16 Pages Vol. 19, No. 5 February/March 2006

MMA LeaderCurrent information for our Special Friends. Dedicated to our Cadets--Leaders of tomorrow.

CELEBRATING 40 YEARS OF EXCELLENCE

GUEST SPEAKER AND MMA ALUMNUS BOBBY FARRIS IMPARTS WORDSOF WISDOM TO CORPS OF CADETS DURING LEADERSHIP FORUM

General H.M. Smith Foundation Dinner Full ofMystery, Intrigue

M arine Military Academy Corps of Cadets gathered in the Academy’sPhil Yeckel Auditorium to listen to words ofwisdom imparted by none other than one oftheir own...one who travelled in their shinyboots over 32 years prior: MMA AlumnusRobert Raimond “Bobby” Farris, Class of1974.

MMA’s Acting President Col R.G. Hill,USMC (Ret) had the honor of introducingMr. Farris and his many impressiveattributes. Following Mr. Farris’ graduationfrom MMA, he set his sites on fine-tuninghis quest towards a life of leadership,earning a Bachelor’s Degree in BusinessAdministration - Finance from University ofTexas at Austin and a MBA in Finance withHonors from St. Edward’s University in

Austin. Returning to the Rio Grande Valley, Mr. Farris has been with Valley Transit Com-pany since 1981, currently serving as President since 1999. He is also a licensed RealEstate Broker and Certified Financial Planner. Named Outstanding Young Man of Americain 1982, Mr. Farris has additionally earned the Texas Motor Transportation Member in1984, the American Heart Association’s Honorary Lifetime Membership Award, the Heart

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“First, figure out what’s right ... THEN DO IT!”

MMA Alum BobbyFarris addressesMMA’s Corps ofCadets duringLeadership Forumheld on 27 Januaryin MMA’s YeckelAuditorium.

T he annual General H. M. Smith Foundation observance was anything butordinary this year, beginning with the identityof a generous local donor--an anonymous$1,000,000 gift in honor of local resident CaptLeo J. McDonald CHC USN (Ret) and wifeShirley--remaining a mystery.

The General H.M. Smith Foundation Dinnerand Parade, a revered and prestigious annualMMA tradition honoring the memory of U.S.Marine Corps General Holland M. Smith--famed war hero, benefactor of children, andstaunch donor and supporter of Marine Mili-tary Academy, was created in 1970 as a meansof expressing gratitude for the extraordinary

THERE’S NO MYSTERY HERE - THESE INDUCTEES ARE NUMBERED AMONG MMA’S BIGGEST FANS!L-R: Capt Leo J. McDonald CHC USN (Ret); MMA Acting President Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); MMA BoardAdvisor Billy F. Price; MMA Institutional Advancement and Admissions Director LtCol Robert Grider, USMC(Ret).(continued on Page 3)

Association’s Regional VolunteerFundraising Award, the Leukemia Society’sSilver Plate Award, and is a Paul Harris Fel-low of Rotary International. He is an ac-complished pilot holding both multi-engineand instrument ratings and is licensed asU.S. Coast Guard Offshore Captain hold-ing a Master of Passenger Vessels/50 GrossTon Endorsement.

As Col Hill paused to catch his breath, asmile flickered across his face as he over-heard a cadet comment, “Wow, what elsehas he done?” Col Hill resumed the im-pressive introduction.

An accomplished businessman, Mr. Farrisalso finds time to give back to the commu-nity. He served on the Administrative Boardof the First United Methodist Church ofHarlingen and is a visiting Lay Minister atValley Baptist Medical Center. Mr. Farrisserved as Board Chairman of both theHarlingen and Valley Chambers of Com-merce; served as Board Chairman for UnitedWay of Harlingen and on the Board of Di-rectors for Texas Motor Transportation As-sociation, Harlingen Rotary Club, AlgodonClub, Texas State Bank, St. Alban’sSchool, Gladys Porter Zoo, Harlingen In-

dustrial Foundation, University of Texas atBrownsville’s Development Board, and theUniversity of Texas at Austin Business Ad-ministration Foundation Board. Mr. Farrisalso serves on the Texas Bar AssociationGrievance Committee, Valley Baptist HealthSystem’s Finance Committee, and as Presi-dent of American Heart Association, TexasBus Association, United Way and the Devel-opment Corporation of Harlingen. Currently,he is the Chairman of the Valley ZoologicalEndowment and the Valley Baptist Foundation.

Mr. Farris is the son of MMA Board Trusteeand longtime supporter Mr. Robert G. Farrisand is married to the Academy’s College Place-ment Counselor Mrs. Robin Farris, otherwiseknown about Campus as “The College RoomLady.”

Amidst a round of applause Mr. Farris took thefloor. “Do you think you will use what you’velearned here at MMA later in life? You will!Are any of you in the Aerospace program? Nowwhen I’m flying, turning from base to final,about 1/8 mile out going 110 knots, I cannotstop the plane, form a committee to plan whatcomes next. I am going to be on the ground in8-9 seconds--one way or the other. Flyingteaches you to quickly gather all relevant infor-mation, make an instantaneous decision --andthat decision must be right. Confidence in mak-ing right decisions in the snap of my fingers isjust one of the many skills I learned here atMMA that I use daily in many other areas ofmy life.”

Mr. Farris noted he believes that leaders learnto lead through a process of learned skills, ide-als and traits--not through the act of being borninto a life of leadership. He continued on, com-paring differences between being a leader ver-sus a manager. “A manager is concerned withtoday, and a leader focuses on the day after to-morrow. Leading is not about you, rather aleader mentors those behind them and gets oth-ers to do what’s best for the team.”

“Training to be a leader is not enough--youhave to first figure out what’s right, then doit! There are bad leaders, and there are good.”

Mr. Farris continued, “We do not have a lackof leaders in the country, what we have is afailure of ‘CHARACTER’ in many of our lead-ers. People may only want the title associatedwith leadership, but when the situation demandsleadership, the person designated as the ‘leader’does not step up and lead. That is not what agood leader does. Take the leadership duringthe Hurricane Katrina crisis--there is a primeexample of bad leadership and what can resultfrom it.”

Mr. Farris discussed the role of leaders in theworld of business, citing leadership at Houston’sENRON as a case in point. “At ENRON, wehave a case of Ken Lay as leader, putting to-gether a successful company. He and his teamthought they could do anything--they chose tomake themselves rich and some are in prisonas a result. But it is the employees (followers)who are the ones who truly suffered. Are theemployees bad people? No, they’re not badpeople, but they chose to follow a bad leader.In all walks of life, followers are important--followers will determine if your business willbe successful.” Mr. Farris cautioned cadets tostay away from bad leaders and noted goodleaders will not always be popular, but will berespected.

In further discussion, Mr. Farris explored lead-ership traits, character, styles, principles, the ap-plication of self knowledge, knowing one’s sub-ordinates, selfless devotion to the success ofothers, and ultimately the importance of mak-ing sound and timely decisions.

Mr. Farris predicted the world of tomorrow willbe much like today--hungry for good leader-ship. In summary, he challenged MMA’s Corpsof Cadets, “Be the kind of leader our worldneeds now and will need tomorrow...I hopeyou choose to put character and a strongrelationship with God high on your leader-ship lists.”

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MMA LEADERPublished monthly by the

MMA PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICE320 Iwo Jima Blvd.

Harlingen, Tx. 78550(956) 423-6006, ext. 235

Web Site http://www.mma-tx.orgEmail address: wieland@mma-tx.org

PUBLIC AFFAIRS OFFICERDebbie L. Wieland

PAO SECRETARYConnie G. Flores

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General H.M. Smith Foundation Commemorative Observance - 24 February 2006

L-R: Capt Leo J. McDonald CHC USN (Ret) and wife Shirley; PatsyJohnson, wife of Major Orrin W. Johnson, USMCR (Ret) seated to herright; Billy F. Price, and MMA Board Chairman Anthony J. McIntyre.

L-R: Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); Guest of Honor Greg Flood; JodieHill, wife of Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); MMA Founder Capt Bill Gary,USMCR (Ret); and LtGen Joseph F. Weber, USMC.

Bust of U.S. MarineCorps General

Holland M. Smith.

support given by General Smith towards theschool’s growth and development and thosethat share his dedication to MMA. Major con-tributors who have reached or exceeded$100,000 or more in contributions to MMAwithin the last fiscal year are inducted in to theFoundation as ‘Fellows’, ranks filled with suchnames as Dr. Felix de Weldon, Iwo Jima Monu-ment sculptor; the late Brigadier General WalterMcIlhenny, USMCR (Ret); and local residentsMajor and Mrs. Orrin W. Johnson, USMCR(Ret), attorney; Mr. Robert G. Farris - a vigor-ous proponent of trade advancement in the RioGrande Valley, attorney, MMA Board Trusteesince 1973; Colonel H. Wm. Card, Jr., USMC(Ret), past Mayor of Harlingen, Texas; Mrs.Evelyn East and daughter Ms. Alice East, SantaFe Ranch owner and overseer; Mrs. EarlineFolsom, retired Dealer - General Motors andCommunity Ambassador; Mrs. Velma Bow-man, wife of the late MajGen George ShepardBowman, USMC (Ret)--just to name a few. Inthe same manner as first celebrated on 28 May1970, local resident and MMA Director ofPlanned Giving Capt Leo J. McDonaldCHC USN (Ret), Billy F. Price of Houston,and renowned historian ElizabethWiskemann of San Mateo, California wereamong the honored inductees at this year’sFoundation events--along with two ‘surprise’inductees--MMA Acting President Col R.G.Hill, USMC (Ret) and MMA InstitutionalAdvancement and Admissions Director LtColRobert Grider, USMC (Ret). Ms.Wiskemann, unable to attend the event, wasinducted in absentia.

