by Pat Conroy
Soon The Boo received word that he would no longer be Assistant Commandant. The Citadel offered him a choice of three jobs. None of them would bring him into contact with cadets. None of them would entail the prestige or status of Assistant Commandant. And even though most people felt The Boo would retire and move away from The Citadel, he had invested too many years into the college. The love he felt for The Citadel was profound. To the surprise of many he took the job as Transportation and Baggage Officer. His office was in the warehouse, a bland structure at the furthest extremity of the campus. Here, he would have no opportunity to meet and talk with cadets; his presence would hardly be noticed on campus. This self-imposed exile pleased everyone.
The Boo caused no ripples; he bitched to no one. He called the Regimental Commander, Tommy Harper, and the President of The Class of ’68 to his office. He wanted no demonstrations on his behalf. He faded out quietly, without fanfare or a last raging malediction against The Citadel.
Betsy Petit was not fired or dismissed. The Tac Officers hounded her out of the Commandant’s Department. They insulted her, embarrassed her, and one of them cursed her. The only woman ever to have a military college yearbook dedicated to her wrote a farewell letter to the Corps and quit outright. With Miss Betsy gone, a Citadel era was over.
So the stories end and the legend of The Boo comes to an abrupt and sudden halt. He still works in the warehouse. He has almost no contact with cadets. On big weekends his house is filled with old cadets who knew him as Assistant Commandant. Last Corps Day over a hundred graduates dropped by to say hello. Every Christmas he receives three or four hundred Christmas cards from former cadets all over the world. He still gets telephone calls from guys in trouble or from guys who still know where to go when they need help. Often a young cadet whose brother carried the legend of The Boo into his home will wander into the warehouse to talk of the old days. And that is what they are becoming. The old days. The forgotten days.
Yet there are those who remember. There are those who think of The Boo as the personification of what is good and valuable at The Citadel, there are those who remember the laughter which followed The Boo wherever he went. The whole tone of this book is sentimental and unashamedly nostalgic. It is difficult to be otherwise. I cannot help but wonder why a man so gifted in dealing with people and so understanding of young men and their problems should be exiled to a job of shuffling baggage and ordering toilet paper. In the process of writing this book I asked several people who work for The Citadel to tell me what they thought about Colonel Courvoisie. “He’s Mr. Citadel,” one of them said. “He’s the greatest man on this campus,” said another. Then both of them looked around and whispered with obvious paranoia, “If you quote me, I’ll deny every word of it.” So let the final message of the book also stand as an epitaph to The Boo’s career in Jenkins Hall. And may he know, no matter how small the satisfaction, that many of us look to the past and see him as a great generative, motivating force in our youth. If this is too sentimental, then let it be so. For some of us remember.
BOO’S HEROES
Because of actions above and beyond the call of duty, the following cadets earned places of special honor in The Boo’s heart.
