The Blue Guidon The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Fall 2015
Frozen Courage in the Italian Alps Perhaps no other Andover graduate has ever suggested such an audacious combat mission. U.S. Army Capt. Roderick S.G. Hall ’34 (“Steve” to his classmates) proposed to the OSS that he could block the Brenner Pass in the Italian Alps with a small band of men and prevent the Germans from getting in and out of Italy. He guided the team through OSS training and parachute school, commanding its members and many others in action. His bravery would cost him his life. This mission would require a parachute drop into the Italian Alps behind German lines, demolition of Nazi communications, blocking supply routes leading to the Brenner Pass, a love affair with a countess, double agents, wounds, frost bite, organizing warring guerrilla bands, ambush, betrayal, capture, his murder, and… retribution. Hall was born in Peking, China, where his father was a businessman and his mother a medical doctor. At Andover, he was easygoing and friendly. After graduation, he traveled the world as a sailor on a coastal steamer and later worked in the Texas oil fields. He became a skilled outdoorsman, skier, and rock climber. Hall attended Harvard briefly before leaving to ski the 1937–1938 season in Cortina, Italy. On his return, he entered Yale, dropped out in 1941, and enlisted in the Army, quickly qualifying for Officer Candidate School (OCS) and receiving his commission. He was convinced that his skills could be put to better use. Based on his knowledge of the Italian Alps and the importance of the Brenner Pass, Hall outlined a plan to sabotage that key corridor in a letter to the OSS. His proposal attracted the attention of the OSS’s Special Operations branch. The Allies had a firm toehold in Salerno, and with the campaign under way to drive the Germans out of Italy, Hall’s plan gained traction. Disrupting the arteries leading to
the Brenner Pass and then blowing it up would strand the German forces in Italy and force them to surrender. On the night of July 2, 1944, Hall and four other OSS agents parachuted into northern Italy. They linked up with partisans and began blowing up bridges, creating rockslides, ambushing German patrols, and disrupting communications. The Germans captured a partisan who disclosed Hall’s plans, leading to his capture, torture, and murder on February 17, 1945. In a final letter to his father, Hall wrote: “I’ll be saying goodbye and thanks for giving me life. I’ve made mistakes and haven’t got very far as standards usually go, but no one can say I haven’t done a lot of things with that life, or enjoyed it.” A second OSS team parachuted in to offer assistance, led by Hall’s CO, Howard Chappell, and Mission Operation Officer Albert Materazzi. After learning of Hall’s murder by the Gestapo, they continued his mission while searching for clues to his death. They discovered his death certificate and shallow grave, which led to the capture, trial, and hanging of the three murderers. The partisan who turned Hall in died in custody, reportedly “shot trying to escape,” likely by Chappell, completing the vendetta. Hall kept a detailed diary and wrote three letters to his family that he secreted in sealed bottles and buried deep in the snow of his mountain safe house in Andrich. These letters became key exhibits in the trial of his killers. Chappell stopped in Washington, D.C., on his way home from the war and delivered the letters to Hall’s father. Capt. Roderick S.G. Hall was posthumously awarded the Distinguished Service Cross. A detailed account of Hall’s mission can be found in The Brenner Assignment, by Patrick K. O’Donnell. —George S.K. Rider ’51
Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice What are you willing to risk in order to save the life of your fellow serviceman or servicewoman? Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr. ’43 was willing to do anything, even crash his fighter plane into a frozen mountainside. On October 27, 2015, Ballantine Books released Devotion—An Epic Story of Heroism, Friendship, and Sacrifice. Told by New York Times bestselling author Adam Makos, Devotion recounts the extraordinary story of Hudner and what would become his lifelong commitment to Ens. Jesse Brown, Hudner’s wingman and the Navy’s first African American aviator. Hudner’s and Brown’s fates became forever entwined in December 1950 when Brown was shot down while the two flew Vought F4U Corsairs against thousands of Chinese soldiers bent on destroying a trapped Marine unit near the Chosin Reservoir. Hudner’s heroic actions in trying to save his wingman would earn him the Medal of Honor; his devotion to Brown and his family continues to this day.
