PRESERVING A MILITARY LEGACY FOR FUTURE GENERATIONS
The following Reflection represents 1LT William R. Belisle’s legacy of their military service from 1969 to 1974. If you are a Veteran, consider preserving a record of your own military service, including your memories and photographs, on Togetherweserved.com (TWS), the leading archive of living military history. The Service Reflections is an easy-to-complete self-interview, located on your TWS Military Service Page, which enables you to remember key people and events from your military service and the impact they made on your life.
What Was Your Most Proud Moment From Your Military Service? What Made This Especially Memorable For You?
ARMY COMMISSIONING
On a beautiful summer weekend in 1968, I graduated from Worcester Polytechnic Institute (WPI), located in Massachusetts. College graduation for the Class of 1968 was scheduled for two days. An ROTC Commissioning Ceremony was held on Saturday, June 8. On Sunday, we went through the formal college graduation ceremony and got our diplomas.
Before the Commissioning Ceremony on Saturday, our Army Green ROTC attire was transformed into Class “A” Army uniforms. Stripes were sewn on the legs of our trousers and the sleeves of our blouses. We replaced all our school emblems and badges with brass appropriate for Active Duty U.S. Army uniforms. We each wore Officer’s insignia and a Gold Band on our caps. We were to make sure our uniforms and haircuts were of the highest caliber. Missing, however, was any rank on our shoulder epaulets! Our gold Second Lieutenant rank would be pinned on after the ceremony.
WPI’s President at the time, Retired Army General Harry Storke, gave the introductions. The address was given by Brigadier General Salve H. Matheson, who also presented each of us with our commissions. (I would see Gen. Matheson later overseas, but that’s another story.) I was now a 2nd Lieutenant in the U.S. Army Reserve and had taken an Oath as an Army Officer. The formal ceremony was over.
But what about those coveted Gold Bars on our shoulders?
Outside the college auditorium after the formal ceremony, I stood at attention as my MOM pinned my 2nd Lieutenant’s bars on my uniform. As she made it official, my dad looked on proudly.
Volunteering to serve in the Infantry, as well as the Army, did worry both my parents a lot though, due to the war in Vietnam at the time. But they knew this was what I wanted to do, and they were always there to support me in any endeavor.
I was the first one in my family to graduate from college, and that should have been one of the proudest moments of my life. And, it was. However, it was overshadowed by having my Mother pin those gold bars on me.
I’d never been so proud in all my life.
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