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BU's band of brothers at Fort Devens, 1966:
In the past, ROTC cadets would journey to Fort Devens in Ayer, Mass.,
for drills and training. Although the 9,400-acre site was closed in 1996,
the University's ROTC program is going strong and has been (except for
a brief hiatus in the '70s) since its inception on August 16, 1919, when
the U.S. War Department authorized the establishment of a Students' Army
Training Corps at the University. Its first two battalions belonged to
the College of Business Administration; marching drills were conducted
on the Boston Common. Today BU is one of only a few colleges and universities
nationwide to house ROTC programs representing all branches of the military
-- Army, Navy, and Air Force (the Marine Corps is affiliated with the
Navy). This year, in observance of Veterans Day, more than 100 ROTC cadets
will participate in a 24-hour vigil on campus to honor veterans, prisoners
of war (POWs), and those missing in action (MIA). The event will begin
at 4 p.m. on Tuesday, November 6, on Marsh Plaza and conclude with a retreat
ceremony and the playing of Taps at 4 p.m. on Wednesday, November 7. During
the vigil, uniformed pairs of Air Force and Army ROTC cadets, as well
as Navy ROTC midshipmen, will march between the American and POW/MIA flags
that will flank Marsh Plaza. Changing of the guard will occur every 20
minutes. The vigil is sponsored by the Lance P. Sijan Squadron of the
Arnold Air Society, an honorary service organization composed of Air Force
ROTC cadets. During the closing ceremony, Colonel David DellaVolpe, Air
Force ROTC detachment commander at BU, will speak. Photo by BU Photo Services
2
November 2001
Boston University
Office of University Relations