the 2nd oldest student organization in the state of Texas, after the Fightin' Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets. This is what they call "The Ripple Line."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQqk4-w9bGQ

The RVs also play an important part of our "Silver Taps" Ceremony, which we like to see as little as possible. From Wikipedia, "According to the Houston Chronicle, 'perhaps the best, most meaningful Aggie tradition of all is one you wish never happened.'"

They perform a 21-rifle salute before Silver Taps is played. I've come to understand that the 21 RVs performing the salute are intended to remain anonymous so that all of the attention and everyone's focus remains on the fallen Aggie(s) for which the ceremony is being performed.

EDIT: This post has been edited to respect the anonymity of some of these fine young men out of respect for their intention of remaining anonymous in the performance of their duties.

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

[This message has been edited by billkemp (edited 2/26/2012 1:27p).]

Good post bill. Thanks man.

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'perhaps the best, most meaningful Aggie tradition of all is one you wish never happened.'

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Couldn't have said it any better than that.

Impressive. Now, if they only used real rifles like the 1903 Springfields that we used "back in the day," instead of the plastic toy rifles.

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Impressive. Now, if they only used real rifles like the 1903 Springfields that we used "back in the day," instead of the plastic toy rifles.

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I didn't know they could shoot blanks out of a "plastic" rifle.

You can't shoot blanks from the toy rifles and we couldn't shoot them out of the 1903 Springfields with welded bores either. If you are referring to Silver Taps, we used M-1 Garands to fire the blanks. I don't know what they use for Silver Taps today, but it surely isn't the plastic ones.

You would know better than I, Hellbent, because I've just watched a lot of war movies.....but in the Silver Taps 21-gun salute, it looks like the......I don't know what to call it, the breach? The part with the action that ejects the shells, it looks like it's on top like the M-1, and it looks like the same basic configuration. However, the end of the rifle in the muzzle area looks different from those older M-1 versions. And it looks like the stock and supporting body are made of wood. Now, that could be plastic that is made to "look like" wood. And I'm sorry for not being able to use more proper terms, but, again, I don't know guns too well. My point, they might be using M-1s in the 21-gun salute at Silver Taps.

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

I thought you weren't supposed to talk about them.

Given they lead the most prominent Mardi Gras parade in NOLA, I think the SEC is familiar.

At least one parade announcer did welcome us this year as well.

Hello alignment. I love my school.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/f2/Obama_Texas-A%26M-Corps-of-Cadets_October-2009.jpg

[smaller image, please--Staff]

[This message has been edited by TexAgs staff (edited 2/26/2012 8:36a).]

Silver Taps (and Muster) definitely make Aggieland special.

That being said, it looks like the RV at the front of the line in this video missed drill practice. Charlie Foxtrot.

Ow ow

That's a great pic, KingAgWhami....the various facial expressions give it a Norman Rockwell quality.

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

Billkemp. I just watched the video posted by you of the RV Firing Squad. Good video. The rifles look like M-14's without the magazine inserted. Since each man is firing only one shot that is pre-loaded you don't need the magazine.

According to IMDB, you're right.

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0104257/trivia

They're pretty definitive.

I had always heard those guys were Fightin' Texas Aggie Cadets from way back when the movie first came out, but I'd been having a hard time finding proof of it online. Don't think I tried IMDB. Good tip, RV!

Here's from IMDB:

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The Marine Corps drill team was portrayed by Texas A&M University's Corps of Cadets Fish Drill Team.

Jason Laymon, a member of Texas A&M's Fish Drill Team, gave live performances of his rifle techniques to audiences at the premier showing in Bryan, Texas (near A&M).

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I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

[This message has been edited by billkemp (edited 2/26/2012 9:42a).]

quote:

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The rifles look like M-14's without the magazine inserted. Since each man is firing only one shot that is pre-loaded you don't need the magazine.

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That makes sense, Hellbent. Good eye.

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

One of the coolest parts about Silver Taps is hearing the RV's march in and only hearing the guns hit the pavement before you even see them. Pretty awesome.

But you're right you aren't supposed to talk about the RV Silver Taps drill team as to not take away from the students who died and being memorialized. The members of that drill team are supposed to remain completely anonymous. I wouldn't think they like that video too much

Fellas, please tell me true. Would it be the best thing - for Texas A&M, and all we stand for - for me to edit the post above, and delete the link? I can take that link right out and leave a note in it's place explaining the deletion, and I'd be happy to do it if it'd be the right thing to do. I need to get enough responses to feel like I've got a representative sample.

I put this thread up because I'm proud as hell of these guys, and, of course, that means that I will go to lengths to make sure I'm not disrespecting them.

EDIT: Same reason as in the Original Post.

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

[This message has been edited by billkemp (edited 2/26/2012 1:29p).]

How the eff did the firing squad allow that video to be taken??

RV Drill is for limp d****.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWkG_PUynQk

Agreed that FDT was much better than RV drill, spider---based on everything I heard at least. Unfortunately it got disbanded the year before my fish year.

[This message has been edited by fredfredunderscorefred (edited 2/26/2012 10:22a).]

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Agreed that FDT was much better than RV drill, spider---based on everything I heard at least. Unfortunately it got disbanded the year before my fish year.

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I was the last class before it was disbanded in 1997 (the '00 class). There was a saying at the time that "It's better to burn out than fade away..." I couldn't disagree more. When they brought it back after my class had graduated...they didn't waste much time going back to their national championship winning ways.

I supposed I should have a * next to national championship. There is not true national championship for ROTC Rifle Drill. They did away with it after FDT continued to win it hands down. Now they just have national meets like Tulane...the Tulane meet during Mardi Gras was considered the de facto national championship when I was a fish...and I don't believe that has changed...though the '99 team participated in a national meet on the West Coast I believe.

I'm '01 (K-1--think I know who you are now). I'm sure they haven't had to endure what yall had to endure (again, based on what I heard). Gig 'Em.

Well...what (some of us) endured got us disbanded so some 'traditions' are better left alone. The product on the field is the proof of the pudding IMO. Hazing rituals will come and go but winning is forever.

Here's another video of the Fish Drill Team, this one from 2011. These guys just straight kick ass.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGy4aZ_vpas&feature=related

I've seen 'em play since way back when
And they've always had the grit.
I've seen 'em lose and I've seen 'em win
But I've never seen 'em quit.

quote:

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Fellas, please tell me true. Would it be the best thing - for Texas A&M, and all we stand for - for me to edit the post above, and delete the link? Or, since it's on youtube, is the point moot. I can take that link right out and leave a note in it's place explaining the deletion, and I'd be happy to do it if it'd be the right thing to do. I need to get enough responses to feel like I've got a representative sample.

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No disrespect intended, but I'd take the Silver Taps video down. I'm sure they're all outstanding young men, but besides the excellent point made above that the focus should be on the the students being memorialized, I'm sure the cadet who messed up in the beginning would prefer that others not see it.

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Wasn't this the Aggies too? Since the real marines couldn't do it as well? So I have heard the legend.

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As I understand it they picked whoever won the National Championship that year, and it was A&M.

Yep, please take the link down. We don't want anyone disrespecting aggies.

a rifle is not a gun so it's technically not a 21 gun salute.

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Hazing rituals will come and go but winning is forever.

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I almost spit coke on my comptuer reading this.

Hellbent- just curious as to when they went to a plastic rifle?