The Blue Guidon
The Newsletter of Andover and the Military Summer 2023 Against the Stream
By Chris Rokous ’80 and Jim Donnelly ’82
Joshua L. Miner III—legendary Phillips Academy physics instructor, housemaster, coach, and dean of admissions—graduated from Phillips Exeter in 1939 and Princeton in 1947. During WWII he served as a battery commander and captain in Gen. George Patton’s 696th Armored Field Army, earning the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, five combat stars, and the Croix de Guerre.
Miner joined the PA faculty as a physics teacher in 1952. In 1964 he interrupted his Andover career to bring the concepts of the Outward Bound program to the United States from Scotland, ultimately founding Outward Bound USA. He returned to Andover as dean of admissions in 1972, becoming the Academy’s first contact with thousands of prospective students until his retirement in 1985. He passed away on January 29, 2002.
In his own words, Josh Miner’s record at Phillips Exeter “was not distinguished.” No one at the Academy seemed a whit concerned with his innate curiosity. He didn’t see himself as one of the preps adept at playing the boarding school game; he escaped, never actually earning a diploma, in no small thanks to the history department. At Princeton University, Josh found himself similarly “out of synch with the educational establishment.” He flunked out twice. Well, truth be told, he didn’t give them a chance to flunk him a second time. Instead, Josh enlisted in the United States Army.
Just six months after the bombing of Pearl Harbor, having finished basic training, Private Miner found himself standing in line at Fort Dix wondering if he had the IQ to qualify for Officer Candidate School. Panic stricken, he called a girl he’d dated who worked in the dean’s office at Princeton: “Get my folder out and see what my IQ is and call me right back.” Thankfully, he had the brains.
Josh entered OCS. Soon thereafter, he received a letter from his “Uncle Jack,” a Yale-educated industrialist, in which the old family friend wrote, “I hope you are having a nice war…I enlisted in the Navy in the last one and while I seemed to get along all right without a commission, there is a big difference between the chief petty officer I ended up as and an ensign. Don’t ask me why, but there just seems to be, and the only sergeants that I ever saw that were the equals of captains
continued on page 2
Joshua Miner at Officer Candidate School in Fort Sill, Oklahoma, circa 1943socially were in the movies.”
This entitled view reminded Josh of his experiences at Exeter and Princeton. Nevertheless, Josh earned his commission and went on to distinguish himself in the European theater as a member of a battalion assigned to Gen. George Patton.
Josh learned quickly that results and relationships based on genuine respect and
Andover in the Civil War: The Research Continues
The service of Andover students and alumni in the Civil War has gone unheralded, until now. AATM historian David Chase is filling in the record. And that record is compelling. Chase’s dogged persistence has produced a wealth of material detailing the lives and military records of more than 800 alumni during the war. These profiles, forming a searchable database, chronicle alumni in classes from 1800 through 1875. Four alumni received the Medal of Honor for their Civil War sacrifices; more than 120 died in the conflict.
Since the founding of Phillips Academy in 1778, during the Revolutionary War, students and alumni have served with honor in the nation’s military. Some are memorialized on campus; all deserve to be recognized.
To access “Phillips Academy Students & Alumni in the Civil War”—including its database and introductory essays—be sure to visit the recently updated AATM website: andover.edu/paserves
Five more reasons to visit andover.edu/paserves:
1. View the Alumni Military Registry, an ever-expanding list of Andover alumni who are serving or have proudly served the United States or their country of residence and have elected to be publicly recognized.
2. See archived Veterans Day program videos (2010–2022), featuring alumni from all branches of the military.
3. Read past issues of The Blue Guidon.
4. Learn more about Capt. Thomas J. Hudner Jr. ’43, USN.
5. Meet Andover’s eight Medal of Honor recipients.
Among Josh Miner’s numerous military honors are (top row) the Army of Occupation Medal, Germany; American Campaign Medal; World War II Victory Medal; Purple Heart; Bronze Star Medal; and European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal with 5 combat stars. The French Croix de Guerre is bottom left.
earned regard mattered more than credentials and privileged paths. These lessons proved instrumental in Josh’s military service and in his life after the war.
He returned to Princeton. “The same classrooms, the same lecture halls, the same courses—and a whole new world,” Josh wrote in later years.
At the conclusion of one particular lecture, as the class rose and flooded out the exits, Josh elbowed his way down the center aisle against the stream to get at the “silly fool on the platform gathering up his notes.” He pounded on the floor at the professor’s feet: “What in the name of the Lord
were you trying to tell us? If you can’t do better than that, I’ve got to get out of this course. I’m 26 years old. I can’t be wasting my time here!”
