Alumni Spotlight: Class of 1972

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT: PMC’S Band of Brothers — Class of 1972

By Hannah Campbell, wife of Mike Campbell ’72

It’s June 1968, and Viet Nam’s Tet Offensive rages.

In Annville, Pennsylvania, Mike Campbell, Cliff Trumbo, and Larry Miller l, choose PMC College. Mike and Cliff share aspirations of becoming Army 2nd Lieutenants, while Larry entered Penn Morton College.

These were turbulent times and an uncertain future faced the cadets who may be called to war.

My friends Dora (Di Michael) and Jack Andreas set me up for a blind date with Mike Campbell to attend a Phi Epsilon PI/ ZBT fraternity party. There the jukebox blared Motown tunes, and chilled beverages quenched thirsts from all night dancing. When Mike and I kissed goodnight, he ran his fingers through the blonde wig I wore, and I had to twist and turn to keep it in place.

At PMC, I met some of the greatest men—Greg Haugens, Artie Hafner, Joe Edwards, among many—who during the week studied, attended classes, and performed military drills while answering to Colonel Frey’s commands. Dating was usually a football game, where Mike played the trombone with Headquarters Company. Pershing Rifles drills were a showstopper. We would gaze over at the Alumni, or “old people,” tent. Now we’re the old people.

Graduation 1972 was bittersweet when the colors were retired—a death in the family for all of us as we said goodbye to our pals, our youth onto uncertain futures, yet still connected by PMC love and loyalty.

At our 50th reunion, Mike, Ed Rogers, Cliff Trumbo, Greg Haugens, and others did the “broom drill,” and I proudly wore Mike’s fraternity pin while sitting alongside Betty Rogers, Missy Trumbo, Val Haugens, and Chris Edwards.

For Christmas 2021, we gifted our son, Patrick Michael Campbell, with a tie tac and cufflinks made from Mike’s blue wool PMC uniform buttons.

This 71-year-old grandmother still smiles at the memories of the Spring Formal and Ring Formal, when we girls felt like Cinderella dancing with our forever handsome Princes.