A.W. Radle • Don & ATO

1950's • School Years

I started playing organized sports in the 6th grade.  By the time I got to high school I was pretty well prepared.  I started on the varsity football team my sophomore year playing Center.  I didn't get very involved with Basketball or other sports; I was a Football kid. 

As students graduated and things opened up on the football team, I moved to the playing End.  I really enjoyed playing End and did really well, winning All-District honors my Junior and Senior years, and being chosen as "Central Texas Lineman of the Week" my Senior year.

In the 7th grade I started exploring other activities and during my teenage years I was very involved in the 4H Club and later with FFA activities while in high school.  I had a Jersey Cow that won practically every show I entered her in, and she was a beautiful animal but failed badly as a momma cow.  

I also raised pigs through the "Sears Program". They gave me my own pig  and then when she grew up and had her first litter, I had to give one of the little pigs back to the program, which kept the Sears Program a success for years to come.  I also had Southdown Sheep that showed really well, and they were very good at producing a small flock of sheep.  

I also grew crops in the early 1950s, and I won the Texas State Championship by producing more 'bushels per acre' than any of the other entrants.  I enjoyed taking part in parliamentarian activities in both 4H and FFA.  I think all of this experience helped me get elected Freshman Class President at SHSTC in the fall of 1957.

About this time, I really started to get serious about playing music.  We formed a band and did a lot of night-time practicing.  In a couple of years our band got a lot better and we got opportunities to play at many Central Texas Area shows and dances.  

I was really enjoying my music, and eventually I had the privilege of playing on the local NBC Station’s Saturday Night 'Bluebonnet Barn Dance Show', which featured Clyde 'Bare Foot' Chessar and his band.  Later I was invited to play on Jimmy Gimbels' show, at the CBS station in Waco, Texas. This was before Jimmy became the huge Nashville, Tennessee Artist, in the city that was home to the Grand Ole Opry.

They had a "father-daughter duo" called Slim and Mallie Ann Harbert.  I started dating Mallie Ann and travelled with that group around the area and usually got to perform 2-3 songs at each show.  Lots of fun.  This was also when Elvis Presley was just starting out and he had a big show at the Heart-Of-Texas Coliseum in Waco, which I obviously attended and soaked up every minute. 

In 1957, I quit my job at General Tire & Rubber Co, and sold my beautiful solid black 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, and moved to Huntsville, Texas to begin my days at SHSTC.  Speaking of the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, this was arguably the prettiest car on the road at that time. I always felt it was much prettier that the '57 Chevy which gained all the popularity.  I'd give anything to have that car right now!

1950's • School Years

I started playing organized sports in the 6th grade.  By the time I got to high school I was pretty well prepared.  I started on the varsity football team my sophomore year playing Center.  I didn't get very involved with Basketball or other sports; I was a Football kid. 

As students graduated and things opened up on the football team, I moved to the playing End.  I really enjoyed playing End and did really well, winning All-District honors my Junior and Senior years, and being chosen as "Central Texas Lineman of the Week" my Senior year.

In the 7th grade I started exploring other activities and during my teenage years I was very involved in the 4H Club and later with FFA activities while in high school.  I had a Jersey Cow that won practically every show I entered her in, and she was a beautiful animal but failed badly as a momma cow.  

I also raised pigs through the "Sears Program". They gave me my own pig  and then when she grew up and had her first litter, I had to give one of the little pigs back to the program, which kept the Sears Program a success for years to come.  I also had Southdown Sheep that showed really well, and they were very good at producing a small flock of sheep.  

I also grew crops in the early 1950s, and I won the Texas State Championship by producing more 'bushels per acre' than any of the other entrants.  I enjoyed taking part in parliamentarian activities in both 4H and FFA.  I think all of this experience helped me get elected Freshman Class President at SHSTC in the fall of 1957.

About this time, I really started to get serious about playing music.  We formed a band and did a lot of night-time practicing.  In a couple of years our band got a lot better and we got opportunities to play at many Central Texas Area shows and dances.  

I was really enjoying my music, and eventually I had the privilege of playing on the local NBC Station’s Saturday Night 'Bluebonnet Barn Dance Show', which featured Clyde 'Bare Foot' Chessar and his band.  Later I was invited to play on Jimmy Gimbels' show, at the CBS station in Waco, Texas. This was before Jimmy became the huge Nashville, Tennessee Artist, in the city that was home to the Grand Ole Opry.

They had a "father-daughter duo" called Slim and Mallie Ann Harbert.  I started dating Mallie Ann and travelled with that group around the area and usually got to perform 2-3 songs at each show.  Lots of fun.  This was also when Elvis Presley was just starting out and he had a big show at the Heart-Of-Texas Coliseum in Waco, which I obviously attended and soaked up every minute. 