Guest of Honor Greg Flood, Chief OperatingOfficer for American Insurance Group (AIG),

Continued from page 1delivered a spirited address regardingdifferent styles of leadership and asso-ciated effects, the importance of per-sonal values and the gifting to organi-zations one feels an alliance of beliefswith. Mr. Flood assumed his post asExecutive Vice President and ChiefOperating Officer of National UnionFire Insurance Company, a subsidiaryof American International Group in2001. Prior to the 2001 appointment,he cofounded Axcelera Specialty Riskand served as Chief Executive Officer.From 1998 to January 2000, Mr. Floodserved as President of American In-ternational Group’s Mergers and Ac-quisitions Insurance Services Division.He touts over 16 years of experiencewith American International Groupincluding management responsibilityfor all of National Union’s various di-visions. In 1981 through 1988, Mr.Flood held a variety of positions withinMarsh & McLennan’s Insurancebrokerage subsidiary-- his last assign-ment being Vice President within aspecialty group.Mr. Flood earned a BA in Eco-nomics from Pace University in 1979 and anMBA in International Business from LongIsland University in 1983.

Prior to donning formal attire and attending theDinner--and in keeping with his insatiable thirstfor knowledgeand adventure--Mr. Flood testedhis physical fit-ness, reactionand decision-making skills onMMA’s ‘Back40’, conqueringthe RappelingTower and travel-ling at the speed of light downthe zip line underthe watchful eyes of MMA’s Major Comptonand MSgt Quilit.

Capt Bill Gary, USMCR (Ret), MMA Founder,and Maj Edgar Aronson, USMCR (Ret), MMABoard Trustee, presented longtime MMA sup-porter and Board Trustee Robert G. Farriswith the General Ray Davis Award in recogni-tion and appreciation of Mr. Farris’ 30 years ofhonorable and faithful service to the Academyand the Corps of Cadets. In addition to servingthe longest term of any MMA Board Trustee--coming on “Board” in 1973--Mr. Farris’ busi-ness interests range from transportation to fi-nance and construction. Educated as an attor-ney, he joined Valley Transit Company in 1955and was President from 1963-1998. As the fa-ther of three sons, Mr. Farris spent consider-

Guest of Honor Greg Flood, Chief Operating Officerfor American Insurance Group (AIG), delivers a spir-ited address to the audience during MMA’s annualH.M. Smith Foundation Dinner.

L-R: LtCol Michael Forrester, USMCR; SgtMaj David S. Miller, USMCR; GySgt RaulGarcia, USMCR; SSgt Caleb Hood, USMCR; and LtGen Joseph F. Weber, USMC.

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able time towards the advancement of BoyScouting as Vice President of Rio GrandeCouncil-Boy Scouts of America. A past Mem-ber of the Board of First United MethodistChurch of Harlingen, he served as Presidentof the Harlingen Industrial Foundation. Mr.Farris’ son Bobby is a 1974 graduate of MMA.

A few eyes teared amongst the audience as MajEdgar Aronson, USMCR (Ret) and Mr. LynnLowder, both longtime MMA Board Trustees,recognized the following MMA affiliates fortheir dedicated service to the United States insupport of Operating Enduring Freedom: LtColMichael Forrester, USMCR; SgtMaj DavidS. Miller, USMCR; Sgt Rick Gonzalez,USMCR; Sgt Jose Angel Campos, USMCR;GySgt Raul Garcia, USMCR; SSgt CalebHood, USMCR; and LtGen Joseph F. We-ber, USMC. Each were presented a framedResolution in recognition of their service andexpressing MMA Board’s gratitude on behalfof all at MMA.

24 February 2006 will certainly beremembered by many as an outstanding

evening in MMA history.

Board Trustees (L-R) Arden R. Grover; Robert G.Farris, recipient of MMA Board of Trustees’ Gen-eral Ray Davis Award; and Mrs. Robert G. Farris.

Rio Grande Valley residents were treated to an evening of the finest in military musicas performed by the Marine Band, San Diegoon none other than 14 February - Valentine’sDay at Marine Military Academy.

At 6 p.m., preceding the Band’s performance inMMA’s Phil Yeckel Auditorium, the UnitedStates Marine Corps - San Antonio hosted aWreath Dedication Ceremony at the Iwo JimaMonument in honor of all veterans - past, presentand future. Newly-sworn in U.S.M.C. recruits,MMA’s Drill Team and Color Guard, and thegeneral public were on hand as well as veteransof the Iwo Jima conflict in commemoration ofthe anniversary of the flag raising at the Battleof Iwo Jima and as tribute to Cpl Harlon Block,a local hero who was directly involved in thelegendary event.

Harlon Block was born in Yorktown, Texas, toEdward and Ada Block. He later led the WeslacoPanther Football team to the conferencechampionships and was honored as the “AllSouth Texas End.” All the seniors from this teamaccelerated their studies to graduate midyear andenlisted in the Marine Corps. Block was inductedinto the Marine Corps through the SelectiveService System in February 1943. His firstcombat experience was in the last part of theBougainville campaign later that year. Blockreturned to Camp Pendleton, Calif., with his unitfor training and became one of 30,000 Marineswith the 3rd, 4th and 5th Marine Divisions wholanded on Iwo Jima - ‘ D-Day’. Nearly 40,000more Marines arrived in the following days.Block and the rest of the Marines spent the nextthree days fighting heavy fire from MountSuribachi at the south end of the island and

working their wayover harsh terrain. TheMarines secured themountain February 23and raised a smallAmerican Flag at thesummit. Block laterassisted four otherMarines and a Navycorpsman in raising alarger flag that would be more visible. Associated Press PhotographerJoe Rosenthal captured this moment in historywith the photo that became famous around theworld. In the photo, Block is depicted as theMarine at the base of the flagpole. Once themountain was secured, Block and the rest of hiscompany moved north, and he was killed in anattack toward Nishi Ridge. The Allied forces

suffered 26,000casualties, withnearly 7,000 deadin the Battle ofIwo Jima, andmore than aquarter of theMedals of Honorawarded toMarines in WorldWar II were givenfor conduct in theinvasion of IwoJima - 27 in total.However, theisland wasinstrumental in thewar and providedan airbase forplanes to refuel inthe fight against

Japan. The island of Iwo Jima was declaredsecured on 26 March 1945. Marines like HarlonBlock and the heroes from OIF/OEF will liveforever in Marine Corps history. Their courageand determination is a tribute not only to theMarine Corps, but also the nation they served.

The Marine Band performance beganat 7 p.m. in MMA’s Phil Yeckel Me-morial Auditorium filled to capacity.The performance featured inspiringrenditions of patriotic music, classicalliterature, Big Band and Top 40 favor-ites, and the marches of John PhilipSousa. The Marine Band San Diego,comprised of forty active duty Marineswho participate in the same combattraining as any other Marine, performedin numerous ensembles. For over

eighty-five years, the Marine Band San Diegohas performed for countless thousands through-out the United States. Among the Band’s mostpopular performances are the Pasadena Tourna-ment of Roses Parade, Holiday Bowl Parade,various sporting events such as San Diego Charg-ers, Padres and Gulls home games. The Bandhas performed with some of Hollywood’s starsincluding the late Bob Hope, California Gover-nor Arnold Schwarzennegger, Academy awardwinning actor Jon Voigt, and “Major Dad’s”Gerald McRaney. The Band recently appearedat the Pleasanton Scottish Highland Games, theSuzuki Rock and Roll Marathon, and the popu-lar game show ‘Wheel of Fortune.’ In total, theBand performs over four hundred commitmentsevery year under the direction of Chief WarrantOfficer 2 Edward M. Hayes, Band Officer; Mas-ter Sergeant Daniel M. Price, Bandmaster; StaffSergeant Joey Payton, Enlisted Conductor; andStaff Sergeant Sean G. Schmidlin, Drum Major.

In addition to public performances, the MarineBand San Diego has established a musical edu-cation program in an effort to reach today’s youth.The program provides a link between Marinemusic and music in the educational system. Priorto the Wreath Ceremony and Band performanceat MMA, the Band met with Marine MilitaryAcademy Band members, providing valuableinsight and guidance.

Valentine’s Day at MMA was indeeda sweet, sweet treat - USMC style!

VALENTINE’S DAY A ‘SWEET

TREAT’ ABOARD MMA CAMPUS

USMC Band - San Diego warms up for their Valentine’s Day performance at MMA.

USMC - San Antonio dedicates wreath in final salute as MMA Drill Team looks on.

Members of USMC Band - San Diego meet with MMA Band to offer‘tricks of the trade’, helpful tips, and suggestions.

