My two favorite cadets

I spent two years of my Army career teaching ROTC at the University of Vermont from 1988 – 1990. After 14 years in the infantry, it was a great job, if it hadn’t been for the hippies, or crunchies (a reference to their tendency to consume granola), as we called them. I had two favorite cadets who I thought had the potential to do well in the Army, and like a good sergeant tends to do, I rode them relentlessly. But it looks like, despite my influences, they’ve both done well;

After his commissioning ceremony in May 1990, brand new LT Cross disappeared without saying good bye. I was disappointed.

Weeks later, he showed up outside of my barracks at Advanced Camp in Fort Bragg and he hollered at me – “Hey, sergeant, are you going to salute me, or what?” Reluctantly, I saluted him. He returned the salute and handed me a silver dollar – the tradition is that a newly-minted LT has to give the first NCO to salute him a silver dollar. Cross had ducked out of the commissioning ceremony because he’d forgotten his silver dollar, and he’d ducked saluting any other NCO until he finally caught up with me. I still have that silver dollar, of course.

My other favorite cadet was this woman, now LTC Nancy Jo Hubbard (Newell);

Then-Cadet Newell commanded our Pershing Rifles drill team. Her father was a retired armor colonel and two of her three brothers were combat arms officers – one of whom is Colonel Peter Newell – David Bellavia’s battalion commander in the book “House to House”. I emailed with LTC Hubbard a few weeks ago, and in addition to commanding a battalion, she has two toddlers at home. That takes more leadership skill than anything I can teach her. I also still have LTC Hubbard’s silver dollar.

I don’t labor under the misconception that as an ROTC instructor, I had much influence on them – during their careers, I’m sure they got much better guidance than I could provide from many more people. I just thought y’all’d like to meet some of the folks that are leading our Latest Greatest Generation of soldiers on this Memorial Day weekend.

Category: Support the troops