H. B. Limehouse, Jr. ’60
H. J. Taylor, Jr. ’60
R. S. Verrastro ’60
E. W. Weekley, Jr. ’60
J. W. Blankenship ’61
C. Crenshaw ’61
R. H. Hughes ’61
K. J. Justice ’61
D. L. Lubotsky ’61
D. R. Neck ’61
F. W. St. Laurent ’61
G. G. Strickland ’61
J. E. Villafranca ’61
W. Bowden ’62
G. A. Dixon ’62
W. W. Elliott ’62
S. G. Green ’62
F. C. Hearn ’62
W. J. Odle ’62
W. T. Petersen ’62
A. H. Reeves ’62
W. D. Swift ’62
M. Abbett ’63
L. C. Bruton ’63
C. C. Burgess III ’63
L. P. Carpinelli ’63
E. C. Carter ’63
R. T. Devens ’63
F. G. Ducker ’63
M. L. Eliades ’63
M. A. Forman ’63
B. Giullian ’63
J. H. Helms ’63
J. Heyman II ’63
C. V. Marcolini ’63
J. E. Misskelly ’63
M. L. Rausenberger ’63
J. M. Sellers ’63
L. L. Smart, Jr. ’63
L. B. Stittsworth ’63
J. T. Vincent ’63
A. R. Weldon, Jr. ’63
M. H. Welsh ’63
C. A. Boccia ’64
S. C. Brown ’64
D. J. Cooper ’64
C. P. Corcoran ’64
D. G. Davis ’64
R. H. Fletcher, Jr. ’64
J. W. Holt, Jr. ’64
T. B. Huguenin ’64
G. L. Jones ’64
J. T. Marcello ’64
C. W. Martin ’64
D. C. Miller ’64
T. A. Mins ’64
H. M. Mueller, Jr. ’64
L. H. Neville ’64
G. R. Palmer, Jr. ’64
W. R. Penland ’64
E. J. Rabin ’64
A. J. Raffo ’64
W. J. Simchick ’64
J. Simons III ’64
J. W. Spencer ’64
F. M. Warlick ’64
M. A. West ’64
J. S. Comar ’65
H. T. Combs ’65
B. D. Dargan ’65
C. M. Davis ’65
M. B. Foster ’65
J. B. Grimball ’65
T. C. Hellman ’65
W. C. Kurtz ’65
G. M. Lohmer ’65
T. H. Maybank ’65
J. Maybank ’65
W. C. McKinzie ’65
B. A. Miller ’65
G. P. Montes ’65
R. H. Moore ’65
A. M. Nixon ’65
W. L. Noe III ’65
C. H. Phillips, Jr. ’65
R. E. Pinson ’65
T. T. Prichard ’65
J. D. Rivera ’65
R. M. Siarr ’65
E. N. Stevens ’65
L. B. Strauss ’65
J. P. Thomas ’65
M. C. Traywick ’65
J. P. Tucker, Jr. ’65
J. C. Ventras ’65
C. E. Vickery ’65
S. M. Wasserman ’65
A. W. Wilcox, Jr. ’65
P. R. Yaconelli ’65
H. G. Adkins, Jr. ’66
P. R. Andersen ’66
J. D. Basto ’66
H. M. Boyd ’66
D. T. Brailsford ’66
D. W. Brown ’66
W. H. Cox, Jr. ’66
T. D. Dodd ’66
E. S. Douglas ’66
W. J. Eskew ’66
M. F. Glass III ’66
W. U. Gunn ’66
S. C. Hall, Jr. ’66
E. S. Holland ’66
H. W. Krauss, Jr. ’66
J. L. Law, Jr. ’66
D. L. Maguire ’66
R. C. May ’66
G. F. McClelland ’66
J. W. McCoy ’66
C. B. McDonald ’66
C. W. McDow, Jr. ’66
L. R. Perella ’66
J. A. Sadler ’66
W. S. Smith III ’66
C. J. Stanton ’66
R. K. Wenhold ’66
H. C. Wheeler ’66
P. E. William ’66
T. J. Anderson II ’67
C. A. Barron, Jr. ’67
J. W. Bowditch ’67
R. C. Boyd ’67
C. E. Cole ’67
K. M. Darby ’67
J. S. DeBerry ’67
J. M. Devito ’67
G. S. Dewey III ’67
T. L. Dorton ’67
P. G. W. Fetscher ’67
R. C. Fulmer ’67
R. E. George ’67
R. N. Gleason ’67
P. R. Green ’67
A. E. Jones ’67
H. E. Keller ’67
J. L. Kelly III ’67
W. A. Leffler III ’67
W. H. Lovett ’67
N. P. Mellen ’67
J. H. Messervy ’67
R. A. Miller ’67
W. M. Milner ’67
L. R. Moody ’67
T. D. Nelken ’67
W. M. Newell, Jr. ’67
R. W. O‘Keefe ’67
R. C. Patterson, Jr. ’67
G. D. Reddick III ’67
R. A. Roberts ’67
J. C. Roland ’67
R. R. Rossell III ’67
D. A. Simon, Jr. ’67
A. J. Sitton, Jr. ’67
M. R. Smith ’67
M. W. Smith ’67
N. J. Stogner ’67
P. F. Them ’67
A. C. Verner, Jr. ’67
D. J. Walker ’67
C. R. Whitlock, Jr. ’67
B. D. Wynn ’67
M. B. Armstrong ’68
C. E. Ashley ’68
J. M. Bacon III ’68
T. H. Bair ’68
J. W. Blackwell ’68
D. H. Butz II ’68
R. E. Chandler ’68
H. K. Clubb ’68