Josh and two other veterans “nailed the poor devil to the wall, and that 10 o’clock lecture was not over until midafternoon… [we’d] come back full of questions…I was learning the basic educational fact of life: the answers are meaningless until the questions are asked.” There’s that curiosity again.
Josh satisfied his desire to live a meaningful life by entering the teaching profession. The war had taught him to question everything and that every seeming obstacle or uncertainty was really an opportunity in waiting. He developed an educational philosophy that challenged conventional thinking and rewarded appropriate risk-taking.
Ultimately, he brought this perspective to his work at Andover, first as teacher and coach, and later as the director of admissions. Many of us owe our Andover experience to his belief that we had more in us than we’d ever thought possible. Countless
Commencement Pinning
For the second year, Andover and the Military oversaw the pinning of soon-to-be-graduates enrolled at a military institution and/or in a ROTC program at Commencement, held this year on June 4. This is a great opportunity for family pride, special congratulations, and to introduce the AATM affinity group. Pictured from left are AATM’s Robert Tuller ’82, P’22, ’23, who performed the pinning; Remy de Saint Phalle, Andres Aleman, and Maximillian Gomez, all attending the U.S. Naval Academy in the fall; and Daniel Zou, enrolled at NROTC at Yale.
Remembering Don Way ’63
Donald Alexander Way passed away on November 12, 2022, at his family home in Atherton, California. He was 77.
“Don was a true patriot,” says Lt. Col. Charles Dean ’79. “His great pride over the past 11 years was being a founding member of the Andover and the Military Committee. Don faithfully served AATM as its lead fundraiser, helping to establish endowments to finance annual veterans’ activities on campus as well as the Lt. Cmdr. Erik Kristensen ’91 Scholarship [see below].
“Don was equally overjoyed to meet recent grads in uniform while attending Andover’s annual Veterans Day celebrations as he was in rubbing shoulders with Capt. Thomas Hudner ’43, Adm. Steve Abbott ’62, and Gen. Barry McCaffrey ’60. Don would chuckle, ‘Imagine me, just a Marine sergeant, getting to be with these incredible graduates!’”
Shortly after entering Stanford University, Don enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps and served in Vietnam. He returned to Stanford, graduated in 1970, and then began his career. Don eventually became CEO and chairman of Thoits Insurance Service. After retiring from Thoits, he founded Don Way Litigation to serve as an expert witness.
others of us did Outward Bound courses, joined the Peace Corps, or served in the military because he helped us to realize that our experiences, our “boots on the ground,” forged identity and revealed character.
Josh Miner was not content with the status quo; he encouraged several generations of young people to ask questions and to act with conviction.
Editor’s note: Back in 1978, when I was a junior, I was walking along Salem Street. Mr. Miner pulled over in his VW Beetle and rolled down the window. Beckoning me to his car, he pointedly asked, “Tuller, what three questions do you have today?” I didn’t know what to say. He moved on.
During my four years at PA, he would periodically put to me that same question.
Mind you, it wasn’t the only conversation we had, but that question kept coming up. “What three questions do you have today?”
“Mr. Miner,” I finally said. “You’ve asked me this same question for years and I don’t know how to answer. What do you mean?”
“Tuller,” he boomed, “you must have three questions to ask every day, because if you don’t have any questions you aren’t going to learn anything. So now you know. Get to it!”
I thought about that conversation for years and mostly did not heed Josh’s charge. But when I became a parent and my world changed completely overnight, I began to understand his wise advice. Over the past four years I have had Josh’s voice in my mind all the time, and it has morphed into not just asking three questions but asking the right questions. Anyone can ask questions— that is the starting point. But asking the right questions makes all the difference.
Don is survived by his beloved wife, Sylvie; children Nate, Nick, and Ted; and several grandchildren. Donations in Don’s memory can be made to the Kristensen Scholarship Fund.
How to make a gift to the Kristensen Scholarship Fund
The AATM-sponsored Kristensen Scholarship was established in honor of Lt. Cmdr. Erik S. Kristensen ’91, USN, SEAL, who was killed in action while leading Operation Red Wings in 2005.
Since 2014, 16 Kristensen Scholars—children of those who are serving or have served in the military—have enjoyed five weeks of Summer Session academics and fun on the Andover campus at no cost.
Please visit andover.edu/paserves to learn more about Erik Kristensen’s heroic sacrifice and to donate to the scholarship fund in Don Way’s memory.
