Some funny memories come back looking at the photo of the 'tunnel' at Kyle Field. Waiting for us guys in the Aggie Band to wander thru towards the field for the March In. We would combine the normal 12 man rank of Block Band into a 6 man rank which would fan out immediately once the rank cleared the tunnel. Intent was to be in a 12 man rank by the time we hit the back of the end zone. The Band would march down Kyle Field, do a countermarch on the south goal line, and stop coming back north on about the north 40 YL. My best guess after all these years. Our part of the military review for the BQ Cord eval would be over then. We would play stuff as the Corps came into Kyle Field on the track starting at the SE side of the complex. They would march all the way around the track, past the reviewing stand, and then depart once they got to the SW corner. Once the last unit was done the Band would do a right flank and march a bit towards the track and then halt. I think when we halted the basses kept running up to get over the wall and up to their places. I am fuzzy on the next part, either one rank at a time was dismissed or we all just gaggled up together. Someone who remembers better can fix this part for me.

Anyway, it all is done differently now but it still works. How do they 'eval' the Band for the BQ Cord currently if they are in the stands to start with? The whole world wonders.

Why we called it the BQ Cord is another story for another time.

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I remember the inscription (hope this is accurate):

Dedicated to the Fighting Aggies
By Mr. and Mrs. K. N. Drake
In Memory of their Son,
Kyle N. Drake, Jr.
Lieutenant, USMC
Who Died for Democracy on Iwo Jima

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What memorial is that, and where is it?

What I loved about coming through the tunnel and onto Kyle was the way we quietly shuffled out of the tunnel, with only the drummers lightly tapping on the rims. Once in place, called a halt. Then a forward march, to a full on-the-head cadence. The contrast between the quiet entry and the booming step-off was great.

What I hated was my shoes/boots melting into the AstroTurf for the next hour.

That is the inscription (as I learned it as a fish in 1967) on the Fountain in the Grove, the memorial I was asking the Commandant about.

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I remember the inscription (hope this is accurate):

Dedicated to the Fighting Aggies
By Mr. and Mrs. K. N. Drake
In Memory of their Son,
Kyle N. Drake, Jr.
Lieutenant, USMC
Who Died for Democracy on Iwo Jima

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You are correct, according to my dad's 1954 Campusology book

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What I hated was my shoes/boots melting into the AstroTurf for the next hour.

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But what a great shine afterwards because the old wax melted forming a great base!

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Looks like it is at the center as of 2013.

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Well, it's still around, but it was moved. The Spanish-American war marker used to be further north. Possible where the Corps Center now stands, but my memory is that it stood by the sidewalk just north of where the Sanders Center is now.

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But what a great shine afterwards because the old wax melted forming a great base!

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Man a great base was already there after the first week in the corps, in old army days!

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But what a great shine afterwards because the old wax melted forming a great base!

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Man a great base was already there after the first week in the corps, in old army days!

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Of course it was there in the old army days of the 80's as well, but synthetic turf + noon games = burning feet and melting wax!

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I didn't see an inscription on that Block T - was there one? If so, what did it say? I only ask because I will try to find out were it went. If it truly is a "Reveille Memorial," then maybe if we find it we can put it near the Reveille graves. I have no idea whats possible, as I have nothing to do with the renovations on-going at Kyle Field, but it never hurts to ask, assuming we can find that particular memorial.

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REVEILLE

Erected April 21, 1947

From below: Highlight of the Aggieland Muster was the dedication of the permanent Reveille Memorial.

I believe the Reveille monument is now inside Kyle Field along the first three rows of the zone directly behind the goal posts.

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If it truly is a "Reveille Memorial," then maybe if we find it we can put it near the Reveille graves.

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I can tell you where the Reveille Memorial is located.

If you walk into the north endzone of Kyle Field and look towards the ZONE, you will see it dead center, almost even with the goal post, about 15 feet above the playing surface.

It's been there since the completion of the Zone project in the late 1990's

Can I get up yet

Trust me, BQ87, I did a LOT of pushups for the BQs of the Class of 78. You're going to be pushing for a long time!

I will be sure to look for that memorial the next time I'm in Kyle Field. Thanks for the update!

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I am trying to move the WWI Memorial and the Spanish American War Memorial to the Corps Plaza,

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I have mixed feelings about the moving of the west gate memorial to the Quad.

The names on that memorial are also found at the bases of the trees that surround the main drill field; a place that was an important area in their lives at A&M.

By moving the memorial to the quad you are going to limit the exposure to 90% of the students on the A&M campus. Of course the placement of the memorial today is out of the way for most students as well.

If the memorial is to be moved I would like for it to stay in the old A&M campus area, either on the SE corner of the drill field adjacent to the MSC; or maybe somewhere along Military Walk or in front of Sbisa.

The names of the students on that memorial were on the A&M campus 100 years ago and this would be a good time to make that memorial more relevant to the student body of Texas A&M, imo.