ALUMNI CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY* Adrian Lehnen ’10 Ansley White ’10 Jake Bean ’08 Hanson Causbie ’08 Ben Kagan ’08 Walker Washburn ’08 Karl Novick ’07 Alex Ryan ’07 Lauren Johnson ’07
From the Editor Hearing “Phillips Academy” called out at an awards dinner at Fort Benning was a thrill. Apart from Gen. Barry McCaffrey ’60, his family, and me, those seated for dinner in the National Infantry Museum on September 15, 2015, knew little of this New England prep school’s amazing history of military service. What others did know, however, was that a great soldier was being recognized with the prestigious Doughboy Award, the U.S. Infantry’s highest recognition. McCaffrey was one of three incredible Americans who received the award this year. His recollection of serving our nation for more than four decades, both in uniform and out, made us all proud, and I was especially privileged to be present to see an Andover man so properly honored. Andover and the Military’s (AATM) support to our veterans, and to Phillips Academy at large, is growing rapidly. With its founding in 2011, AATM took on the mission to honor and recognize the school’s veterans and preserve our rich military history, to interact with students and faculty on campus, to provide scholarship support for children of veterans to attend Summer Session, and to be the stewards of the military memorials on campus. Over the past six months, we’ve expanded activities in all these areas and brought additional young alums currently serving in our armed forces onto the AATM Executive Committee. We’ve also set long-term growth targets for our endowment to further enable AATM’s annual support to Andover and our veterans, including sending more children to Summer Session. From active participation to financial support, there’s an opportunity for everyone to help honor Andover’s proud military legacy. Non Sibi,
Charlie Dean ’79 Editor 2
Young Fei ’06 THE BLUE GUIDON The Newsletter of Andover and the Military Vol. 4, Number 1 Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
Connor Flynn ’06 Jenn Bales ’04 Livy Coe ’04 Tom Barron ’04 Matt Fram ’04 Walter Haydock ’04
EDITOR Charlie Dean ’79
Aaron Stroble ’04
ASSOCIATE EDITOR George S.K. Rider ’51
Doug Presley ’02
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Charlie Dean ’79, chair Seth Moulton ’97, cochair Christine Balling ’86 Tom Barron ’04 Tom Beaton ’73 Livy Coe ’04 Laurie Coffey ’95 Chris Joel ’88 Johnson Lightfoote ’69 Karl Andrew Novick ’07 Robert Patrick ’88 George Rider ’51 Don Way ’63
Marc Ward ’02
Nicholas Ksiazek ’03 Catherine Reppert ’02 Corbin Butcher ’01 Aaron deVos ’01 Gilman Barndollar ’00 Jarreau Jones ’00 Matthew Sullivan ’00 Hunter Washburn ’00 Justin Accomando ’99 Matt Riehl ’99
Alumni Profile Compassion and Valor in Vietnam: 2nd Lt. William Stanley Smoyer ’63 Goal! Billy had scored again. Whether on the soccer field or at the hockey rink, Billy loved the challenge and went for the goal. He was always happy and good natured, but also a competitor and a leader. After Andover came Dartmouth, the Marine Corps, and Vietnam. Billy did not return. ALUMNI CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY* Samantha Samora ’99 Grancis Santana ’99 Ali Ghaffari ’98 Philipp Risseeuw ’98 Luis Gonzalez ’97 Ian Stephenson ’96 Kenny Weiner ’96 Laurie Coffey ’95 Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96 Robert Crevey ’95 Anthony Crawford ’94 James Mok ’94 Ryan Shann ’93 Robert Bolton ’92 Spencer Abbot ’91 Kenneth Jambor ’91
Why the Marine Corps? What was he thinking? Born to some privilege, educated at Andover and Dartmouth, smart and healthy with his life ahead of him—why the Marine Corps? Warren Cook, his roommate for three years at Dartmouth, reported that Billy wanted the challenge, to prove himself beyond the world in which he had grown up. He did well at The Basic School (TBS) for Marine officers and knew then he could lead anywhere. Only a month later, Billy was in Vietnam, where he and 18 of his men died in an ambush on July 28, 1968. His sister Nancy had just returned from serving as a Red Cross “Donut Dollie”; his classmate Don Way had returned in one piece from a Marine combat tour, and many other classmates were there in uniform. America is “the land of the free” because of the brave. Billy was one of the brave. Billy’s corpsman, Wes, told the following story to Nancy: He and Billy were sitting about 100 yards
from the platoon, which was guarding a bridge in the rear. Suddenly a loud explosion came from the bridge. Wes recalls that Billy quickly “left me in the dust” as they took off for the bridge. It turned out not to be a big deal, but Wes was sure he was in for a chewing out for his failure to keep up. Instead, Billy laughingly said, “What took you so long? You’re supposed to take care of me.” Nancy tells the following story: A major described to her Billy’s meeting with his platoon. The men were acting up, putting him to the test. Billy calmly went down the ranks, inspecting weapons and talking with each of his men. His professionalism put them at ease, and the major knew he would do well as a platoon leader. A college friend said of Billy: “Bill did not permit his excellence and his promise to overcome personal warmth. Seemingly unaffected, he opened himself up to those without any near combination of his qualities. Bill was a warm person, a person who didn’t try to make others over in his own image. He liked people for who they were.” We miss him. —Nancy Smoyer and Don Way ’63
John Orsmond ’91 David King ’90 Robert Patrick ’88 Julian Facer ’85 Jonathan Leete ’85 Graeme Henderson ’83 Alexander Cochran ’82 James Donnelly ’82 Ruben Alvero ’76
*We recognize this list may be incomplete; it is based on data we have received from alumni updates. If you or someone you know is not on this list, please e-mail Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu.