In 1957, I quit my job at General Tire & Rubber Co, and sold my beautiful solid black 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, and moved to Huntsville, Texas to begin my days at SHSTC.  Speaking of the 1957 Ford Fairlane 500, this was arguably the prettiest car on the road at that time. I always felt it was much prettier that the '57 Chevy which gained all the popularity.  I'd give anything to have that car right now!

Getting to SHSTC was quite a jump for this old country boy, but I made it. Upon arrival, I started organizing the "troops" and getting prepared to run for Freshman Class President.  On Election Day there were three candidates, including me.  The function was held in the Old Main Auditorium.  All three of us were on stage, and the person in charge introduced us to the audience, which was at least 1,000 freshmen wearing their 'Beanie Caps'.  

During my turn to speak to the Freshmen Students, I mentioned the 4H and FFA activities that I had been involved with and enjoyed.  When the vote was taken, seemingly all 1,000 of those Freshmen voted for me.  Can you believe it, I won!

The Houstonian was the campus newspaper at Sam.  Routinely when elections are held the senior officers are mentioned at the top of the first inside page.  This time, due to the overwhelming result of my election, I was mentioned at the top of page one.  My dear friend and subsequently fellow Don, Eddie Warren, was chosen as class Vice President.  My freshman year was indeed a fun, educational, and successful period in my life.

That spring I became interested in BearKat football.  I started to play with a bunch of students that I thought were just a bunch of guys who liked to play football, so I joined in.  As it turned out they were the BearKat varsity football team. I got issued my uniform and started playing right along with them.  At the end of spring training, we had the usual game.  

The coach sent me in to play left defensive end, and wouldn't you know, I couldn't find my helmet. So, I used someone else’s helmet, and it was too big for me.  Several plays later I met up with Jim Saegert, another future Don's pledge brother, and we hit head-on.  My helmet crunched my nose and knocked me out.  Jim Reilly, another future Dons member, dragged me to the field house and eventually took me to the College Clinic where a doctor reset my nose without the use of an anesthetic.  Talk about pain!  

In the fall of my sophomore year, I had moved up so that I was running 2nd team end, behind Kenneth Welch, another future Dons member.  During a discussion of my BearKat Career with Head Coach Red Pierce, he decided to only give me a partial scholarship.  I thought I should have been given a full scholarship, so I subsequently gave up my desire to be a BearKat football player and turned in my uniform.

While departing the campus to go back home to Chilton, I ran into an old friend from my freshman class, Tommy Meister.  After he and I talked about what had happened with the football scholarship, he took me to meet with Burl McKinney, Manager of the Freshman Dormitories.  Burl offered me a job as Dormitory Counselor in the newly built Roy Adams Hall.  I was assigned an entire wing of the dorm to manage.

The spring semester of my Freshman Year was an eventful time for me.  

Like many other underclassmen, I went through a period where the campus Social Cubs try to recruit you to join their club.  

I had heard some very good things about the Dons, but they didn't offer me an invitation which really disappointed me.  I worked in the Student Union cafeteria to earn a night meal.  One evening I had finished my chores and was sitting down to eat my meal.  Suddenly three guys from the Caballeros Men’s Club took me by my arms and led me to the Caballero house. Essentially, they forced me to pledge Caballero.  Since I really did not want to do this in the first place, I did after two weeks.

In 1959, I finally got my invitation from the Dons.  I was one of 15 pledges and I had 5 of the BearKat football players as pledge brothers.  Pledging was a real mess, and full of shining shoes, washing, and polishing cars, cleaning everything in the 'House', it was unbelievable.  

Then the real 'fun' began. Each week they would take us on "walks". This was a pledge activity where the members would load up the pledges, put several in the trunk of their cars, then drive us around in circles to try and disorient us. They would then drive out about 20-50 miles in the country and drop us off.  We had to find our way back to Dons' House on campus.  

Informal initiation week was really unbelievable. Near the end of that week, the members took us out in the country where they had several crazy “informal stations" set up.  One was designated the "S*#t Pit."  

Pledges had to strip buck naked, and then crawl down into these holes in the ground that were filled with ice and what they described as smelly "s*#t."  We then had to sink down into that mess, except for our faces, it was very effective and very trying to say the least.  

Another of these stations was the "string and brick". Being naked, they tied the end of a string around our genital appendage, and the other end of the string to a brick.  They then threw the brick into a pond and we had to jump after it to avoid it pulling off our “short arm”.  

There are some bad memories from these Dons "informal."  The conclusion of this week was rolling auto tires uphill in the street from downtown Huntsville and then all the way downhill to the Dons House. At the end of this exhausting event, we were declared to be "Dons."

We all thought at that moment, that "we were glad we did it and were now Dons, however, had we known in advance what we were going to be put through we would have never done it."  All of this crazy stuff did have a purpose which really worked to our benefit.  When it all began, we were strangers, and in the end, we all became really close friends and brothers, and that was great.  Over 60 years later, the bonds we made are still in place as are our friendships.