E. C. Cooper ’68
G. W. Dekle, Jr. ’68
G. S. Eckhardt ’68
J. P. Gaillard III ’68
J. H. Grayson, Jr. ’68
A. R. Heyward III ’68
R. J. Jones, Jr. ’68
D. A. Kerchmar ’68
J. A. Kerchmar ’68
L. L. Korda ’68
L. R. Latini ’68
L. J. Linder ’68
S. D. Kerlin ’68
R. M. Lovelace, Jr. ’68
B. K. Metzger ’68
G. Miller III ’68
J. J. O‘Donnell ’68
C. B. Pitts ’68
J. R. Powers ’68
W. W. Russ ’68
S. S. Ryburn ’68
W. M. Shields ’68
E. Smith ’68
L. G. Southard III ’68
J. L. Speicher ’68
R. M. Vipperman ’68
W. M. Wieters ’68
B. H. Windham ’68
R. M. Bowery ’69
N. A. Davis ’69
T. S. Derrick ’69
E. E. Egg ’69
R. S. Hamilton ’69
C. C. Heyward ’69
H. G. Hiers ’69
T. W. Land ’69
R. S. McKenzie III ’69
J. O. Miller ’69
F. M. Moise III ’69
J. W. Ory ’69
M. W. Pitts ’69
R. E. Riel ’69
W. C. Twitty ’69
D. D. Wheale ’69
C. R. Whealey ’69
By unanimous acclamation of 7 cadet classes, Rhett Perry ’64 was the biggest hero during the period Sep. 60 — Jun. 67.
By acclamation of their peers the following two cadets were considered to be the most outstanding in character, determination and moral stamina.
F. P. Mood, Jr. ’60 J. C. Warley, Jr. ’67
“CITADELESE” — TRANSLATION OF CITADEL TERMS
“A” Company — tall company of undisciplined animals who played football and basketball. “A” Company was generally a military disaster area.
amnesty — when the President of the College removes all cadet punishment. Murderers, cutthroats, thieves, rapists and cadets are the only people in the world who receive amnesty.
Barracks — place where cadets pretended to live. Four stories of dwellings facing an open quadrangle.
Bluebook — written by Jehovah. The rules and regulations of The Citadel. It appeared to Courvoisie in a grotto near Charleston in the form of a burning bush. The supreme law unto the Corps.
Bond Hall — building where physics professors flunked half the sophomore class. It once housed the Commandant’s Department before the move to Jenkins Hall.
brace — an exaggerated position of standing at attention. Plebes brace. Their chins are tucked in, their shoulders thrown back, and their backs are rigidly straight. When the plebe quits bracing, he is an accepted member of the Corps of Cadets.
Capers Hall — Liberal Arts building.
Clemson — a cow pasture in the upper part of the state.
Confinement — a punishment which required the cadet to sit at his desk studying for two solid hours.
Coward Hall — building where edible food was rumored to be prepared. The mess hall.
DI — Division Inspection. A DI accounted for the occupants of a room at a specific time.
ERW — Explanation Required, Written. Strange, military procedure whereby cadets write incriminating documents about themselves.
ESP — extra sensory perception to most Americans. Evening study period to Citadel cadets.
Five Year Man—individual who leisurely strolled through the groves of academe. A true scholar. One who remained in college an extra year to reap the benefits of a Citadel education a little longer.
food fight — odd occurrence which took place in the mess hall, usually during times of frustration or duress. Any type of food could be hurled. Chicken bones very popular. Gobs of spaghetti very popular. Pudding and whipped cream very popular. Everything popular that could become airborne in a moment’s notice.
