Advocates for Harvard ROTC . Telephone: (978) 443-9532 11 Munnings Drive Email: [email protected] Sudbury, MA 01776 5 June 2020 From: Captain Paul E. Mawn USN (Ret.) To: Advocates for Harvard ROTC Subject: Post WW2 military veterans among Harvard alumni (H-1920 to present) Harvard graduates have a long proud history of serving as warriors in the United States military. During the Korean War, 60% of the Harvard classes served in the US military but only 23% of the class of 1963 served in the US military (note: the % of military veterans in other classes since the Korean War have not yet been validated. I suspect the % of veterans in the late 1950’s & early 1960’s were similar to 1963 participation level but was slightly higher during the late 1960’s and early 1970’s as the Vietnam War heated up. Due to the anti- military policies of the Harvard administration and the expulsion of on campus ROTC programs, the mid 1970’s saw a precipitous drop in the number of patriotic Harvard graduates who elected to do something beyond their own self-interest by serve our country in the US military. Thus over the past 4 decades, less than 1% of Harvard graduates are military veterans of whom about half were commissioned through the ROTC programs based at MIT. However recently, Harvard has recently taken a proactive positive posture towards the US military. As result, ROTC participation at Harvard has been steadily increasing with over 1.3% the Harvard class of 2023 serving as midshipmen or cadets and a significantly higher % accepted for the class of 2024. The purpose of developing the subject is not for egotistic self-promotion but to reinforce the general awareness that “freedom is not free”. In addition, Harvard undergraduates in particular as well as others should be aware and appreciate that many Harvard alumni before them paid a price in time, blood and restricted earning for our national security and liberty. Such military veterans at one point of their life wrote a blank check made payable to the USA for an amount up to and including their own life. “All gave some and some gave all”. Since the end of World War II in August 1945 through 2020, the United States faced significant threats to our national security which resulted in 4 major combat engagements including: Korea, Vietnam, Desert Storm in the Middle East and the current World Wide War on against Islamic Fundamentalist Terrorism involving a prime focus on Iraq & Afghanistan. During the last 75 years, over 6,000 Harvard alumni have served in the US military which unfortunately includes 42 sons of Harvard in the subject who made the supreme sacrifice while on active duty. The author has identified and posted military oriented bios & available photos of 122 warriors in “The Long Crimson Line” who served our country since World War II. The subject and the many other PDF files in the Harvard Hall of Heroes & All Other Veterans are “works in progress” based on data that has been gleaned by or provided to the author. Any help in providing any additional entries for the subject would be greatly appreciated. The valor awards for valor earned by the 122 entries in the subject include: Medal # % of Σ Medal of Honor 3 7% Legion of Honor 1 2% NC, AFC & DSC 2 4% Silver Star 13 28% Bronze Star 27 59% Σ 46 100% * NC, AFC & DSC = Navy Cross , Air Force Cross & Distinguished Service Cross Since the Civil War, 18 Harvard alumni were recipients of the Medal of Honor (i.e. 17% after World War II). However only 1% of the 160+ of the 2nd highest valor awards for Harvard alumni since World War I were presented for action in combat after 1946 (i.e. NC, AFC & DSC). Furthermore among Harvard alumni, 14% of the grand total of a 110+ Silver Star Medals (3rd highest valor award) were earned since World War II. page 2 Post WW2 military veterans among Harvard alumni (H-1920 to present)- cont. Most of the Harvard veterans with entries posted in the subject served in the Navy (i.e. 39 out of 122 or 32%) which was followed by the Army (31 or 25%), the Marine Corps (20 or 24%) and only (7 or 6%) in the Air Force. As expected, the vast majority of Crimson warriors were from Massachusetts (i.e. 38 out of 122 or 31%) with New York & Ohio in 2nd & 3rd place (i.e. 10 & 7 respectively or 8% & 6%). Other home states of record noted in the subject are: 4 from CA; 3 each from CT, FL, IL & OK; 2 each from, KY, MI & NJ and one each from: AK, AL, DC, IA, ID, IN, MN, NH,PA, RI, TX, UT, VA & Germany. In addition, information on the home states for 33 veterans in the subject was not available to date (i.e. 12%). 