Recent News On September 30, 2015, students and faculty gathered in Cochran Chapel for a special All-School Meeting to view clips of Mary Kate Cary’s film 41on41, which chronicles the lifetime of service of George H.W. Bush ‘42. Little did they know that they would be watching the film with its headliners—the 41st president and former first lady Barbara Bush. The Bushes’ day on campus included a visit with the former president’s childhood friend, Dick Phelps ’46 and his wife, Sally. Bush enlisted in the U.S. Navy on his graduation day, became its youngest aviator, and saw extensive combat as a carrier-based bomber pilot in the Pacific Theater during World War II. Elijah Johnson, of Atlanta, was the second recipient of the LCDR Erik Kristensen Scholarship, awarded annually to a President George H.W. Bush ’42 Summer Session student with a military parent. “When I was receives Andover’s veteran lapel made aware that I had received the LCDR Eric Kristensen pin from wife Barbara. Scholarship, I was honored. My mother and several family members served in the military, spanning three generations in all five branches of the Armed Forces,” Johnson said. “I am very grateful to have been awarded this opportunity, and I would like to thank everyone who made this experience possible. I look forward to applying to Andover to attend in the fall of 2016.”
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Above and Beyond the Call of Duty Richard “Dick” O’Kane ’30 is recognized as the U.S. Navy’s deadliest submarine skipper of all time. O’Kane grew up in Dover, N.H., one of four siblings and the son of a professor at the University of New Hampshire. He developed a penchant for sailing as a youngster and yearned for a life in the sea services. To fulfill this ambition after Andover, O’Kane enrolled at the U.S. Naval Academy as a member of the Class of 1934. While there, he showed his talent as a first-class skier, a skilled tennis player, and an elegant dancer. In his words, he was “a Yankee and proud of it.”
a heavily escorted convoy, Cmdr. O’Kane stood in the fusillade of bullets and shells from all directions to launch smashing hits on three tankers, coolly swung his ship to fire at a freighter, and, in a split-second decision, shot out of the path of an onrushing transport, missing it by inches. Boxed in by blazing tankers, a freighter, transport, and several destroyers, he blasted two of the targets with his remaining torpedoes and, with pyrotechnics bursting on all sides, cleared the area. Twenty-four hours later, he again made contact with a heavily escorted convoy steaming to supPresident Truman congratulates Cmdr. O’Kane after port the Leyte campaign with reinpresenting him with the Medal of Honor. Upon graduating from the Naval forcements and supplies and with Academy, O’Kane served two crated planes piled high on each tours on surface ships prior to volunteering for unit. In defiance of the enemy’s relentless fire, submarine training in 1938. As a junior officer on he closed the concentration of ships and in submarines, he had a number of role models in quick succession sent two torpedoes each into World War II, both good and bad. His commandthe first and second transports and an adjacent ing officer on the USS Argonaut, risk-averse tanker, finding his mark with each torpedo in a in the face of the enemy, moved away from series of violent explosions at less than 1,000enemy ships rather than attacking as Japanese yard range. With ships bearing down from all destroyers closed in on his position. In contrast, sides, he charged the enemy at high speed, onboard the USS Wahoo, O’Kane observed exploding the tanker in a burst of flame, smashCmdr. Dudley “Mush” Morton using new, ing the transport dead in the water, and blasting innovative tactics, such as staying surfaced the destroyer with a mighty roar that rocked the longer, which resulted in the sinking of a larger Tang from stem to stern. Expending his last two number of enemy ships. torpedoes into the remnants of a Upon receiving command of the once powerful convoy before his USS Tang (SS-306), O’Kane conown ship went down, O’Kane, aided ducted five war patrols. Using by his gallant command, achieved tactics learned on the Wahoo, he an illustrious record of heroism in sank more enemy ships and gross combat, enhancing the finest traditonnage than any other submarine tions of the U.S. Naval Service. officer, becoming the deadliest sub★★★ marine skipper in U.S. Navy history. O’Kane and his crew also rescued O’Kane, along with eight crewmore downed aviators than any mates, survived the sinking of the other submarine (the USS Finback USS Tang, which was caused by similarly rescued George H.W. Bush its own malfunctioning torpedo. ’42 on September 2, 1944). For his When fired, the torpedo circled back bravery during his fifth and final and struck the submarine. O’Kane patrol aboard the USS Tang in 1944, was rescued by the Japanese and Cmdr. O’Kane earned the Medal of immediately beaten; he spent the Honor. The official citation follows. rest of World War II in a POW camp in Japan. Following the war, O’Kane Medal of Honor Citation served in multiple leadership positions, including command of a For conspicuous gallantry and submarine tender and command intrepidity at the risk of his life of a submarine squadron. O’Kane above and beyond the call of duty was promoted to Rear Admiral upon as commanding officer of the USS his retirement in 1957. The most Tang operating against two enemy successful submarine skipper in Japanese convoys on October 23 U.S. history is buried in Arlington and 24, 1944, during her fifth and National Cemetery. last war patrol. Boldly maneuvering on the surface into the midst of
Cmdr. O’Kane, pictured above with tie, aboard the USS Tang in 1944 with airmen he and his crew rescued.
—Capt. Robert Patrick ’88