Guidon — split-tail flag to identify a company during a parade or drill; also, the manual of knowledge for a freshman; the plebe bible.
Honor System — At The Citadel, the cadet does not lie, cheat, or steal — nor does he tolerate anyone who does these things. The Honor Court tries cadets accused of honor violations.
Jenkins Hall — building where Tactical Officers proved conclusively that the military is not a science.
jock — a cadet who liked sports better than spit-shined shoes.
Johnson Hagood Stadium — where The Citadel football team performs.
knob, plebe, dumbhead, screw, wad, waste, nut, abortion, fourth-classmen — all euphemisms for freshmen.
Lesesne Gate — if you pronounce this Le-sess-knee, you are not from Charleston. It is pronounced Le-sane and is the main entrance to The Citadel campus.
LeTellier Hall — civil engineering building.
mess carver — the senior who sat at the head of a table in the mess hall. He was responsible for making sure the meat served to his table was really dead.
Moon Shot — exposure of rear end to the general public. Frowned upon by Citadel authorities.
O.C. — Officer in Charge.
O.G. — Officer of the Guard.
Padgett-Thomas Barracks — Second Battalion where cadets walked punishment tours.
PMS — Professor of Military Science.
pom-pom — a thing sticking out of a shako; a private’s plume.
pop-off — term used by upperclassmen when they wanted a
freshman to speak to them.
press — a locker where the cadet kept his clothes and personal articles. Civilian equivalent of a closet.
Pulled or burned — term used by cadets to describe the act of giving or receiving demerits. (Seldom used W.P. term; ‘slug a cadet’).
rack — a cadet’s bed.
rack monster — evil, siren-like creature which dwelt under Citadel blankets and caused cadets to answer the call of sleep in lieu of his other duties.
Reconsideration of Award — a punishment has been awarded for an offense. The cadet is able to request that the punishment be reconsidered or removed due to extenuating circumstance. These are written when The Boo considers your ERW’s bullcrap.
sallyport — a port or door through which cadets “sallied” out to class or drill. The four main gates to each barracks were called sallyports.
shako — tall, uncomfortable hat worn by cadets during parade and inspection.
SMI — Saturday Morning Inspection. Cruel ceremony in which Tactical Officers scrutinize the physical appearance of the slobs in their companies.
Summerall Guards — crack drill team that did not walk on water as believed by some of its members.
Sweat Party — ceremony where upperclassmen tortured freshmen until sweat poured freely from their bodies. The sweat party is a direct descendant of ancient rituals where virgins were cast into the fire to appease angry gods.
“Tac” — short for Tactical Officer. Army and Air Force officers who came to The Citadel as ROTC teachers and military advisers to cadet companies.
“T” Company — the company of jocks and monsters that made “A” Company look like the Summerall Guards.
The Cid or El Cid — cadet nickname for The Citadel.
tour — a form of punishment where a cadet had to walk back and forth across the second battalion quadrangle with a rifle on his shoulder. A monumental waste of time.
VMI — a school burned by the Yankees during the Civil War and unfortunately rebuilt soon afterwards.
waist plate — piece of brass to be worn around the waist during parades and inspection. Waist plates were non-functional and difficult to keep shined.
Week End Leave — (WEL) authorized leave time for a cadet on weekends. Period when cadets become human for brief snatches of time.
West Point — a college north of Slippery Rock.
whiteslip — a piece of paper used to report a cadet for a, disciplinary offense. At the top of the whiteslip is written this immortal epigram, “Discipline is training which makes punishment unnecessary.”
BOO’S IMMORTALS
The Boo’s Immortals who conceived and established the Courvoisie Scholarship Fund through contributions from the Friends of The Boo:
Chuck Eiserhardt ’68
Mike Runey ’68
Tom Linton ’68
Randy Heffron ’69
Larry Linder ’68
P. Gaillard ’68
Capers Barr ’63
Al Jones ’67
Bill Warner ’65
Mark Ackerman ’67
