Cold War Era

Cold War Era Citadel The Cold War was primarily a struggle between the two nuclear weapons equipped "super-powers" being the United States and the Soviet Union. The nuclear powers understood the concept of "Mutually-Assured-Destruction" if one or the other attacked. Given this nuclear standoff, it became an "arms-race" between the two countries. The relative stability of the economic, military, and political struggle against communists and totalitarian regimes allowed The Citadel to look inward. This became a kind of "renaissance" for the college as the Great Depression, World War II, and the Korean War ended. The faculty and staff put forth major initiatives to modernize the curriculum and upgrade the physical plant.

By the early 1950s, the Corps of Cadets stabilized at 2,000 cadets total. The average graduating class of around 400 becomes the norm and the college continues to rise to new highs. Nearly all professors have a terminal degree (doctorate) and new major courses of study are added. The first African-American cadet, Charles D. Foster, was admitted in 1966. Cadet Foster was the only black cadet in his class for all four years. Foster was commissioned in the U.S. Army upon graduation in 1970 after a tough four years. Capt Foster separated from the Army and managed a moving business in Texas. Sadly, Foster died in a house fire in Garland, Texas in 1986. He was the first of several outstanding African-Americans to graduate from The Citadel during the turbulent era of the Vietnam Conflict.

The Vietnam Conflict begins in 1961 as President Kennedy sends the first 500 U.S. soldiers to the war torn nation just one month after the Bay of Pigs disaster in Cuba. The first Citadel graduate to die in combat was Captain Terry D. Cordell, class of 1957, who was killed in combat on October 15, 1962. Cordell was assigned to Company C, First Special Forces Group, and served as a Team Leader when he was killed by the Viet Cong in the jungles of Vietnam. He was one of the first 500 soldiers sent to Vietnam. Capt Cordell was the first U.S. military officer killed in the Vietnam Conflict. The Cordell Army Airborne Ranger Company at The Citadel was named in his honor.

Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon escalated the war sending millions of U.S. military members to Vietnam. Citadel graduates served honorably and bravely. An anti-war movement provided negative media coverage and made claims that U.S. troops killed innocent civilians and children indiscriminately. Sixty-eight graduates made the supreme sacrifice and hundreds were wounded. Six graduates served as Prisoners of War (POW) in the infamous "Hanoi Hilton" and were tortured by the Viet Cong and their communist captors. The six POWs were: Commander Alfred Agnew, USN, class of 1962; Col J. Quincy Collins, USAF, class of 1953; Lt Col William J. Elander, USAF, class of 1957; Capt Alan J. Kroboth, USMC, class of 1969; Captain Henry E. Lesesne, USN, class of 1958; and Lt Col Glen Myers, USAF, class of 1964.

Despite the fact that U.S. military forces never lost a single military battle, public support eroded and the U.S. abandoned Vietnam. Within just a few months, the totalitarian communist regime brutally conquered Vietnam. Millions were displaced or killed and thousands of "boat people" left Vietnam on small boats only to suffer a worse fate on the high seas. The U.S. "redeployment" out of Vietnam also led to what was later known as the "killing fields" in Cambodia and Vietnam where millions of innocent people were murdered by the totalitarian regimes that arose. The last graduate to leave Vietnam was Col Edward J. Hughes, class of 1952, the Military Advisor to the U.S. Ambassador of South Vietnam. Col Hughes coordinated the final evacuation of U.S. military forces in Saigon, South Vietnam in April, 1975, just as the capital fell to the Viet Cong and communist North Vietnam.

The last graduate to die from his Vietnam War wounds was Maj Samuel R. Bird, class of 1961. Lt Bird was the casket detail commander during the burial of President John F. Kennedy in 1963. After the Kennedy funeral, Lt Bird was reassigned to combat duty in Vietnam. He was almost killed in Vietnam losing a leg, an arm, and an eye in combat. He died as a result of his wounds on Oct 18, 1984 and was the last Citadel graduate to die from his Vietnam combat wounds. The United States military suffered its first military "defeat" by a decision to redeploy away from South Vietnam, despite the fact that the U.S. military never lost a single battle in the war. The Vietnam War was a loss in the will to fight by U.S. citizens and elected leaders. The enemy ran an aggressive public relations campaign. They clearly understood that eroding public support could end the war politically in the United States. By the end of the 1970's the demoralized military suffered a reduction in force (RIF). But times changed in the early 1980's with what was later called the "Reagan Buildup" of the U.S. military to defeat the communist Cold War threat led by the former Soviet Union.

The Citadel was able to focus internally during the 1980's. The scars left by the Vietnam experience became "lessons learned" and the college continued to excel under the leadership of Maj Gen James Grimsley, class of 1942, himself a World War II and Vietnam combat veteran. The massive military buildup of the 1980s translated into more graduates serving in the military. Citadel graduates served in large numbers in the Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps. In 1983, President Reagan initiated Operation Urgent Fury to eliminate communist infiltration on the island of Grenada. The communist Cuban forces virtually had control of the entire island. The U.S Army Rangers and Marines were sent to take the island from the enemy. Capt Mike Ritz, a U.S. Army Ranger, class of 1977, was killed in action in Grenada. The U.S. operation was successful and the island of Grenada was freed of communist Cuban troops. President Reagan in a speech at The Citadel recognized graduates by saying "you are the last of the Knights." His speech referred to the noble role that graduates played in conflicts throughout the world as citizens and soldiers. The last military conflict of the Cold War was actually an omen of things to come.

The Persian Gulf War against Iraq began in early 1991 and restored order to the area by expelling the Iraqi Army of Saddam Hussein from the Kingdom of Kuwait. Once again, The Citadel and her graduates responded in large numbers to include cadets. Hundreds of graduates served in the Persian Gulf War. Twenty-two Citadel Cadets were mobilized to serve with their reserve and National Guard units to fight in the war. This action by Citadel Cadets was similar to the 17 cadets that volunteered to serve in the Mexican War in 1846. Capt Mario Fajardo, USA, Class of 1984, was killed in combat on February 26, 1991. He was leading his men through a mine clearing operation as part of the 20th Engineer Battalion, 82nd Airborne Division. He was the only graduate killed in action during the Persian Gulf War. During Operation Provide Comfort to resupply the Kurdish refugees in northern Iraq, Capt Patrick M. McKenna, USA, class of 1989, was the lead pilot of a flight of two army helicopters that were shot down. He was killed in action on April 14, 1994 in northern Iraq. Shortly after the war ended, the largest communist regime in the world imploded. The Soviet Union collapsed and the Berlin Wall crumbled to the ground. The Cold War was over. As the new century approached a few changes were forthcoming.

WWII & Korean War Societal Change