ATHLETICS
Like most schools of its type, Alton Western Military Academy stressed discipline, academics, and physical fitness.
In its prime Western Military Academy offfered a wide variety of sports. IHSA success ( www.ihsa.org) was achieved in swimming, golf, and wrestling. In addition the school competed in baseball, cross country,
football, golf, tennis, as well as the intra-mural sports of boxing, bowling, and fencing. Western Military prided itself
on allowing all of its students to participate regardless of size or ability.
Two great books
by local author C.B. Jackson were written about the history of athletics at Western Military Academy, and can be read at the
Hayner Public Library in downtown Alton: one about the history of the Thanksgiving Day Classic (2008), and "Western Military
Academy Athletics, 1879-1971" (2007). Historical artifacts of WMA athletics and other activities are also on display in the
Illinois Room of the Hayner Library.
| Western Military Academy Football Team - 1907 |
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FOOTBALL
Western Military Academy existed prior to the IHSA State Playoffs began. However, the boys of WMA had some great
seasons on the gridiron. One such season occurred in 1907 with the team pictured to your right going 7-1 with its
only loss to the St. Louis University Undergrad team by a score of 8-7. All tolled the WMA Cadets of 1907 outscored their
opponents 294-27!!
The boys are recorded as far back as 1892, taking on Smith Academy of St. Louis. In 1899, the Red Raider had a
tight contest with nearby Hillsboro High which ended in a tie with a score of 5-5!! Western Military was also known for their
Thanksgiving Day games against cross-town rival Alton High, which started in 1912, and rivalry contests with nearby Principia
in the 1920's where the winner received "The Flag" as a travelling trophy.
WMA was a charter member of the St. Louis Preparatory League beginning in 1925, and also held membership with the ABC
Conference as well as the Interscholastic League in the early part of the 1900's.
| WMA players, pre-1900 |
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| courtesy of Don Greco from "Legends of the Gridiron" (notice the noseguards around players' necks) |
1907 7-1 Tied for 2nd in Interscholastic League
1913 6-1 Defeated Alton in annual Thanksgiving Day game
| 1913 Western Military Red Raiders (6-1) |
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| Undefeated 1914 Red Raider football team |
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1914 8-0 Outscored opponents 304-18
Recorded six
shutouts
1923 6-4 All wins came by shutout over college schools
1925 8-1-1 St. Louis Preparatory Champs Coach Major Garetson
1926 7-1-1 St. Louis Preparatory Champs Coach Major Garetson
| 1926 St. Louis Preparatory League Champs |
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| 1925 St. Louis Preparatory Champs |
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| Inaugural season champions |
1927 Loses to St. Louis University High in conference playoff
game
1928 Joins and wins ABC Conference title
1930 2nd place in St. Louis Preparatory League
1932 ABC Conference Champs
1933 7-1 ABC Conference Champs
1935 4-4 Tied for ABC Conference championship, 2nd in Preparatory League
1937 2nd place in Preparatory League
1938 3-2-1 ABC Conference Champs
1940 ABC Conference Champs
1941 ABC Conference Champs
1944 ABC Conference Champs
1946 8-1 ABC Conference Champs Coach Gus Pitts
1947 9-0 ABC Conference Champs Coach Major
Favre (Pappy) Gould
Outscored opposition 214-35
1953 Tied for 2nd place in ABC Conference
NOTE: The ABC Conference when Western Military Academy was a member was set up to players' experience, weight, and size.
Each school graded its own players based on those three criteria then assigned them to either the school's A, B, or C teams.
This practice was introduced on the West Coast.
| 1932 ABC Champs |
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| #99 is Butch O'Hare, #79 is Paul Tibbets---both WWII heroes (see below) |
| Western Military Academy Swimming Pool |
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SWIMMING
The WMA Cadets were good on land and sea for sure! A total of FIVE medals were won at IHSA State Swim Meets,
three were earned in 1943! This effort led the team of 1942-43 to a SEVENTH PLACE overall finish!