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I am trying to move the WWI Memorial and the Spanish American War Memorial to the Corps Plaza,

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I have mixed feelings about the moving of the west gate memorial to the Quad.

The names on that memorial are also found at the bases of the trees that surround the main drill field; a place that was an important area in their lives at A&M.

By moving the memorial to the quad you are going to limit the exposure to 90% of the students on the A&M campus. Of course the placement of the memorial today is out of the way for most students as well.

If the memorial is to be moved I would like for it to stay in the old A&M campus area, either on the SE corner of the drill field adjacent to the MSC; or maybe somewhere along Military Walk or in front of Sbisa.

The names of the students on that memorial were on the A&M campus 100 years ago and this would be a good time to make that memorial more relevant to the student body of Texas A&M, imo.

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For what its worth, this mirrors my opinion too. Putting all memorials in one place pretty much guarantees that no one will go there and see them, especially non-regs. The WW1 memorial is one of my favorite spots at A&M.

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If you walked on campus today and asked students, faculty, or administration where the WWI Memorial or Spanish American War Memorials were, 98% wouldn't even know they existed. They are NOT in places that are frequently visited by anyone any more, and are generally speaking overlooked.

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You have to include the Reveille memorial into the mix then with that data in mind. At least the 2 memorials you want moved are in the open and can be visible 24/7 on campus, where the Reveille memorial is hidden inside of Kyle Field.

And 100% of the current commandant's did not know that memorial existed,
so what percentage of current cadets know it exists?

You got me there, ABATTBQ. I had no clue that memorial existed, and I'm not sure how many of our cadets know - although I'll be the cadets in E-2 probably do. I have no plans to move that memorial - only the 2 war memorials that I mentioned in the post above.

Please reconsider the Reveille Memorial. She was more than a mascot the the Aggies of the 1930's and 40's, as this Memoriam from the 1945 Longhorn states:

Wow that gave me chills at the end. Does anyone know where that painting is now?

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Wow that gave me chills at the end. Does anyone know where that painting is now?

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Lost and found again. Seems like the story is on TexAgs. It was in the Trigon (I think) and got set by the trash during some remodeling. Someone saved it from the trash, though the Trigon says it wasn't being tossed. After some publicity, the rescuer returned it.

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Wow that gave me chills at the end. Does anyone know where that painting is now?

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http://texags.com/forums/5/topics/2591319/replies

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I will be sure to look for that memorial the next time I'm in Kyle Field. Thanks for the update!

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it's right here

google map of monument

takes up some prime real estate.

WWI Memorial in 1926:

Great photo! It reminds us that at the time it was dedicated, West Gate was the primary entrance to the university because of the train station, and that was a prime location for the memorial.

From the 1926 "Longhorn"? I have one, too

The clarity of the US flag draped over the monument is stunning and clear. Hopefully the WWI memorial can be restored to show the flag in it's glory

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From the 1926 "Longhorn"? I have one, too

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Yep, also has the sheet music of the "Spirit of Aggieland"; which if you read it begs the question:

Should we sing both verses!

Looks like the draped flag on the WWI Memorial was depicted in true colors at some point in time but has faded over the years. Maybe it needs some conservative works to restore it to its original glory which would help it stand out wherever it may be located.

Regarding moving war memorials on campus, here's my two cents worth:
1) relocate WWI Memorial to opposite end of Simpson Drill Field since it is closely tied to the 52 memorial trees planted there on ... and this would get it out of the overwhelming shadows of the much larger Albritton Tower ... passersby, including cadets marching onto Simpson, would more readily see it in all its glory making it a more significant memorial to those gallant heroes.
2) regarding making a "statue garden" type area consolidating all war memorials, I would suggest that all would be better served if they were placed on the grassy area between the Corps Center and Joe Routt Blvd...again, all would benefit from this location - not just cadets, not just civilian students but all who should be on campus for whatever reason - including visitors from other schools, parents, convention goers, etc. AND this location is centrally located between the Corps Quad area and the MSC and Trigon...I can think of no better or appropriate location for such display. To make them convenient to fish, there would need to be an extra sidewalk put into place or make this one place that fish/pissheads would be allowed on the grass to see them up close or to take others to see the statues (this exception to walking on the grass would be for these purposes only).

i don't think the flag was ever colored in. The Field and red stripes are etched to make them darker. The white stripes and stars are polished to make them white.

Hullabaloo Bone, what a timely question! Just got my copy of The Guidon from the Cadet Corps Association. On page 9 of the issue is your answer and here it is! Hopefully, you can read it.

[url=http://s819.photobucket.com/user/leelance/media/miscellaneous/Reveille%20Painting_zpsoot1knat.jpg.html][/url]
http://i819.photobucket.com/albums/zz115/leelance/miscellaneous/Reveille%20Painting_zpsoot1knat.jpg