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ACADEMY AWARDS SPOTLIGHT HEATS UP YECKEL AUDITORIUM

MID-TERM INTRODUCTORY TRAINING GRADUATION ‘CONGRATS’ !MMA hosted a parade and recognition presentation on Saturday, 4 February 2006, beginning at 10 a.m. at the MMA Parade Grounds directly in frontof the Iwo Jima Memorial. The event recognized MMA’s 59 new cadets, also referred to as ‘plebes’, as they graduated from four weeks of introductorytraining to become official members of MMA’s Corps of Cadets. Following the posting of the colors and singing of the National Anthem, all plebeswere recognized, took their official Oath of a Marine Military Academy Cadet: “As a Cadet at the Marine Military Academy I will always be faithful– to my parents, to my God, to my Country and to the Academy. I will wear my uniform proudly, and in so doing, uphold the standards establishedby the United States Marine Corps. I will always behave honorably. I will not lie, cheat or steal. I will respect my fellow Cadet. I will not bear falsewitness against him. I will devote myself to the pursuit of knowledge. I will strive to conduct myself in such a manner as to reflect favorably uponthe Academy. I will not use drugs, alcohol or steroids and will not tolerate their use by other Cadets. I will be an achiever and a believer. I will domy best in every way, for I am a Cadet at the Marine Military Academy.” The plebes then affixed their insignia to their covers (hats) and passed inreview for the first time as full-fledged Marine Military Academy Cadets. Reviewing Officer was Colonel Robert G. Hill, USMC (Ret), Acting Presidentof the Academy. The purpose of the four weeks of introductory training is to train new cadets in a systematic and dynamic manner that will ensure theirunderstanding of subjects essential to their performance and success as cadets at MMA, and to instill in them an attitude that will result in unquestionablesupport for the high ideals and standards of the Academy.

At the beginning of each academic semester, Marine Military Academy (MMA) recognizes cadets for outstanding academic performance demonstratedin the prior semester. Cadets earning a first semester GPA of 3.75 or above for Academic Year 2005-2006 receive honors and placement on thePresident’s List. Cadets with a first semester GPA for Academic Year 2005-2006 between 3.50 and 3.74 receive honors and placement on the Dean’sList. Cadets receiving a Gold Wreath are on the President’s List for the first time with a GPA of 3.755 or above, and cadets receiving a Silver Wreath areon the Dean’s List for the first time with a GPA between 3.5 and 3.74. Those receiving a Gold Star have been on the President’s List for two consecutivesemesters, and those receiving a Blue Star have been on either the President’s or Dean’s list for two consecutive semesters. Those earning recognitionfor their first semester’s academic performance were honored on Friday, 3 February 2006, during MMA’s 2:30 p.m. Academic Awards Ceremony heldin the Academy’s Phillip Yeckel Auditorium. Earning academic honors/commendation from MMA Acting President R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret) and Deanof Academics John D. Butler, Ed.D.:

Graduates are:ALPHA COMPANY - Anderson III, John;Artemiev, Peter; Bibby, Louis; Borough, Lucas;Chase III, Ronald; Draher, Levi; Hudson, Elliot;Nye, Michael; Vasquez, Jose; Walker, Tyler;CHARLIE COMPANY - Austin, Kyle;Burford III, John; Castro, Emmanuel; Cich,Jason; Cox, Lyndsey; Giusti, Broc; Gonzalez,Andrew; Hernandez, Fabian; Hirning, Kyle;Patriquin, Thomas; DELTA COMPANY -Brown, David; Carter, Jacob; Doty, Justin;Hanchey, Ashton; Hearn, Marshall; Pollock,Austin; Shores, Brandon; Watters, Justin;

ECHO COMPANY - Escher, Eric; Hobby,Geoffrey; Houser, Kevin; Jones, Gary; Slycord,Sean; Welder, Patrick; FOX COMPANY -Aldredge, Jeffrey; Berkemeier, Kyle; Brown,Sean; Chew, Tyler; Corsentino, James; Klein,Tyler; Martinez, Andrew; Moreno, Alberto;Powell, Jeremy; Pursley III, John; Roark, Bryant;Rychwa, Eric; GOLF COMPANY - Ahmed,Sufyann; Cox, Jason; Gill, Michael; Liquori,James; Macbeth, Drew; Moorman, William;Powers, Brian; Shade, Scott; Telor, Daniel;Trevathan, Douglaus; Villanueva Maximoto,Jose; and White, Bryan. OOH-RAH!!!

Cadet Sgt Andrew E. Alexander, son of Mr. Richard AndrewAlexander of Houston, Texas - President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet Staff Sergeant Aadil Alidina, son of Mr. and Mrs.Nooruddin Alidina of Los Angeles, California -Dean’s List,Silver Wreath; Cadet Lance Corporal Dylan Michael Boldt,son of Ms. Marsene Boldt of Seabrook, Texas-President’sList, Gold Wreath; Cadet 1st SGT Zachary Chandler Bowen,son of Mr. and Mrs. Rob Bowen of Harlingen, Texas -President’s List, Gold Wreath and Gold Star; Cadet LtColStephen Chase Cooper, son of Mr. and Mrs. Michael E.Cooper of Orcas, Washington - President’s List, GoldWreath; Cadet Sgt Jacob Glen Curry, son of Ms. Carol JoElkins of Katy, Texas-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; CadetGySgt Andrew James Davis, son of Mr. and Mrs. BruceDavis of Aurora, Colorado - President’s List , Gold Wreath;Cadet PFC Roland D. De Marco, son of Dr. and Dr. RolandDe Marco of Granite Bay, California- President’s List, GoldWreath and Blue Star; Cadet SGT Travis Ryan Duncan, sonof Ms. Marcia Zimmerman of Houston, Texas - President’sList, Gold Wreath and Gold Star; Cadet Corporal GlebFedorenko, son of Mr. and Mrs. Oleg Fedorenko of FairLawn, New Jersey-Dean’s List , Silver Wreath; Cadet 1stLT Victor Amadeo Ferrara-Adame, son of Mr. and Mrs.Victor Ferrara Aguirre of Tamalipas, Mexico - Dean’s List,Silver Wreath; Cadet PFC James Douglas Flowers, son ofMr. and Mrs. Steven Arnold Flowers of Colleyville, Texas-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; Cadet CPT Graham MusgraveForssman, son of Mr. and Mrs. Erik Forssman of New York,New York -Dean’s List, Silver Wreath and Blue Star; CadetCorporal Jason Robert Franks, son of Mr. and Mrs. JohnFranks of Houston, Texas-President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet Staff Sergeant James Travis Fuqua, son of Dr. andMrs. Burcham Cooper Fuqua of Corpus Christi-President’sList, Gold Wreath; Cadet GYSGT Patrick O’Beirne Graves,son of Mr. and Mrs. Roger Dean Graves of Houston, TX-

President’s List, Gold Wreath,Gold Star; Cadet Sgt RobertCharles Gurley, son of Mr. and Mrs. Tony Curtis Gurley ofRaleigh, NC- President’s List , Gold Wreath; Cadet SGTTian Bo Han, son of Mr. and Mrs. Li Han of Shenyang,China-President’s List, Gold Wreath; Cadet Lance CorporalRobert Z. Hoyle, son of Dr. and Mrs. Robert Mark Hoyle ofIrving, TX-President’s List , Gold Wreath; Cadet LanceCorporal Michael David Karfunkle, son of Mr. and Mrs.Jeffrey B. Karfunkle of Spring, TX -President’s List, GoldWreath; Cadet SGT Nathaniel Edward Keegan, son of Mr.and Mrs. Howard Keegan-President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet PFC Daniel Khalil, son of Mr. Chris Nellis and Mrs.Heusinger of San Antonio, TX-President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet Corporal Tate Ryan Landin, son of Mr. and Mrs. VictorLandin, Jr. of Brownsville, TX- Dean’s List, Silver Wreath;Cadet PFC Amauri Demeire Latham, son of Ms. AmandaLatham of Stafford, Virginia -President’s List, Gold Wreath- Cadet Major Robert Long, son of Mr. and Mrs. Robert A.

THERE WAS PLENTY OF SUNSHINE FOR EVERYONEABOARD MMA CAMPUS ON GRADUATION DAY.

Long, Sr. of Dickinson, Texas-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath;Cadet Sgt Colt Thomas Marcyan, son of Mr. and Mrs.Carlton C. Marcyan of Lake Forest, Illinois-Dean’s List,Silver Wreath and Blue Star; Cadet Staff Sergeant PrestonQuintard Meyer, son of Mr. and Mrs. David Cooke Meyerof Dallas, Texas-President’s List, Gold Wreath; CadetColonel David Trae Miller, son of Mr. and Mrs. David A.Miller of Harlingen, Texas-President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet 1st Lt David Solomon Nekuyi, son of Dr. and Dr.Jeffrey Scott Malone of San Antonio, Texas - President’sList, Gold Wreath; Cadet Private Patrick Jacob Perkins, sonof Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Luther Perkins III of Katy, Texas-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; Cadet SGT Richard John Powell,son of Mr. and Mrs. John W. Powell of Sugarland, Texas-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; Cadet Lance Corporal MichaelClayton Schwerin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Clayton Schwerinof Fort Collins, Colorado-President’s List, Gold Wreath;Cadet Corporal Tyler Ryan Secrest, son of Dr. and Mrs.Joel Secrest of Fort Wayne, Indiana - President’s List , GoldWreath; Cadet Lance Corporal Dong Kwon Shin, son ofMr. and Mrs. ChangSoon Shin of Chungcheongnam-do,Korea-President’s List, Gold Wreath; Cadet SGT BrianTravis Smith, son of Mr. Frederick Brian Smith and Dr.Sopie Bersoux of Scottsdale, Arizona-Dean’s List, SilverWreath; Cadet Lance Corporal Kellen Lloyd Stuhlmiller,son of Mr. Ray Moralez and Mrs. Andrea Lloyd of Humble,Texas -President’s List, Gold Wreath; Cadet PFC CharlesWilliam Sumner, son of Mr. and Mrs. Don Brown Sumnerof Dubai, United Arab Emirates-President’s List, GoldWreath; Cadet 2nd LT Julio Ceasar Torres-Amaya, son ofMr. and Mrs. Julio Ceasar Torres Gonzalez of Monterrey,Mexico-Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; Cadet Sgt FranciscoAntonio Vianello, son of Mr. and Mrs. Frank M. Vianelloof Miami, Florida - Dean’s List, Silver Wreath; and Cadet1st LT Tian Zhang, son of Mr. and Mrs. Jiehui Zhang ofCupertino, California-President’s List , Gold Wreath.

