, the Spirit, in which it was established, remains the same.

Since the beginning, every Aggie has become a part of the Aggie Spirit. Muster unites Texas A&M and the Aggie family, allows us to reflect on A&M, old friends, and those who have passed on during the previous year. It encompasses the spirit of hundreds of thousands of Aggies who have gone before us.

Most importantly, however, Muster allows us to remember the Aggie Spirit and recharge it within ourselves. As we all know, it is that Aggie Spirit which makes Texas A&M different from all other colleges and universities and organizations.

A&M may change, but as long as there is an April 21st Muster, the Aggie Spirit never will. "Some may boast of prowess bold.... But there's a spirit that can ne'er be told, it's the Spirit of Aggieland."

The primary source supporting this article is the wonderful book by John A. Adams '73 Softly Call The Muster, The Evolution of a Texas Aggie Tradition.