A Legacy of Service
The Blue Guidon
Andover is a shining example of an institution of education that fosters a strong and longstanding relationship with its military veterans. The story of my grandfather’s dedication to both academics and service to his country makes Andover’s LCDR Erik S. Kristensen Scholarship Fund a topic close to my heart. The Hewett family’s support for the scholarship fund—including a $100,000 challenge—and our dedication to military service actually started with my greatgreat-grandfather, the Honorable J. Hale Sypher. A retired four-term congressman (Louisiana) and a brevetted brigadier general in the Civil War, he was living in Washington, D.C., when his daughter Mary was widowed in 1907 at an early age. He advised her to send her two teenage sons, Chappy and Jim, to a historic New England boarding school named Phillips Academy. Charles Francis “Chappy” Hewett graduated in PA’s Class of 1915 and Yale’s Class of 1919. His younger brother, George Hale “Jim” Hewett (my grandfather), answered the call of military service during WWI and enlisted in the U.S. Army after his upper year in October 1918—as did many Andover boys. He is listed in the 1918 Pot Pourri under “Non-Returning Middlers.” The boys were sent to Dartmouth College’s Student Army Training Corp (S.A.T.C.) for both military training and rigorous study and called themselves “The Dartmouth Regiment.” My grandfather was honorably discharged in December 1918. He returned to Massachusetts, graduating from MIT in 1923. Called to service in 1942 in World War II, George was given the choice of joining the Coast Guard or the Army’s Military Government organization. My grandfather, who didn’t like boats, was sent to Harvard University for eight weeks of intensive study of Italian; he joined the Allies in North Africa and was attached to the British 8th Army, led by Gen. Sir Bernard Montgomery. After the invasion of Sicily in the summer of 1943, he followed right behind the front lines helping to re-establish civilian control. He was on the staff of Gen. Mark Clark and, although details are sketchy, we know he was stationed in the area of Naples in March 1944, as he spoke often of witnessing the eruption of Mount Vesuvius. He ended the war stationed in Trieste and said that although the city was under joint control with the Americans, British, and Yugoslavs, it was clear to all that the Americans were in charge.
The Newsletter of Andover and the Military
Fall 2017
Rear Adm. Daniel R. Bowler ’66
A Lifetime of Service at Sea and Ashore George Hale Hewitt, Class of 1919, from the 1918 Pot Pourri yearbook
By the end of his career, George had earned three Bronze Stars and finished more than 20 years of active and reserve service, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel. He is buried in Arlington National Cemetery, about 30 feet from his grandfather, the Honorable J. Hale Sypher, and 40 yards from his uncle, also named J. Hale Sypher, a commander in the U.S. Navy. My grandfather was proud to subsequently send my dad, George A. “Tony” Hewett (Class of 1972), to Andover on scholarship, as they would not otherwise have been able to afford tuition. Andover gave my grandfather the opportunity to
serve his country without having to sacrifice the security of knowing his son would get the education he needed to excel. My sister, Marilyn ’11, and I know that if my grandfather were alive today, 20 years after he left us, he would enthusiastically support—through the LCDR Erik S. Kristensen Scholarship Fund—the opportunity for any son or daughter of a veteran to experience Phillips Academy’s Summer Session program and reap its many lifelong benefits. —Andrea Hewett ’13
Two Summer Session Students Receive 2017 Kristensen Scholarships This past summer, Andover and the Military funded two five-week Summer Session scholarships, awarded to students whose parents are actively serving or have served in the U.S. Armed Forces. Brandon Jung of Beavercreek, Ohio, is the son of an Air Force major; Shiyenn Hill-Scott of McLean, Va., is the daughter of an Army veteran who now works at the Department of Veterans Affairs. Both students enjoyed their Summer Session experience and expressed gratitude for their scholarships. The LCDR Erik S. Kristensen Scholarship is named in honor of the courageous Class of 1991 alumnus who was killed in action in Afghanistan during Operation Red Wings while commanding a mission to rescue four fellow Navy SEALs.