“LOOK, MOM, IT’S REALLY ME! I’M CRACKIN’ THEBOOKS--DOUBLE TIME!” Cadets prepare to receive hon-ors, commendations and an extra pat on the back duringAcademic Awards Ceremony held at MMA on 3 February.

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Cadets of the Month for January

CHARLIE COMPANYTATE RYAN LANDIN

Junior - Brownsville, TX“Cadet Landin’s leadership,

maturity and tenacity have proveninstrumental in overall success ofCharlie Co. - particularly during

midterm military training andeducation of 9 plebes. He leads

consistently by example and withutmost proficiency. His performance

is nothing less than superb.” -CWO Jesus Hernandez, USMC

(Ret)DELTA COMPANYJOSE M. MARTINEZ, JR.Junior - Plano, Texas“I’ve enjoyed personally witness-ing Cadet Martinez’ growth andmaturity into becoming an asset toDelta Co. and MMA Corps ofCadets. He represents well. Hisacademic credentials are sound asis his involvement in and offcampus. He takes obligations toheart and has courage to see themthrough.” -SgtMaj LarryCarson, USMC (Ret)

ECHO COMPANYDANE HUDNALLSophomore - Corinth, TX“Cadet Hudnall is an excellent ex-ample for others to follow. Heteaches others how to becomegood cadets and has outstandingmilitary appearance. In one se-mester he has taken responsibilityas Squad Leader and now holdsthe billet as Platoon Sgt.-1st Pla-toon. I’m glad to have him in mycompany.” - GySgt FrankMartinez, USMC (Ret)

FOX COMPANYJUAN ASPE-CASSOLAFreshman - Mexico City,

MEXICO“Cadet Aspe-Cassola is a 1st yearcadet who has demonstrated and

displayed excellent attitude. His can-do attitude and initiative landed him

promotion as Cadet Instructor forPlebe training. His attention to

detail, motivation and self disciplineearns him the respect of his peers. ”

- GySgt Ernesto Montemayor,USMC (Ret)

GOLF COMPANYZACHARY C. BOWEN

Junior- Harlingen, TX“Cadet Bowen currently holds Golf 1st

Sgt Billet. He demonstrates outstand-ing leadership skills, always showingaccountability when responsibility is

needed. He leads by example, alwaysmaintaining good military bearing. Heassists others in academic and militarysubjects, ensuring conduct is appropri-

ate throughout the barracks. ” - SgtMaj Albert Wilson, USMC

(Ret)BANDSMANPATRICK A. DAVISSophomore - Brenham, TX“Cadet Davis is extremely reliable,clearly cares about the quality ofMMA Band and equally about thequality of his own contributions. Hepossesses all qualities found in everygood young musician. His develop-ment is sound and consistent. He’s agentleman of honor and pride,energetic and always positive - has avery positive impact. KEEP UP THEGREAT WORK, PATRICK!” - CWO3 Ed Harris, USMC (Ret)

DRILL TEAM/COLORGUARDTHOMAS DAWSONFreshman - Vallejo, CA“Cadet Dawson is a 1st yearcadet who demonstrates anddisplays excellent attitude. Heexhibits a can-do attitude,excellent motivation and selfdiscipline. Cadet Dawson willprove to be an excellent asset tohis company and MMA.”- GySgt ErnestoMontemayor, USMC (Ret)

ALPHA COMPANYANTHONY J. SAITZ

Junior - Frisco, TX“ Cadet Saitz has actively stepped

up to the leadership plate. Heasserts presence among his

platoon from reveille to taps. He’sa well-thought-of young man with

deep genuine concern for peersand quality of his own character.

He works diligently--we needmore young men of his quality and

caliber! ”- CWO3 Ed Harris,USMC (Ret)

Each month a cadet is selected from each company, from the band and from the drill team, to be recognized for theiroutstanding attitude, conduct and performance. Below are the selections for January with a comment from their DrillInstructor or activity coordinator.

“Those selected are to be commended for their outstanding performance.” - SgtMaj Ford Kinsley, USMC (Ret)Commandant

Cadets of the Month for February

CHARLIE COMPANYALEXANDER J. MENDOZA

Senior - Conroe, TX“Cadet Mendoza has performed hisduties in superior manner. He leads

consistently by example and istenacious in accomplishing all

assigned tasks. Charlie Co.’s midtermPlebe program was quintessentially

successful largely due to CadetMendoza’s unselfishness, tenacity and

overall leadership.”- CWO Jesus Hernandez,

USMC (Ret)

DELTA COMPANYRYAN C. DAYJunior - Richmond, TX“Cadet Day has become a greatassistance to the success of DeltaCompany. He possesses a goodwork ethic, exhibits a can-doattitude, and consistently sets anoutstanding example for all othercadets to follow. ” - SgtMajLarry Carson, USMC (Ret)

ECHO COMPANYANGEL GONZALEZ DE LEONFreshman - McAllen, TX“Cadet Gonzalez De Leon enteredMMA to improve his English Lan-guage skills and has done a greatjob academically. He’s a 1st yearcadet who has proven he’s a goodleader. He sets a good example forothers and will return to MMA asSummer Camp Cadet Instructorwhere he’ll sharpen his leadershipskills.” - GySgt Frank Martinez,USMC (Ret)

FOX COMPANYTREVOR J. DAVIDSONFreshman - League City, TX

“Cadet Davidson is a 1st year cadetwho has demonstrated and displayed

an excellent attitude. He is and hasalways been a team player, very

knowledgeable and helpful to others.He’s already been promoted twice this

year due to dedication and appliedhard work ethic. Cadet Davidson is anasset to both his company and MMA.”

- GySgt Ernesto Montemayor,USMC (Ret)

GOLF COMPANYDAVID RODRIGUEZFreshman - Sylmur, CA

“Cadet Rodriguez is currently theassist in the Laundry Room and has

done an outstanding job. He demon-strates superior leadership skills andmaintains his military bearing at all

times. He assists others with academicand military subjects and provides agood example for others to follow.”

- SgtMaj Albert Wilson,USMC (Ret)

BANDSMANAUSTIN SHUFFIELDJunior - Carrollton, TX“Cadet Shuffield has proven himselftime and time again as an extremelyreliable and valuable member ofMMA Band. He continually seeksself-improvement and is the Band’sstrongest soloist. He’s unwavering inhis dedication and loyalty to bothMMA and the Band. What a greatyoung man - he epitomizes everycharacter trait I look for in abandsman.” - CWO3 Ed Harris,USMC (Ret)

DRILL TEAM/COLOR GUARDWILLIAM AKINSophomore - Liverpool, NY“Cadet Akin is a 1st year cadetwho demonstrates and displays anexcellent attitude. Due to his can-doattitude and demonstrated initiativehe has proven to be a standout fromthe rest. As part of the Color Guardhe has competed with excellentresults. With a little more time andexperience, Cadet Akin will notonly be an asset to the Drill Teambut to MMA as a whole.” -GySgt Ernesto Montemayor,USMC (Ret)

ALPHA COMPANYTYREL L. GENOFF

Senior - Riverton, WY“ Cadet Genoff is self-driven,

motivated and highly dedicated.He quickly established himself as

a leader among peers. He putshighest priority on his education,

is an accomplished athlete, andcurrently serves as 1st Platoon

Commander. Look for Genoff tobe a key leader next year! ” -

CWO3 Ed Harris, USMC (Ret)

Each month a cadet is selected from each company, from the band and from the drill team, to be recognized for theiroutstanding attitude, conduct and performance. Below are the selections for February with a comment from their DrillInstructor or activity coordinator.

“Those selected are to be commended for their outstanding performance.” - SgtMaj Ford Kinsley, USMC (Ret)Commandant

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“GIVING BLOOD IS SWEEEEEEEET!” in the words of Cadet Quinn Gordon of Delta Company.What better way to start off a cold, wet Tuesday in February than to give the gift of life ... and betreated to a “Drop It Like It’s Hot” t-shirt, cookies, juice and the knowledge that you’ve just done theRIGHT thing. The Blood Drive is a joint effort of MMA’s National Honor Society (NHS) and UnitedBlood Services (UBS) with a goal of collecting 65 pints on February 21st. The outcome? They farexceeded the goal by collecting 110 units! MMA FACULTY ADVISOR DIOLANDA DYE EXTENDSSINCERE THANKS TO ALL WHO DONATED. As in the past, NHS hopes to secure a $500 scholar-ship from Red Cross for their efforts. Pictured are (L-R): UBS Technician Romeo Escobar; CadetQuinn Gordon, Delta Co.; and Cadet Kevin Gurganious of Golf Co., overseeing the whole opera-tion - with a tad bit of apprehension perhaps??? He’s NEXT!