1940-41 Bob Barker Diving
5TH Place
1942-43 Team Finished SEVENTH in STATE MEET Competition!!
Individual Medalists
?? Raphael 200 Free Style
3RD Place
?? Lyman 100
Free Style 5TH Place
Relay Team 200
Free Style 5TH Place
Final Team Standings
1) Chicago (Lane) 43
2) Winnetka (New Trier) 41
3) Oak Park (O.P.-River Forest)
23
4) Des Plaines (Maine) 10
5) Rockford (East)
9
6) Chicago (Hyde Park)
8
7) ALTON WESTERN MILITARY ACADEMY 6
7) Rockford (West) 6
7) Danville (H.S.) 6
10) Evanston (Twp.) 2
10)
Chicago (Taft)
2
1951-52 William Kieck Diving 3RD
Place
GOLF
One linkster earned an IHSA Medal for his efforts on the golf course. As a team Western Military had one
TOP-TEN finish and three District titles in IHSA Competition!!
1949-50 Team Finished EIGHTH in STATE MEET Competition!!
District
Champions
Final
Team Standings
1)
Champaign (H.S.)
625
2) Des
Plaines (Maine)
641
3) Rockford (West)
646
4) Winnetka (New Trier)
649
5)
Peoria (H.S.) 666
6) West Frankfort
(Frankfort)
669
7) Chicago (Lane)
670
8) ALTON
WESTERN MILITARY ACADEMY 673
9) Moline (H.S.)
676
10) Joliet
(Twp.)
677
1951-52 Brad Godfrey Individual Medalist
8TH Place
1952-53 Team Qualified for State Match Play
District Champions
1953-54 Team Qualified for State Match Play
District
Champions
WRESTLING
One grappler of WMA earned a medal in State Meet Competition. Some nice team records were recorded as well in the
early 1940s while the program was under the guidance of Coach Bill "Red" Schmitt.
1946-47 6 - 5
Coach Bill "Red" Schmitt
Individual Medalist Harry Clark 165 Lbs. Weight
Class 4TH Place
1947-48 7 - 4 Coach Bill
"Red" Schmitt
1948-49 8 - 3 Coach Bill
"Red" Schmitt
BASKETBALL
The boys played basketball as well. The only information we currently have was supplied by Mark Jurenga
and is regarding two games the team played against Collinsville. In 1942-43 the team lost a first round Regional game and
in 1948-49 they lost the championship game of the Regional to Collinsville. If you have any further information it would be
greatly appreciated.
1948-49 2nd Place in Regional Tourney
Great Alumni
This article was submitted by Frank Hedrick about one of Western Military's great alumni:
"Paul Warfield Tibbets, Jr. was born in
Quincy, Illinois on February 23rd, 1915. Later his parents moved to Florida where, at the age of twelve, Paul had his first
airplane ride. As part of an advertising stunt, he threw Baby Ruth candy bars, with paper parachutes attached, from a biplane
flying over a crowd gathered at the Hialeah horse track near Miami. From that day on, Paul knew he had to fly.
"His teen years were spent attending Western
Military Academy. Later he attended the Universities of Florida and Cincinnati in pursuit of a career in medicine, but his
determination to fly was greater than that of a career both parents wanted for him. So, on February 25th, 1937, Paul enlisted
as a flying cadet in the Army Air Corps at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. A year later he got his pilot wings at Kelly Field, Texas
and was commissioned a 2nd Lieutenant.
"In February 1942, Paul became the Squadron Commander
of the 340th Bomb Squadron, 97th Bombardment Group, destined for England. He flew 25 missions in B-17s, including the first
American Flying Fortress raid against occupied Europe. In November of that year, he was in Algeria leading the first bombardment
missions in support of the North African invasion.
"In March 1943, he was returned to the states
to test the combat capability of Boeing's new Super Fortress, the B-29, an airplane plagued with problems. He taught himself
to fly the airplane and subsequently flew it about 400 hours in tests. This eventually gave him more experience as to the
capabilities and limitations of a B-29 than any other pilot at that time.
