Chapter 2 Western High School 1929-1932

1929 Washington DC

Shipmate January 2005

John Court and I met at Western High School, Washington, DC in 1929.  We were classmates in the class of 1932.    Court belonged to a group of intellectual types who were members of after school Debating and Constitution Clubs.   I was of the military ilk joined the High School Cadet Corps.  We spent after school hours marching about the streets (Western had no parade grounds) dodging traffic and parked cars.  Court and friends standing on the side walk cast aspersion on us as we passed distracting us as we tried to keep in step.

My father died in 1928 so my prospects for collage were slim.  Early on I became interested in America’s military history, especially the Civil War. (The Civil War was called many things such as the War of Northern Invasion, the War Between the States, and The Rebellion. Robert E. Lee used the term Civil War and so do I.)   

As I thought of being a soldier I was interested in West Point.  A cousin, John Harllee, attended Western in the Class of 1930 (His father was a Marine brigadier general), was preparing for the Naval Academy convinced me I too should go Navy. After all I had some maritime experience—I owned a row boat when I was ten that later was equipped with a 2 ½ horse power Evenrude outboard motor. And I helped construct a fourteen foot clinker-built boat. John Court also was preparing for the Naval Academy.  John’s father, Comdr A.B. Court ‘25 was able to get him an appointment.

I had a slight problem getting an appointment.  My grandfather, Col L.A.Wilson a prominent Georgia lawyer, asked Congressional Representative Langford for an appointment but his quota had been filled.  However he thought that he get an appointment from a colleague from South Dakota.  During the Depression quotas assigned congressmen was reduced from 4 to 3 that explains the small size of 327 in the entering Class of ‘36. To get my appointment Congressman Langford proceeded as follows.  Because there are there several states involved, to simplify this tale I will use the states’ names for the congressmen... The opening scenario: Our Georgia Congressman’s colleague from South Dakota had an Annapolis appointment but needed one for West Point.  He had a colleague in Oklahoma who had an Annapolis appointment but needed one for West Point. South Dakota and Oklahoma swapped appointments.  Then South Dakota gave Georgia the Annapolis appointment with the understanding he was to be repaid when Georgia.  received his next quota  I was appointed from Ardmore, Carter County, Oklahoma Congressman Langford was not reelected so could not honor his agreement with South Dakota.