MOVE ASIDE, MT. EVEREST ENTHUSIASTS!!! MAKE WAYFOR ROCKCLIMBING AT ENCHANTED ROCK - MMA STYLE!Enchanted Rock State Natural Area just north of Fredericksburg,Texas became the testing site 28-29 January 2006 for MMA’sClimbing Club comprised of Cadets Boldt, Gillard, Hoff, Solis(Adrian), Solis (Eduardo) and Rhinehart Jr. Led by their fearlessleaders MMA Climbing Instructors Major Harold Compton andGySgt Raul Garcia, cadets learned about outdoor ethics such as“Leave No Trace” philosophy (FBI and CIA buffs - you can figurethis one out!), basic map reading, terrain classifications, climbinggrades, fixed ropes, ascending fixed ropes, and rapelling. Cadetshad ample opportunity to practice skills - acquired last semesterduring rock climbing activity at MMA’s artificial Climbing wall - ontop rope face climbs ranging from 5.4 - 5.6. Their resume of expe-riences include a Saturday ‘traverse up flake’ on the backside ofthe Maine Dome, then a rappel down the backside and the faceclimb on the backside. Future climbing trips will increase in diffi-culty commensurate with the Class’s progress.Shown to front isCadet Solis, with Cadet Boldt contemplating their next move inbackground.

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‘ROUND THE CLOCK: MMA CAMPUS IN ACTION 24 - 7

“Hardest badge to earn? Gotta’ be the ... Camping...ummm, no--it’s Backpacking...butthen there’s Personal Management ... Ma’am, none of these badges came easily!” FourMarine Military Academy (MMA) Cadet Boy Scouts have earned the ranking of The Order of theArrow. Sergeant Major Jim Poe, a 30-year retired Marine officer, MMA Admissions recruiter andBoy Scout Troop 22’s Scoutmaster, explains, “The Order of the Arrow is the ‘honor roll’ ofScouting. Those who step up to the challenge of the ‘ordeal initiation’ are selected through Troopvote amongst fellow Scouts. Potential inductees are required to complete a weekend-longordeal to earn the right of passage into the Order of the Arrow. They are challenged to camp outall night without the shelter of a tent, provided with very little or no food ... real wilderness type ofactivities.” Accepting the honor and mastering the requirements are Cadet Travis Duncan, sonof Ms. Marcia Zimmerman of Houston, TX; Cadet Patrick Davis, son of Mr. and Mrs. Boris Davisof Brenham, TX; Cadet Kyle Gannon, son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Gannon of Denton, TX; andCadet Brandon Broden, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bryan Broden of Brownsville, TX. Pictured Left-Right: CADET BRODEN; CADET GANNON; COL R.G. HILL, USMC (RET), ACADEMY PRESIDENT; SGTMAJJIM POE, TROOP 22 SCOUTMASTER; CADET DUNCAN; AND CADET DAVIS.

JSA REPRESENTS AT ANNUAL JSA WINTER CONGRESS CONVEN-TION HELD AT MOODY GARDENS HOTEL IN GALVESTON, TX on15-16 February 2006. Cadets Jason Hiller, Tom McDonough, AadilAlidina, and James Fuqua represented MMA. The event mimics theWashington D.C.-based meeting of Congress. Students are presentedwith the opportunity to write a bill on any issue of their choice, thenall vote whether it should become a law. Each student is designatedas either a Representative or a Senator, replicating how the Houseand Senate work within the U.S. Congress. Bill topics ranged fromlegalization of drugs to Social Security reform, allowing Statesmento discuss any issue that caught their attention. The MMA group’sbills caught A GREAT DEAL of ATTENTION, powered by CadetsAldina, Fuqua and McDonough as Representatives. Cadet Hiller, MMAChapter President, was designated Senator. All MMA participantshad the floor in support or opposition of proposed bills to ban smok-ing, reform affirmative action, banning flag-burning--applying infor-mation gleaned from research or life experiences. Cadet Hiller sum-marizes, “The Convention allowed each of us to voice our opinionson current ‘HOT’ topics with others. In the end, we all left with goodmemories and a better understanding of how our Country’s govern-ment works.” Up next is Spring State, with MMA’s own CadetMcDonough drawing a nod from current TX JSA Governor inMcDonough’s plans to run for a state office. Students Pictured, L-R:Cadets Jason Hiller and Aadil Alidina - Charlie Company; Cadet JamesFuqua - Golf Company; and Cadet Thomas McDonough - Alpha Com-pany. Not pictured is MMA Faculty Advisor Wendell Drye.

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Check out “What’s New”aboard MMA Campus at:

http://www.mma-tx.org/Whatsnew.htm

SUPER BOWL 2006 CHAMPS - MMA STYLE! Fox Company and the Pittsburgh Steelers - 2006 SuperBowl Champions. Temperature of 85 degrees with winds gusting 25-35 mph provided the setting foran exciting flag football game that was not decided until the final play of the game. The first halfended with the score in favor of Golf Company who scored on a long touchdown pass to end thefirst half, 20-18. The second half became more of a defensive battle with emotion running high withboth teams. On the last play of the game Golf Company had a pass go incomplete in the end zone.A thanks goes to all cadet participants and the challenge goes to Fox Company-will there be arepeat in 2007? Fox Company - L-R Back: Cadets Graves, Molina Cadena, Sooby, Valka, Aldredge,Wolff, Nazif (Neeyum), Motheral, Lease, Hoff III. Middle: Cadets Shepherd, Flores, Heng.Front: Cadets Utnick, Nazif (Neema), Ferrara Adame, Russell Jr., Saldivar-Gonzalez.

USMC EMBLEM IN STAINED GLASS REVIEW. Winter Texan and former Marine James Hughespresented Marine Military Academy with a hand-crafted stained glass window depicting the USMCemblem on Monday, 27 February 2006. Mr. Hughes took up the hobby upon retiring from a careerspanning 35 years as a high school math teacher. The Colorado Springs resident and his wife Carolhave spent the past 11 winters in the warmth of the Rio Grande Valley. Shown L-R: MMA ChaplainCapt Leo McDonald, CHC USN (Ret); Acting President Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); Mr. James Hughes;Mrs. Carol Hughes.

ARBOR DAY AT CITY OF HARLINGEN’S PENDLETONPARK. MMA Color Guard (Cadet Pursley,Rifle Bearer; Ca-det Quadland, Team Commander; Cadet Taylor, MarineCorps Colors; and Cadet Nelson, Rifle Bearer) representedMMA proudly at the 23 February 2006 observance of ArborDay, a special day dedicated to tree planting and increas-ing awareness of the importance of trees to the environ-ment. Following the posting of Colors by MMA ColorGuard under the watchful eye of GySgt ErnestoMontemayor, local Girl Scouts planted saplings in thepark. Photograph courtesy of Cadets Latos and Artigue of Gary Howard’sPhotography Class.

“THAT’S ALOTTA’ OCELOTS!” MMA played hostto the annual Ocelot Conservation Festival on Satur-day, 11 February. There are approximately less than100 of the endangered ocelots left in the U.S., andthose are found in none other than the wilds of SouthTexas. The barrage of indoor and outdoor activitiesassociated with the event are designed to raise aware-ness and raise funds to assist with ocelot conserva-tion efforts. Events ranged from a live ocelot show,nature programs including a live butterfly display, ananimal calling contest, animated storytelling session,archery and obstacle competitions, Silent and Liveauctions, and much, much more! MMA’s Golf Com-pany and ROTARY INTERACT assisted with theevent. Pictured next to cage of sleeping ocelot isCadet Josh Jeanminette of Charlie Co.

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WORD FROM THE HOME OFTEXAS GOVERNOR PERRY.Cadets Cooper and Millerwere presented with certifi-cates signed and sealed byTX Governor Perry and wifeon March 1st. Cooper earnednomination to U.S. Air ForceAcademy, and Miller earnednomination to the U.S. NavalAcademy. Presenting thecertificates was ChristopherScheffman, RGV Represen-tative for Governor Perry.

Pictured (L-R) MMA Acting President Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); Christopher Scheffman; Cadet StephenChase Cooper; Cadet David “Trae” Miller; SgtMaj David Miller, USMCR and father of Cadet Miller; andDean of Academics John D. Butler, Ed.D.

Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) held theirAnnual American History Month 2006 Awards Cer-emony on Saturday, 18 February in MMA’s PeacherHall. Earning the 8th Grade DAR Good CitizenshipAward was Cadet Robert Hoyle of Charlie Company,and earning the DAR Good Citizens Recipient Awardwas Cadet Robert Long, Jr., also of Charlie Company.

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• Marine Military Academy’s College Placement News Flash • Marine Military Academy’s College Placement News Flash • •

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W ith Spring Break upon us, I want to take this opportunity to encour-age parents of juniors to begin thinking andtalking about college with their cadet. I’vemet with them already once to begin theserious and complicated process of col-lege exploration. They received an ‘unof-ficial’ transcript noting their current classrank and total number of quality points.Also, I’ve shown them how to researchcolleges through the use of the internet,college viewbooks, college handbooks andvideos/dvd’s. Additionally, I gave them anotebook filled with lots of informationconcerning resume writing, essay writing,checklists and handy websites. They willbe well-stocked to begin their college ex-ploration.

There are many things you can do as a par-ent to help guide your son through thismaze as well:

1. Anytime you’re travelling (espe-cially during holiday breaks) if thereis a college nearby, drive through thecampus, stop at the student union, talkto students informally and pick up thestudent newspaper. These types ofvisits can help you and your son com-pare size and locations of colleges.2. Talk about your expectations as aparent--distance from home, size andtype of college, costs of public vs.private, scholarship options, etc.3. Help your son recognize his spe-

It’s all about theright fit...

cial talents and how they can be usedin the admissions process. When re-viewing admission and scholarship ap-plications, colleges look at the levelof courses a student takes (AP/Hon-ors courses), student’s grades, leader-ship roles and community service.Encourage your son to continue tostrive for additional responsibilitieswithin his company and to take advan-tage of the many community serviceorganizations (Key Club, Rotary Inter-act, HOSTS, etc.) we have on cam-pus.4. Be sure that your son’s list of col-leges is realistic. Help him to narrow

the list to one or two ‘reach’schools, two-to-three ‘goodchance’ schools, and one-to-two‘safety’ schools. Visit the collegeson his list. It is not too early tobegin visiting colleges now. Col-leges should be contacted in ad-vance for college visit appoint-ments.