Brandon Jung and Shiyenn Hill-Scott, 2017 LCDR Erik S. Kristensen Scholarship recipients
To donate to the LCDR Erik S. Kristensen Scholarship Fund, please visit www.andover.edu/giving, choose “Other,” and designate your gift for Andover and the Military. Thank you!
Rear Adm. Daniel R. Bowler ’66’s naval career spanned nearly 33 years. Born into a Navy family, his parents, Cmdr. Roland T.E. “Bud” Bowler Jr.— a 1945 U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) graduate— and Martha “Beno” Bowler raised their two sons for service at sea. Dan’s older brother, Roland T.E. “Tom” Bowler III, retired as a captain after a long and successful career.
Currently, Bowler is president of Whitehall Group, LLC, an independent defense consulting company. From 2003 to 2009, he was vice president of navy systems, sensors, and advanced technology solutions at Lockheed Martin Corporation. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of the U.S. Naval Institute and on the Board of Trustees of the U.S. Naval Institute Foundation. From 2006 to 2007, he served on the Naval Studies Board, evaluating Distributing Remote Sensing for Undersea Warfare. From 2008 to 2010, he served on the Naval Advisory Committee and supported several studies directed by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for research, development, and acquisition.
Bowler attended Phillips Academy for his senior year and played a key role in varsity basketball and baseball victories over Exeter. “While I only spent a year at Andover, it was the year that shaped my life and career,” says Bowler. “The academic rigor, the intellectual encouragement, the faculty and staff leadership, and the non sibi culture provided me with the Bowler holds a BS degree Rear Adm. Daniel R. Bowler ’66 toolset to attend USNA, graduate in naval engineering from in 1970, and enjoy a long and USNA and an MA degree in successful career in the Navy wearing ‘the cloth international relations from Georgetown University. of the nation.’ He also completed the MIT Seminar XXI program for national security leaders. Additionally, he has “The motto Non Sibi Sed Patriae (‘Not for self, but participated in executive programs at Harvard’s for country’) is inscribed over the chapel doors at John F. Kennedy School of Government and has the Naval Academy and is something I saw nearly taken executive management courses at the daily during my time there. It was a reminder and Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania. continuation of the non sibi atmosphere that is the Bowler and his wife, Susan, have twins, Brandy foundation of life at Andover.” and Shane, and six grandchildren. Bowler’s extraordinary naval career included eight “I am most impressed with the efforts of those key sea tours and eight shore assignments. At sea, participants in Andover and the Military to recognize he commanded the USS Leftwich (DD 984), USS and honor the service and accomplishments of Chosin (CG 65), and Cruiser Destroyer Group Five. the many Andover alumni who have served and He participated in combat operations in Vietnam, are serving in our Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, the Persian Gulf, and the Balkans. and Coast Guard,” says Bowler. “Andover and the Ashore, his assignments included Navy training Military also provides today’s school community and personnel commands, the Navy staff in the an important reminder of the many contributions Pentagon, and the Joint Staff. Additionally, he Andover graduates have made to their country and served as the 22nd Commandant of the National its military services.” War College at Fort McNair in Washington D.C. —George S.K. Rider ’51
Brothers in Flight
Torpedo Boats Tangle My father, Don Henry ’35—who would later become a bank chairman and avid mountain climber—served in World War II aboard U.S. Navy patrol torpedo (PT) boats in the Mediterranean. Dad earned the Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart Medal when he tangled with Italian M.A.S. (Motoscafo armato silurante— torpedo motorboats) the night of 28 July 1943. In my father’s words: “I was at the wheel of the PT 218 heading out of a battered Palermo into the Mediterranean darkness. PTs 203 and 214 were close astern. Lt. Ernest C. Arbuckle, USNR, in command of our mission (later dean of Stanford Business School), was standing alongside me in the cockpit of PT 218. Our mission was to harass shipping that was attempting to evacuate German and Italian troops from Sicily. “At that time, the battle for Sicily was intense. As we ran along the northern coast of Sicily toward the Straits of Messina in the darkness, there were vivid flashes of gunfire ashore. The night was wearing on when Lt. Arbuckle brought our PT boats about and started the long patrol back to Palermo. Suddenly the radar screen on PT 218 became alive—three enemy ships ahead toward the Sicilian coastline. After tense maneuvering, a torpedo salvo was fired, passing under the targets without exploding. Directing PTs 203 and 214 to maneuver for a further torpedo attack, Ernie ordered his PT 218 to make a gunnery strafing run. “In the darkness, PT 218 bore down on the last location of the M.A.S. boats, suddenly looming directly ahead as large, dark shadows. Ernie believed in getting us
close in. Running parallel to the M.A.S. boats, Ernie ordered us to open fire. For several minutes both sides exchanged heavy, close fire. My last recollection is of pushing up the throttles to full speed and turning away from the M.A.S. boats as ordered, when the world went black. It was hours later that I recovered consciousness on a U.S. destroyer.”