7 of the 122 veterans in the subject (i.e. 6%) were enlisted personnel and only 2 were female (i.e. 98% were males). Since the end of World War II, 14 of the 122 entries in the subject were flag officer out of the 80+ admirals & generals among Harvard alumni since the American Revolution. Harvard also educated over 320 (O-4 to O-6) senior commissioned officers also since the American Revolution of whom 27 were on active duty since World War II. Among the 122 entries in the subject are the following political notables: • 1 state governor (Ron DeSantis of FL [R] - Harvard Law School class of 2005) • 2 US Senators: (Dan Sullivan of Alaska [R] - Harvard College class of 1987 & Tom Cotton of Arkansas [R]- Harvard College class of 1995) • 2 US Congressmen (Seth Moulton of MA [D]- Harvard College class of 2001 & Ruben Gallego of AZ [D]- Harvard College class of 2005) All of the above 5 politicians are combat veterans and members of the Advocates for Harvard ROTC. 1. HARVARD COLLEGE by CLASS 1920 Major General Pierpont M. Hamilton US Air Force (CINCEUR - USAF) Medal of Honor H was born in the Tuxedo Park, New York in 1898 as the great, great grandson of . Alexander Hamilton and grandson of John Pierpont Morgan. In May 1918, he was commissioned as an aviator in the US Army Signal Corps & served as an instructor pilot in Ellington Field, (TX) during World War I. After his discharge, he completed his undergraduate studies at Harvard where he also late received his MA. He then became an international banker in France for several years before returning to the US in 1938 as President of Dufay Color Inc. He was voluntarily recalled to active duty in March 1942 and helped plan the ill-fated Dieppe Raid while serving on the staff of General Lord Louis Mountbatten. He then participated in Operation Torch, (i.e. the Allied invasion of French North Africa) and volunteered to be an interpreter on a mission to meet with the French commander near Port Lyautey (Morocco) and broker a cease fire. After landing on the beach under hostile fire, Hamilton & COL Craw USA were approaching the French HQ in a light truck when they came under heavy machine gun fire. As a result, COL Craw was killed & Hamilton was wounded and captured. However as prisoner, Pierpont convinced his guards to take him to the Vichy French general who he persuaded to surrender. After recovering from his wounds, he was became the Operations & Intel officer for HQ North Africa Tactical Air Force. After the War, General Hamilton was released from active duty but recalled in 1947. In 1951, he was appointed as the Commander US Air Forces - Europe and a year later retired from the Air Force as 2 Star general. Pierpont died in 1982 at age 83 in Los Angeles (CA).. His Medal of Honor citation reads: "For conspicuous gallantry and intrepidity in action above and beyond the call of duty. On 8 November 1942, near Port Lyautey, French Morocco, LT Col. Hamilton volunteered to accompany Col. Demas Craw on a dangerous mission to the French commander, designed to bring about a cessation of hostilities. Driven away from the mouth of the Sebou River by heavy shelling from all sides, the landing boat was finally beached at Mehdia Plage despite continuous machinegun fire from 3 low-flying hostile planes. Driven in a light truck toward French headquarters, this courageous mission encountered intermittent firing, and as it neared Port Lyaut a heavy burst of machinegun fire was delivered upon the truck from pointblank range, killing Col. Craw instantly. Although captured immediately after this incident, LT Col. Hamilton completed the mission”. Advocates for Harvard ROTC page 3 1. HARVARD COLLEGE by CLASS (continued) 1939 (continued) LT General John Chaisson US Marine Corps (1st & 2nd Marine Divisions) Silver Star & 2 Legion of Merit Medals John was born in Swampscott (MA) in 1916 and graduated from the local public high school prior to Harvard. During World War II, he served in the South Pacific in multiple amphibious assaults of Japanese held islands with the 1st battalion, 11th Artillery Regiment st of the 1 Marine Division. In March 1942, John shipped out to Samoa before landing on Guadalcanal in September where his unit played an especially significant part in the Battles of Tenaru and Bloody Ridge. In mid-December 1942, his regiment was sent to Australia for R&R for a few weeks prior to invading New Britain at Cape Gloucester where his regiment helped the infantry in the capture of the Japanese aerodrome. Following the New Britain campaign, his unit prepared for the Peleliu landings which took place where on 15 September 1944.