During my first semester as a Dormitory Counselor, I was assigned a roommate who was none other than Mike Davis, a future ATO.  I was still hanging on to my music and had heard about a trio on campus that was pretty good. The name of this trio was the "ToyBells", and consisted of Larry 'Duffer' Dunham, Ronnie 'Worm' Wamble, and Jesse 'The Voice' Lankford.  

Larry and Jesse were Baseball Players from Pasadena and Ronnie also played ball and was from South Houston. They all figured to play for the BearKat Baseball team. Larry was 12 AAAA All District at 2nd base, but due to an injury and run-in with coach Britt, they all left the team in a huff.

They put together an outstanding singing trio and covered virtually all the early 60's groups.  We just had to have these guys, so I went to Dons' officers, Randy Edens, President, and requested that a Dons invitation be extended to Mike Davis, Larry Dunham, Ronnie Wamble, Jesse Lankford, and another guy from my section of the dorm named Bill Haines. They all got invitations. 

In September 1960, the Dons were awarded ATO's 150th Charter. The Zeta Mu Chapter of Alpha Tau Omega was officially on the Sam Houston Campus. All of these brothers became members.  I was very proud of my role in getting this group of very talented young men to become ATOs and from there we developed the best Fraternity on the Campus at Sam Houston.

Later that year I met and started dating a young girl from our church, Mary Frances Gates.  About six months later we got engaged and on August 27, 1960, we were married.  Her parents were Judge Amos and Mary Elizabeth Gates. The Judge helped me get a job over at the Prison System.  I was hired as the Assistant Director of Education and taught a 5th-grade level of all subjects to the inmates.  

Sometime later a national threat to the United States broke out and the local National Guard was activated.  This opened up a number of positions at the Walls Unit.  I got promoted to Director of the Sports Department.  This job was much more than the title suggests.  I had to manage the sporting teams at the Walls Unit and provide supervision to the 13 farm units.  

I was also responsible for purchasing all of the supplies for the Farms Sports Departments.  Warden Emmett Moore was really wanting to have a championship at the Walls Unit.  We had two nationally ranked boxers at the ‘Walls’ but that wasn't enough.  

To try and put together a better overall sports program, I hired Red McKaskle, who was an SHSTC scholarship basketball player, to coach our basketball team, as I didn't know anything about basketball.  

Under Red's direction, we put together a great basketball squad and ended up winning the Northern Division.  We then played the Clemens Unit, a totally black member team, and Won the overall Prison Championship.  We beat them 2 in 3 games and Warden Moore was very happy.

As a result of my two years of mandatory ROTC at Sam, and the following two-year Officer Candidate Contract, I graduated May 22, 1961, with a BS Degree and was also commissioned 2nd Lieutenant U.S. Army. I then had to report to active duty.  

I was assigned to the Medical Field Service School at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas.  After graduation from the MFSS, I was promoted to Company Commander of the 15th Field Hospital at Fort Bragg, North Carolina.  Upon arrival, things were pretty normal, but then they rapidly changed.  

In addition to being Company Commander, I had several other duties at the 15th. One included Pay Officer, and on October 2, 1962, along with two armed guards, I checked out approximately $100,000 in cash, which was how the enlisted men got paid.  I had completed paying the first two men in line when an excited message runner came up and informed me that the Commander of the 55th Group wanted to see me immediately. 

I dumped the money back into the bag and the three of us headed for Group Headquarters.  The Commander told me to put the money back in the bank and get my company squared away and loaded up to head for Oxford, Mississippi. Oxford is the home of the University of Mississippi, and where James Meredith, a black civil rights activist, was enrolling African Americans at Old Miss, to try and end the University’s segregation policy.  I hurriedly got the entire company loaded onto Air Force aircraft at Pope Airfield, which adjoined Fort Bragg, and we were off to Memphis, Tennessee.  

Upon arrival, we unloaded from the aircraft and reloaded on trucks to convoy over to Oxford, Mississippi.  We hurriedly set up 100 of our over 400-bed hospital, and over the next month or so we treated in excess of 3,000 patients.  Eventually, we got orders to head back to Fort Bragg.  About a hundred miles out of Oxford, the Mississippi Highway Patrol caught up with our convoy and told me I had new orders to report to Opa-Locka, Florida, a closed Marine Air Base on the north side of Miami.  We arrived at Opa-Locka and again had 100 beds set up and ready for patients.  

That night a powerful storm hit the Opa-Locka area, and due to the natural low sea level, the resulting rain and high-water level floated our hospital equipment away from our operating base.  We had to track down our missing equipment and then reload everything and move to higher ground. 

We were to learn the reason for our new orders to move to Opa-Locka was due to the USSR placing missiles in Cuba, which became known as the "Cuban Missile Crisis."  With the entire world watching, President John Kennedy demanded Russia’s Premier Nikita Khrushchev remove the missile threat and take them back to the Soviet Union.