Special AATM Events on Campus
We were honored to welcome Capt. Alexandra “Alexi” Bell Farr ’13, U.S. Army, as keynote for AATM’s 13th Annual Veterans Day Program and Dinner on November 10. Farr (pictured center above, in fatigues) earned a BS in mathematics at West Point and an MSc in data science at the University of Edinburgh. Farr recently served as the data scientist for the U.S. Army Central Command’s Analysis and Control Element under the 513th Military Intelligence Brigade. She is currently a team leader for a defensive cyber operations team. (Capt. Farr was inducted into the Andover Athletics Hall of Honor on June 10. Congratulations!)
In March, AATM hosted a gathering at Memorial Place followed by dinner and a screening of the movie Devotion. Released in late 2022, Devotion is based on the 2015 eponymous book by Adam Makos, which details the inspirational true story of Ensign Jesse L. Brown, the Navy’s first African American aviator, and his friend, Capt. Thomas J. Hudner ’43, who made a heroic effort to save Brown’s life during the Korean War. A custom challenge coin featuring Hudner’s portrait, painted by Chas Fagan ’84, was issued for the event.
These AATM events were co-sponsored by the Office of Alumni Engagement. To view the Veterans Day video or learn more about Thomas Hudner and the Devotion event, visit andover.edu/paserves
From the Editor
In this, my final editor’s letter, I officially pass the torch to Lt. Col. Rush Taylor ’96, USAF, who will serve as editor of The Blue Guidon going forward. Rush currently flies in the Air National Guard and keeps in practice with a day job flying for FedEx out of Hawaii. He is a genuinely happy warrior in the AATM community, a 2022 Andover Athletics Hall of Honor inductee, and a dedicated family man.
Embodying the non sibi spirit, Rush has always been gracious in sharing advice and stories with my son, Rex ’23, who will be pursuing a career in aviation himself. Please email Rush at military@andover.edu with story ideas, tales of your own military experience, and other suggestions for The Blue Guidon
As emeritus editor of this newsletter, I’m not disappearing entirely. I will continue my AATM work with David Chase and his Civil War project. Fair winds and following seas,
CURRENTLY SERVING IN THE ACTIVE AND RESERVE FORCES
Andres Aleman ’23
Remy de Saint Phalle ’23
Maximillian Gomez ’23
Daniel Zou ’23
Daniel Ferris ’22
James Isenhower ’22
Harrison Milbert ’22
Jordan Rayford ’22
Yong Seong Cho ’21
Alexander Grande ’21
David Graves ’21
Matt Veneri ’21
William McGrath ’21
Zachary Peng ’21
Mackenzie Lucas ’20
Joseph Kacergis ’19
Jack O’Neil ’19
Neil Thorley ’19
Nicholas Isenhower ’18
Joseph Simourian ’18
Larson Tolo ’18
Annette Bell ’16
Benjamin Bolduc ’16
AnnaMaria Dear ’16
Anirudh Murali ’16
Kasey Welch ’16
Eleanor Blum ’15
Nicholas Forti ’15
Eden Livingston ’15
Marcus Thompson ’15
Renee LaMarche ’14
Thomas Mullen ’14
Alexandra Bell Farr ’13
William O’Donnell ’13
Taylor Perkins ’12
Christopher Kent ’11
Adrian Lehnen ’10
Ansley White ’10
Hanson Causbie ’08
Lauren Johnson ’07
Helal Syed ’07
Brendan de Brun ’06
Connor Flynn ’06
Jenn Bales ’04
Livy Coe ’04
Steve Draheim ’04
Nick Ksiazek ’03
Priya Sridhar ’03
Cat Reppert ’02
Eric Chase ’01
Gil Barndollar ’00
Charles Fuller ’00
Jarreau Jones ’00
Jonathan Harrington ’00
Matthew Sullivan ’00
Hunter Washburn ’00
Robert Tuller ’82, P’22, ’23 THE
EDITOR
Robert Tuller ’82, P’22, ’23
ASSOCIATE EDITOR
George Rider ’51, P’86, GP’22
Published biannually by the Office of Academy Resources, Phillips Academy
EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE
Rob Patrick ’88, Chair
Kenny Weiner ’96, Vice Chair Justin Accomando ’99
Robert Tuller ’82, P’22, ’23
HISTORIAN
David Chase, Faculty Emeritus
Grancis Santana ’99
Phil Risseeuw ’98
Luis Gonzalez ’97
Michelle Kalas ’97
Ian Stephenson ’96
Rush Taylor ’96
Kenny Weiner ’96
Randy Allen ’95
Rebecca Calder ’94
Ryan Shann ’93
Craig Der Ananian ’91
Peter H.U. Lee ’90
Eric Hawn ’89