One last thing--remember that the rightcollege is the one where your child willfit in scholastically and socially. Be re-alistic in your aspirations and supportyour son’s choice...It’s all about theright fit.

--Robin Farris, MMA CollegeGuidance Counselor

Marine Military Academy’s College Placement News Flash • Marine Military Academy’s College Placement News Flash

“No foolin’, after all this, there’s more?” Charlie Company’s Cadet CharlesFranklin Gurney, a sophomore, learns about the relevance of current classrank and quality points during a group educational session, compliments ofMMA College Guidance Counselor Robin Farris.

The Marine Military Academy awardsfinancial assistance to returning cadets onan annual basis. The number ofapplications and amount of financialassistance requested each year is fargreater than the scholarship fund. Thus,the cadet must compete for scholarshipsbased on his performance and the family’sfinancial needs. The largest single factorconsidered in the cadet’s performance ishis GPA, which must be at least 2.5 for

the spring semester and at least a 3.0cumulative MMA GPA. Other factorssuch as conduct, military leadership andparticipation in extracurricular activitiesare also considered.

To request an application contact:Institutional Advancement Department

(Attention Scholarship Committee)Marine Military Academy

320 Iwo Jima Blvd.Harlingen, TX 78550

If you have any questions, you may callEster B. Reyes at (956) 421-9231 or e-mail at reyes@mma-tx.org. An applicationwill be forwarded immediately and mustbe completed/returned no later than 12

May 2006. Recipients of financialassistance will be notified by 30 June2006.

As part of the application process youmust provide a copy of your 2005federal income tax return (includingcopies of W-2 forms) or yourapplication will not be considered.Your cadet must be reenrolled for theAcademic Year 2006-2007 before theScholarship Committee meets in May2006.

Applications received after 12 May2006 will not be considered.

PARENTS: TAKE NOTE!Last Notice RegardingScholarship Assistance

Academic Year 2006-7

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D r. Mary Ricciardi, Head of MMA’s Foreign Language Department,doesn’t miss a beat--even on foreign soil!Just this past summer she spent July inQuebec, CANADA as Chapter Officer,Intervenant and Presider, presenting thetoils of her previous summer’s ‘vacation’to the American Association of Teachersof French.

The Summer of 2004 found Dr. Ricciardiwith thirteen other K-12 teachers, meetingin Lyon, France, dispersing in various di-rections in search of survivors of the FrenchOccupation to interview. Dr. Ricciardi ex-pands, “During our stay in Lyon we stud-ied a theory of rescue which tried to iden-tify the character traits of people who be-come rescuers. We were struck by the re-semblance of these traits to the elements ofpersonality we noticed as well in the indi-viduals that would becomeResistants...individualism, indepen-dence, a practical nature, a passionfor helping others, a habit of coop-eration supported by the family inwhich they grew up, and a certainspontaneity that expresses as a will-ingness to take risks.”

Dr. Ricciardi concentrated her effortstowards gaining an understanding ofthe role of women during the Resis-tance. Those that have met Dr.Ricciardi know that Dr. Ricciardi isnot one to idly scratch at the surface--rather, she is one to submerge entirelyinto the ambience of whatever she devotestime and space to. And submerge she did!

Dr. Ricciardi delved into the lifetime ofexperiences seen through the eyes of ex-ceptional female Resistant DeniseDomenach-Lallich, one of two liaisonagents who worked the Lyon area and sur-vived. Dr. Ricciardi’s eyes sparkle and animpish grin becomes a proud smile as sherelates the day Denise, as a young highschool student at the same time she was

working in the Resistance, returned homefrom school with her little brother. As thetwo crossed one of the many bridges ofLyon, a cordon of soldiers blocked both endsand ordered everyone to show papers andopen bags. Having compromising papersin her school bag and knowing her littlebrother had less chance of being found out,she quickly counseled her little brother toexchange bags with her, smile at the Ger-man soldier, then go directly home withoutso much as a glance backwards. He obeyed

without hesitation and the soldiers didn’tlook into the bag he was carrying.

Dr. Ricciardi eyes suddenly flooded and herchin trembled as emotion clouds her voice,“Only from 1944 does Denise write (in herjournal) openly about her friends who arekilled, arrested and shot for their clandes-tine activities...At the moment of the Lib-eration, she ends her journal with the words,‘I hope that I’ll learn to be happy, but Iwill never again be innocent.’ ”

Dr. Ricciardi incorporates her summer ex-periences into her French Foreign Languageclasses at MMA, challenging cadets to dis-cover and discuss the commonalities anddifferences they find while translating andcomparing the French Declaration of theRights of Man and the Citizen to the UnitedStates Declaration of Independence and Billof Rights. Dr. Ricciardi recounts a cadet’sobservation of the restrictive nature of theFrench rights when compared to America’sversion. As the cadet painstakingly trans-lated passages, grasped the full meaning ofthe French document, his eyes opened wideas he exclaimed, “Ma’am, that’s justWRONG!”

On the horizon for cadets studying Frenchwill be the Rio Grande Valley FrenchCompetition 2006 held this year at WeslacoEast High School on Saturday, March 25.Approximately 200 students from 12 highschools will participate in the day-longcompetition involving preparation of Frenchcuisine, hand-crafting, sight-reading, andPetanque - a French version of lawnbowling. The event is the brain child of Dr.Ricciardi who organized it in 1993 to

facilitate the opportunity for studentsstudying the French language andculture to exchange ideas and network.The annual event was hosted by MMAuntil about five years ago, when otherarea French teachers volunteered tocarry more of the responsibility for theevent.

Dr. Ricciardi also plans to facilitateapproximately 30 cadets participationin the National French Exam onTuesday, March 7th. The test is

administered at MMA and sent to theAmerican Association of Teachers ofFrench for scoring and ranking. In

recent years, several MMA cadets haveachieved national ranking of 90th percentileor above. Dr. Ricciardi is immensely proudof her students’ accomplishments and theirenthusiasm.

Our ‘covers’ are off to Dr. Ricciardi andthe cadets of MMA’s French ForeignLanguage.

C’etait magnifique!

“I hope that I’ll learn

to be happy, but I

will never again be

innocent.” --French ResistantDenise Domenach-Lallich

Dr. Ricciardi’s 1st Period Class discusses (--in FRENCH!) the Frenchcitizens’ rights, comparing them to that of United States citizens.

Dr. Ricciardi stands before a copy of the French Decla-ration of the Right s of Man and the Citizen before tak-ing the helm of her Beginning French class in the earlymorning hours.

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LEATHERNECK SPORTS• Baseball•Basketball•Boxing•Cross Country•Football•Golf•Judo•Physical Fitness Training•Soccer•Swimming•Tennis•Track & Field•Volleyball •Wrestling •

• Baseball•Basketball•Boxing•Cross Country•Football•Golf•Judo•Physical Fitness Training•Soccer•Swimming•Tennis•Track & Field•Volleyball •Wrestling •

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WINTER SEASON WRAPMMA Wrestling Leathernecks had a season full of obstacles, but the team overcame its challenges to complete a successful first season asa varsity sport. The year started out very promising, with 33 cadets joining the Team. Things only became more exciting when Leathernecksdominated competition at San Benito with two impressive team victories. From that point on, difficult circumstances prevented the wrestlingteam from fielding a full team. That didn’t stop the MMA wrestlingteam from continued improvement and success. The Leathernecksfinished the season with a team record of 7 -W and 7-L against thetoughest competition in RGV. MMA represented in the TAPPS StateChampionships in six different weight classes. With the limitedroster, MMA took an 8th place finish (out of 17) in team standings.JakeHaren placed 5th at HWT, while Taylor Fabian and Ryan Law bothfinished as State Runner-Ups in their individual weight class. Here’s the typeof competition MMA went up against at State: Five of the teams (2 thatwe beat at State) placed in the top 65% at Prep Nationals. Bishop Lynchfinished 2nd in the ENTIRE country with 2 national champs, 1 runner-up,and three 3rd place finishers. Our State tournament included 11 All-Americans. I am very proud of the effort and resiliency that our wrestlersshowed through the entire season. Since, this year was the first year forwrestling to be a varsity sport, and they achieved so much, this teamwill be admired by future MMA wrestlers. The future looks very brightfor the MMA wrestling team. Seven varsity lettermen return, including aState Runner-Up (Fabian) and the team leaders in escapes (MichaelSchwerin) and reversals (Amauri Latham). These wrestlers now know what it takes to be competitive on the mat, and I am excited about theirimprovement throughout the next eight months. I want to thank everyone that supported wrestling and look forward to earning morerecognition for the wrestlers and Marine Military Academy.--Leatherneck Wrestling Head Coach Ron Lang

(L-R) State Runner-Up Ryan Law, Head Coach Ron Lang, and StateRunner-Up Taylor Fabian.

Pictured (L-R) Front: Cadet James Rodriguez; GOLDEN GLOVES TEAMTROPHY; Cadet David Rodriguez. Back: Cadet Trae Miller; Ass’t. Coach GySgtVillarreal; Cadet Orry Coursey; Cadet Donald Speiring; MMA Acting PresidentCol R. G. Hill, USMC (Ret); Cadet James Fuqua; Cadet Zachary Thomas; CadetChristopher Vasquez; Head Coach SgtMaj Robertson; Cadet Jimmy Enos.