ALUMNI CURRENTLY ON ACTIVE DUTY Annette Bell ’16
Jarreau Jones ’00
Benjamin Bolduc ’16
Gil Barndollar ’00
AnnaMaria Dear ’16
Justin Accomando ’99
Anirudh Murali ’16
Grancis Santana ’99
Alexandra Bell ’13
Ali Ghaffari ’98
Taylor Perkins ’12
Luis Gonzalez ’97
Christopher Kent ’11
Michelle Kalas ’97
Adrian Lehnen ’10
Jesse Ehrenfeld ’96
Ansley White ’10
Kenny Weiner ’96
Walker Washburn ’08
Rush Taylor ’96
Jess Choi ’08
Laurie Coffey ’95
Jake Bean ’08
Randy Allen ’95
Hanson Causbie ’08
Ryan Shann ’93
Eamon Hegarty ’08
Matthew Macarah ’93
Alex Ryan ’07
Spencer Abbot ’91
Lauren Johnson ’07
Craig Der Ananian ’91
Helal Syed ’07
Kenneth Jambor ’91
Connor Flynn ’06
Eric Hawn ’89
Aaron Stroble ’04
Rob Patrick ’88
EDITOR Charlie Dean ’79
Livy Coe ’04
Kazimierz Kotlow ’83
Jenn Bales ’04
Graeme Henderson ’83
ASSOCIATE EDITOR George S.K. Rider ’51
Tom Barron ’04
Douglas Creedon ’79
HISTORIAN David Chase faculty emeritus
Matt Fram ’04
Don Henry ’35 from his 1935 Pot Pourri yearbook
PT 218 was badly damaged and the officers out of action. Although badly wounded, Lt. Arbuckle refused morphine in order to keep his head clear and propped himself up in a corner of the chart house. The boat was hours from Palermo. After carefully working through a U.S. destroyer screen, PT 218 suddenly appeared alongside the senior destroyer officer’s flagship as it lay at anchor. Offloading the PT boat, Arbuckle wouldn’t submit to the doctors until his officers and men were aboard and under care; he then collapsed. Ernie Arbuckle spent months in hospitals, earned the Silver Star Medal for valor, and saved his men, including my dad. —Paul Henry ’65
THE BLUE GUIDON The Newsletter of Andover and the Military Vol. 6, Number 1
From the Editor I’ve had the distinct honor to serve as the editor of The Blue Guidon for the past nine publications, a rare and breathtaking chance to learn so much more about Andover’s incredible military graduates. What an amazing collection of stories we’ve been privileged to share—and with so many, many more to be featured in the future. Serving as editor over these five years has provided me with a special window into the lives of American heroes, Andover heroes, a privilege that I’m incredibly grateful to have been given. I am excited to share that, starting with the spring 2018 edition, Navy special operations veteran Robert Tuller ’82 will serve as the next editor of this wonderful publication. AATM’s staff and Phillips Academy couldn’t be happier, as Robert is incredibly dedicated to our beloved school and its veterans, traveling from California annually for Veterans Day dinners, special events such as LCDR Erik Kristensen ’92’s memorial, Reunion Weekend pinnings, and now to bring his son Mason ’21 back and forth to the Academy. With Robert stepping up to serve as The Blue Guidon’s new editor, I know you will continue to enjoy this great publication! Non Sibi,
Charlie Dean ’79 2
Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE Charlie Dean ’79, chair Seth Moulton ’97, cochair Christine Balling ’86 Tom Beaton ’73 Livy Coe ’04 Laurie Coffey ’95 Johnson Lightfoote ’69 Karl Andrew Novick ’07 Robert Patrick ’88 George Rider ’51 Don Way ’63
Steve Draheim ’04 Walter Haydock ’04 Nick Ksiazek ’03 Cat Reppert ’02 Eric Chase ’01 Matthew Sullivan ’00 Hunter Washburn ’00
This list, based on data we receive from alumni, may be incomplete. If you or someone you know is not on this list, please email Jenny Savino at jsavino@andover.edu.