"In September 1944, Paul was briefed on the Manhattan
Project, the code name for the development of the atom bomb. It was to be his responsibility to organize and train a unit
to deliver these weapons in combat operations. He would also determine and supervise the modifications necessary to make the
B-29 capable of delivering the weapons, and for this, the unit had to be self-sufficient. Secrecy was paramount. The unit
would support Los Alamos with flight test airplanes to establish ballistics and detonator reliability to explode the bombs.
Paul was told, "You are on your own. No one knows what to tell you. Use normal channels to the extent possible. If you are
denied something you need, restate your need is for "SILVERPLATE" (a codename) and your request will be honored without question."
"Paul requisitioned 15 new B-29s and specified
they be stripped of turrets and armor plating except for the tail gunner position; that fuel-injected engines and new technology
reversible-pitch propellers be installed; and the bomb bay re-configured to suspend, from a single point, ten thousand pounds.
Such an airplane would fly higher, faster, and above the effective range of anti-aircraft fire.
"A B-29 bombardment squadron, the 393rd, in its
final stage of training, and Wendover Army Air Base located on the Utah/Nevada border were selected by Paul for "starters."
The 393rd was fully equipped and the base had a fully manned "housekeeping" group. Wendover was isolated but close enough
to Los Alamos to work together. The Salton Sea was an ideal distance for bombing practice.
"Then on December 17th, 1944, formal orders were
issued activating the 509th Composite Group, consisting of seven subordinate units. In March 1945, the First Ordnance Squadron,
a unit designed to carry out the technical phases of the group responsibilities, became part of the 509th. The personnel count
now exceeded 1500 enlisted men and some 200 officers. Then, quietly, the group started moving overseas to Tinian Island in
the Marianas chain.
"On the afternoon of August 5th, 1945, President
Truman gave his approval to use the weapons against Japan. By the time the plane left, it's familiar arrowhead tail motif
had been changed on both sides to the letter "R" in a circle, the standard i.d. for the Sixth bomb group. The idea behind
the change was to confuse the enemy if they made contact, which they did not. At 02:45 A.M. August 6th, the Enola Gay lifted
off North Field with Paul Tibbets and his crew en route to Hiroshima. At exactly 09:15 plus 15 seconds the world's first atomic
bomb exploded. The course of history and the nature of warfare was changed."
**Lt. Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare
Lloyd Moses advises of another World War II hero that graduated from Alton Western Military Academy. That
man's name is Lt. Commander Edward Henry "Butch" O'Hare.
Colonel O'Hare was born in St. Louis and attended Alton Western Military Academy, graduating in 1932. He
then attended the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis. He eventually gained fighter pilot status and is most well known
for a mission he flew in World War II. On February 20, 1942, he shot down five Japanese war planes attempting to bomb the
U.S. carrier "Lexington." He was awarded the United States highest honor for this feat, the Congressional Medal
of Honor.
Colonel O'Hare was killed during a bombing mission in World War II on November 27, 1943. He
was considered a great man not only as a fighter pilot, but as a war hero and leader. More information can be read about
Colonel Edward "Butch" O'Hare at http://www.acepilots.com/usn_ohare.html .
Colonel O'Hare's fame affected those in Chicago so much that its famous airport, and one
of the busiest airports in the world, is named after him, O'Hare International Airport!
More Distinguished Alumni
*William Paley - An executive with CBS News
was an alumni. Lloyd D. Moses tells us; "It was Paley that got the final graduation exercises
that marked the end of the school on the CBS Evening News with Roger Mudd on June 2, 1971."
*Sander Van Ocher - A long time reporter for NBC.
If You Have ANY Information You Can Add...
Please forward any further information regarding the successes of Alton Western Military Academy High School
to ihsgdwebsite@comcast.net. You can also write to us at:
Illinois HS Glory Days
6439 N. Neva Ave.
Chicago, Il. 60631
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