MMA’s Boxing LeathernecksMMA Leatherneck Boxers took to the ring in Golden Gloves competitionheld at Tony Gonzales Park Boys & Girls Club in Brownsville February 2-4. Weighing in were Cadet James Fuqua, Golf Co, Light Heavyweight at172 pounds; Cadet David Rodriguez of Golf Co., Bantamweight at 112pounds; Cadet Thomas Zachary of Golf Co., Flyweight at 112 pounds; CadetJayro Medina, Middleweight at 165 pounds; Cadet David Miller of GolfCo., Lightweight at 139 pounds; Cadet Jimmy Enos of Delta Co.,Middleweight at 165 pounds; Cadet Donald Spiering of Delta Co., LightHeavyweight at 178 pounds; Cadet James Rodriguez of Alpha Co., LightLightweight at 132 pounds and Cadet Orry Coursey of Delta Co., Lightweightat 144 pounds. The Boxing Leathernecks brought home the Golden GlovesTeam Trophy. OOH-RAH!!!

TOM MORTONATHLETIC DIRECTOR

HEAD FOOTBALL COACH

“Taking Care Of Business”

Check out State Competition Judo results, Swimming andBasketball Wrap Up in April issue of MMA Leader.•

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Pictured (L-R) Front: Cadets Arman Sanchez; John Maraschino; HenryBrasch; Ivan Gutierrez; Steven Godfrey; Windsor Hanish. Back: CoachFrank Martinez, Jr.; Cadets Jose Barrera; Mario Cepeda; Colt Marcyan,Taylor Simmons, Myles DuBose; Zijian Yang.

MMA Tennis Team -An “Even Dozen”

Col R.G. Hill congratulatesCadet Taylor Simmons on hisfirst place finish over SanBenito rival.

MMA Tennis Team is heating uparea tennis competition in hot courtaction. There’s no secret to theirstrategy: Keep the balls deep;wait for opponent to make anerror or hit short; if he hitsshort, attack.

Keep on keeping on,LEATHERNECKS!

Pictured (L-R) Head Coach Salas; Cadet Sebastian Garcia; Cadet JasonTanowitz; Cadet Ryan Heumann; Cadet Lucas Borough; MMA ActingPresident Col R.G. Hill, USMC (Ret); Cadet Craig DeSantis; Cadet TommySwan; Cadet Harris Bernard; Cadet Dillon Moore; Cadet Zach Conaway.Trophy on left is Team Trophy - Progreso Tourney and trophy on right isTeam Trophy - Raymondville Tourney.

MMA Golf Team - “Pros At Work”MMA Leatherneck Golf Team kicked off the season on Saturday, 11February with a tournament win at the annual Raymondville BearkatInvitational. Leading the way for the Leathernecks was Sebastian Garcia-Prieto who shot a 79 on the par 72course. Sebastian also received 1st placeindividual honors. The Leathernecks as a team shot a total of 348 to finishahead of the second place team by 15 strokes. Members of the team whohelp contribute to this win were Max Cyphers, Tommy Swan, and RyanHeumann. The Team continued their winning streak by taking 1st and 3rd atthe annual Progreso tournament held at Llano Grande Golf Club in Mercedes.The Leathernecks had 10 golfers participate in the tournament, which allowedthem to have two teams. Leading the way for the ‘A” team who won thetournament with a team score of 348 was Max Cyphers who, with an 82,captured 2nd place individual honors. The ‘A’ team consisted of SebastianGarcia-Prieto, Tommy Swan, Ryan Heumann, and Lucas Borough. TheLeatherneck ‘B’ team was led by Jason Tanowitz who with an 83 captured3rd place individual honors. The ‘B’ shot a team score of 381 and missed outof capturing 2nd place by 15 strokes. The Leatherneck ‘B’ team consisted ofZach Conaway, Craig DeSantis, Harris Bernard, and Dillon Moore.

MMA Track & Field Team - Stridin’ Out Proud!

Pictured (L-R) Front: Cadets Kyle Austin, Geoffrey Hobby , SeanSlycord, Patrick Welder, Kyle Miller, Robert Cheng, Back: JeffAldredge, Bastian Wolff, Robert Motheral, Colton Kempin, ZacharyBroyles, Daniel Bertalot, Billy Hardee, Kyle Wood, Tate Landin,Charles Sumner, David Miller, Eduardo Solis, Robert Underwood,Brandon Broden, Lawrence Sheperd, Juan Aspe-Cassola, VincentCervassi, Brad Pair, Diego Fuentevilla-Zuniga, Raby Plank, AdrianSolis, Kyle Hirning, Charles Gurney, Maligue Graham, Robert Long.Not pictured: Head Coach Mike Morton and Asst. Coach Ron Lang.

Mar. 4 Lyford Relays Lyford, TXMar. 25 Hidalgo Relays Hidalgo, TXMar. 31 Meet -Champions Raymondville, TXApril 1 Meet-Champions PSJAApr 6-7 T.A.P.P.S. District BrownsvilleMay 5-6 T.A.P.P.S. State Waco, TX

Upcoming Track & Field Action

MMA Baseball Team - “Home Run Kings”!

GO

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Mar 25-12:00 Noon San Antonio Holy Cross - HomeMar 2-4:00 PM Brownsville St Joseph - AwayApr 1 -12:00 Noon San Antonio Central Catholic - HomeApr 8-10:00 AM Austin St Michaels - AwayApr 11-4:00 PM Brownsville St Joseph - HomeApr 22 -1:00 PM San Antonio Antonian - Away

Upcoming Leatherneck Baseball Action

Leatherneck Baseball Traveling Team Members: CadetsBellenger, Bibby, Bracken, Broden, Callaway, Chew, Combs,Harrell, Houser, Klein, Landin, Lease, McDonough, Nordbak,Rhodes, Stuhlmiller, Sutton, Westman, Morrison, Gomez,Alderman and Powell. Head Coach Albert Esparza.

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Alumni News

Where are they now?

1st Annual Alumni Celebrity Toast’n’Roast• Alumni Weekend Dinner • Sat. - April 8th

RSVP your ‘spot’ to Connies Floresat (956) 421-9232

or E-mail flores@mma-tx.org TODAY!

’73Martin Johnson –Mjohnson@dfwairport.com - Programmanager for airport development dept. atDFW, married, 12 yr.old son

’81Mark Boswell –fisherman6265@aol.com - working as aproduction control manager, married,three children

Henrik Iversen – hiversen@ec.rr.com -just selected to MGySgt with orders toStuttgart, Germany, married to Tammi (23yrs.), daughter graduating from highschool in June, son in Corps at CherryPoint

Lt. Anthony Williams DPD –poppy5394@yahoo.com - celebrating 22yrs.on the Dallas Police Dept., currently incommand of the helicopter unit and anadjunct professor at Paul Quinn Collegeand Cedar Valley College, plans to attendApril reunion

’82Robert Baker – stratcatrwb@aol.com -got married last Dec., still a medicalclaims examiner and playing guitar withthe blues band Brother 2 Brother(www.brother2brother.com), living inTomball, TX.

’83Tim Sloan – MrSloanT@yahoo.com -working in the aerospace industry

’84 Major Mike Holmes USA - back safelyfrom an 11 mo. deployment in Iraq

’86SSgt. Tim Parkhurst –tim.parkhurst@verizon.net - has beenselected for GSgt. effective in Aug, andbecoming a Corps recruiter in late spring

’91Kurt Roth – Kroth20@comcast.com -former Bravo Company Commander, nowa partner in a boutique investmentbanking firm in Chicago, IL

’93Wes Basham –wesbasham@yahoo.com - an adultprobation officer living in Lufkin, TX withwife and children

’94James Walker –walkerjd74@hotmail.com - served with ascout sniper unit in the Marines (95-99)then with a recon team in the Army’s 4th

Infantry Division (03-04) which participatedin the capture of Saddam Hussein,currently with an Army special operationsunit getting ready for second deploymentto Iraq or Afghanistan in early ‘06

’97Alex Harrell – moharrell@hotmail.com -got married last Sept., Adam Williams,Paul McDowd, Brandon Lorch, ChrisGrau, and Kyle Bowers in attendance,currently a mortgage banker withSupreme Lending in Dallas, says “…going to MMA for five years was the bestthing he could have ever done.”