New students Kenny Weiner and Rush Taylor, both Class of 1996, first met in Rockwell House South in fall 1992. Although they were different in many ways, the two have become lifelong friends. They roomed together in Thompson House and, after graduation, both entered George Washington University. While in college they often discussed military service and the importance of service to their country. Weiner joined the Air Force immediately after graduation, but Taylor decided to spend a few years as a ski bum first. Then came 9/11, which for Taylor brought focus to finding his way back to service in the Air Force. Both were commissioned through Officer Training School—albeit five years apart—and became C-17A Globemaster III pilots. While flying in separate units, they were tasked to move cargo and personnel all across the world, frequently into Iraq and Afghanistan. Often they would return home transporting 150 battle-weary service members. Both agreed that flying urgent aero-medical evacuations and having a small part in saving lives was very important to them. Their most humbling flights involved returning the remains of those killed in action. The diversity of missions—which included midair refueling, transporting paratroopers on airdrop missions, and even performing at aerial demonstrations—was a satisfying part of their careers. Although Weiner and Taylor fly the same aircraft, their careers paths have been quite different. Weiner has completed three C-17 “operational” assignments and three tours as a planner. Taylor completed two operational tours in Hawaii, sandwiching in two years as an air mobility liaison to U.S. forces in South Korea. Although never assigned
Maj. Rush Taylor ’96, Lt. Col. Kenny Weiner ’96, and Hannah Brooks Weiner ’97 at Joint Base Lewis-McChord in Washington
in the same place, they always found ways to meet. Their wives are close friends and their kids play together. They were one another’s best man. They use any and all digital means to stay in touch from around the globe. Last year, Taylor transitioned to the Hawaii Air National Guard and began flying for FedEx. Weiner, who remains on active duty, currently commands the 62nd Operations Support Squadron at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. Service to country is a crucial part of their bond, and attending Andover stands out for both as one of their most important life decisions. “A career in the military is not always easy,” says Weiner, “but it’s rewarding. We owe a debt to Andover and the people we met there. One of the Air Force’s core values is ‘Service Before Self,’ and non sibi prepared us for that perfectly.” —George S.K. Rider ’51
Soaring with the Barrons Tom Barron ’04 graduated from Harvard in 2008 as an Army 2nd lieutenant. He received a Gates Cambridge Scholarship for studies on Africa at the University of Cambridge in the U.K. before serving in combat with the 82nd Airborne Division. Today, Capt. Barron is deployed in an operational theater as an Army Special Forces officer (Green Beret). Tom met Kayla Sax while both were attending Cambridge, and they married in 2013. Kayla graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy in 2010 as an ensign and, like her future husband, received a Gates Cambridge Scholarship. Kayla went on to earn a master’s degree in nuclear engineering. As a submarine warfare officer, Kayla was a member of the first class of women commissioned into the submarine community; she participated in three strategic deterrent patrols aboard the USS Maine. Following her time at sea, Kayla returned to the Naval Academy in 2015, serving as flag aide to Vice Adm. Walter E. Carter, Superintendent, who
Capt. Tom Barron ’04 and Lt. Kayla Sax Barron, flanked by Tom’s parents.
encouraged her to apply for astronaut training. Selected from 18,300 applicants, Kayla is currently one of 12 aspiring astronaut candidates. The dynamic Barron duo has raised the non sibi bar for national service to new heights, literally. —George S.K. Rider ’51 3