’98Captain Aaron Boer –aaron.boer@us.army.mil - back safelyfrom Iraq, will be moving to Austin, TX inApril, will take ETS in May

’99Alvie Jones –eastcountycop@yahoo.com - a detectivein the warrant division of the Patton VillagePolice Dept. north of Houston, TX inMontgomery County, plans to be at 06Reunion Weekend

’99 - continuedLt. Brandon Mikell USA –bmikell2000@yahoo.com - aftergraduating from West Point in May 05has reported to his first duty station withthe Chemical Corps at the AberdeenProving Grounds in Aberdeen, MD

’02Vincent Simmon –vfs@andrew.cmu.edu - graduating fromCarnegie Mellon May 20 and receivingcommission in Navy, planning to entersurface warfare

’03Bryan Zurlo – captzurlo@hotmail.com -should be graduating next Dec. fromMidwestern State University in WichitaFalls, TX, currently enrolled in the Corps’PLC program and looking forward toearning his commission

*MGunny Bill Ward (Alpha DI 87-93) –WWard114@aol.com - He and wife Carolplan to be at Reunion Weekend 06,looking forward to seeing Alpha alumniHome address: 3301 N. State Road 7,Space d-10, Hollywood, FL 33021

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ALUMNI REUNION 2006“TOAST AND ROAST”

7-9 APRIL

SCHEDULE OF EVENTSColors FormationRegistration, Tour campusLunch available in Mess HallAlumni review Cadet Corps marching Pass In Review for noon meal-as Honored GuestAlumni (selected & volunteers) address Cadet CorpsSeniors at Cadet Activities Center; Alumni present MMA Alumni lapel pins to Srs; Underclassmen inAuditorium.Evening Parade by Corps of Cadets-Honoring AlumniAlumni : Pass in Review with PresidentFollowing Parade, Alumni assemble at Iwo Jima Statue for brief Memorialhonoring deceased members of the MMA familyParents Organization Dinner/ Auction at Valley Race Park

Continental Breakfast-Cadet Activities CenterBusiness Meeting-Cadet Activities CenterRappelling Tower, Run “O” Course & COPE CourseRifle Range-test your skill, Alumni & Guests are invited to shoot - MMA weapons only.Hamburgers & Hotdogs at the Mess HallParents Golf Tournament – Treasure Hills Country ClubValley Race Park - Drink Cocktails, Cash BarAlumni Dinner Buffet – Valley Race Park ($20 per person) Mail checks with registration form.

Sunday Brunch (includes traditional SOS) available in Mess hallRecon Paintball war – Alumni & Cadets

FRIDAY 7 APRIL08300830-13001100-130012001300-1430

1600

1830-2200SATURDAY 8 APRIL0830-10000930-10301030-1230

1230-1300130018001900SUNDAY 9 APRIL0800-11000945-1200

• Casual attire for weekend • Shirt w/collar & trousers for Parents Dinner & Alumni Dinner Buffet •• Meals at Mess hall are at no charge for Alumni •

Are you a bicycle-riding FANATIC, ENTHUSIAST, and/orFAN? Here’s your chance to put somePUMP in your pedal! Beginning4 April 2006 and wrapping up on 6 Aprilat none other than Marine MilitaryAcademy’s Chosin Few Gate--cadets,alumni and friends of the Academy willtake part in the 3rd Annual Gunny SkiMemorial Bike Ride. The Ride begins inRound Rock, just north of Austin, Texas.

April 4th/Day 1 - 6 a.m.: RoundRock, TX to Kenedy, TX (135 miles)April 5th/Day 2: Kenedy, TX toKingsville, TX (105 miles)April 6th/Day 3: Kingsville, TX toHarlingen, TX (95 miles)

The annual ride is a charitable eventestablished in memory of Gunny Ski, adedicated and loyal member of theMarine Military Academy. Gunny Skipassed away on May 15, 2003 after acourageous and long battle with cancer.

Gunny Ski graduated from Cy-Fair HighSchool in 1953, then enlisted in theUnited States Marine Corps. He servedfor 20 years, retiring with HonorableService at the rank of Gunnery Sergeant.

In 1979, he joined the staff at the MarineMilitary Academy. Serving as OperationsChief his first year, he then became aDrill Instructor for seven years. Theremainder of his years at the Academywas as Operations Chief and Director ofAlumni Affairs.

Former cadets Jim Mischel, MMA Classof 1980 and Craig Matteson, MMA Classof 1979 established the ride in 2004 bysuccessfully completing the three-dayevent. After two days of hard ridingcovering almost 250 miles from RoundRock, Jim and Craig were met inKingsville by two cadets from theAcademy’s Cycling Team (GOLEATHERNECKS!) for the final 100miles to the school, met by the Marine

Military Academy Marching Band and acrowd of cheering supporters (OOH-RAH!). They repeated the journey in2005, this time joined by Jim’s wifeDebra for the entire ride and Chris Crum,MMA 1982, who provided SAG support.Two cadets and the Academy’s cyclingcoach joined the group for the final ridefrom Kingsville to Harlingen. This year’sevent will be even larger, with at leastfour and possibly as many as six riderscompleting the entire trip.

The goal of the Gunny Ski Memorial BikeRide is to eventually raise $500,000 topermanently endow an annual scholarshipand to raise funds towards anotherpermanent endowment for maintenanceand upkeep of the Iwo Jima Memorial.

If you would like to participate in and/orcontribute to this year’s charitable event,clip out the donation form below and sendto MMA along with your donation or visitMMA’s web page located at: http://www.mma-tx.org/cashdonations.htm.

Additional information regarding the Rideis available on-line at: http://www.mischel.com/skiride06 If you havefurther questions regarding the event,please contact:

•Jim Mischel: Jim@Mischel.com•Craig Matteson: craig@matteson.cc

Name: ________________________________________________________ Phone: ____________________________

Address: ________________________________________________________ E-Mail: __________________________

City: ____________________________ State: ____________________________ Zip: ______________________

___ Yes, I am participating in the Gunny Ski 2nd Annual Memorial Bike Ride. Here’s my donation of: $______________________ No, I’m not partipating in the Gunny Ski 2nd Annual Memorial Bike Ride, but here’s my donation of: $________________

___ I have enclosed a check/money order. Make payable to: Gunny Ski Memorial Scholarship Fund.___ Charge to: Visa: �** MasterCard: �** **Cardholder:____________________________ Account #: ________________ Expiration date: /____/____/___ I am making my donation through MMA’s web page located at: http://www.mma-tx.org/cashdonations.htm

� Return this form to the Marine Military Academy at: 320 Iwo Jima Blvd., Harlingen TX 78550.� For information on how to make your donation, call MMA Development Dept. at (956) 423-6006 Ext. 231.

� For information on the event, E-mail Jim Mischel at Jim@Mischel.com or Craig Matteson at craig@matteson.ccor visit the event’s website: http://www.mischel.com/skiride06

3rd Annual Gunny Ski Memorial Bike Ride • Participation/Donation Form

Gunny Ski MemorialGunny Ski MemorialGunny Ski MemorialGunny Ski MemorialGunny Ski MemorialBike Ride 2006Bike Ride 2006Bike Ride 2006Bike Ride 2006Bike Ride 2006• April 4th-6th •

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Calendar of Events

March

April

May

7-10 Third Quarter Exams10 Begin Spring Break19 End Spring Break20 Begin Fourth Quarter

8 ACT7-9 Parent’s Organization/Alumni Wknd7 Alumni Parade21 Sports Banquet22 Ring Ceremony and Dance

6 SAT13,15-17 Second Semester Exams18 Graduation Rehearsal19 Eagle Scout Ceremony Academic Awards & 8th Grade Grad. Senior Banquet20 Graduation, Parade, Awards

June

1-30 Summer Break

July

2-29 Summer and ESL Camps

NOTE: March 10th - All CadetsSchedule Departure after 1600.May 20th - All Cadets ScheduleDeparture after 1300.

PARENTS: If you have not made your reservations for the 8th Annual Leatherneck Classic, now is the time!!!!We have a great weekend planned for the entire MMA family. You’ll find registration forms on the MMAPO web sitewww.mmaparents.org/NavLinks/LeatherNeck_Classic.htm or by contacting:

Marine Military Academy Parents Organization8th Annual Leatherneck Classic • Harlingen, Texas

April 7th & 8th 2006

8th Annual Classic Schedule of EventsFriday April 7th2:30 – 3:45 Registration (CAC)4:00 Parade (at Iwo Jima Memorial Parade Grounds)7:00 – 12:00 Dinner, Silent and Live Auction (Valley Race Park)

Saturday April 8th

8:00 – 9:00 Registration (CAC)9:00 – 3:00 Academy Games (Back Forty)12:00 – 1:30 BBQ Lunch (Battalion Street)1:00 – 5:00 Golf Tournament (Treasure Hills, Harlingen)5:00 19th Hole Appetizers (Treasure Hills, Harlingen)

Christy Peebles1589 Old Reunion Rd.Decatur, TX 76234 (940) 210-3316 home(817) 307-9947 cellCHRISTY.PEEBLES@SIEMENS.COM

Memorials• Romulo O. Castillo

• Jack Gross• Joe A. Holeman• Donny Johnson

• Mary Anne Kaneft• Myrtle Mason

• Richard E. Myers, Ph.D -USMC - Korean War

• Sgt Andy Stevens• Pfc Brian Thornton,

USMC - KIA ROK 1951• Myrtle Wells

To make a donation to MMA in memoryor honor of, contact Ester Reyes at (956)421-9231 or e-mail: reyes@mma-tx.org.

“““““Head Head Head Head Head of theof theof theof theof the ClassClassClassClassClass””””” Honors Honors Honors Honors Honors

“In his second year at MMA, Cadet Park has successfully hurdled many obstacles.Billets held are Fire Team Leader, Squad Leader, and now he’s in his second year asthe Company Executive Officer. He’s an outstanding example for younger cadets inEcho Company. This young man has a bright future ahead of him. He has a futuregoal to become an enlisted Marine, then an officer in the Corps .”

--GySgt Frank Martinez, USMC (Ret)Harlingen Border Patrol’s “Head of the Class” is a community awareness program honoring local studentparticipants who promote abstinence from using illegal drugs. Every month, students from across the RioGrande Valley who exhibit outstanding leadership and participation in the program are selected and recognizedby Harlingen Border Patrol at awards ceremonies and/or banquets.

CADET STEVEN PARK is the Harlingen BorderPatrol’s “Head of the Class” award recipient forJanuary 2006.

ECHO COMPANYSteven Edward ParkSenior - Birmingham, ALSon of Dr. and Mrs. Paul Park