Pennsylvania Military College

Rules and Regulations

Theodore Hyatt modeled PMC after West Point. Colonel Charles Hyatt often called PMC the “West Point of the Keystone State.” Besides adopting West Point’s curriculum and uniform, wherever possible, the rules and regulations of West Point were also adopted. This made the published Regulation Book, supplemented by General and Special Orders, the single most important book and influence on a PMC Cadet. When Frank Hyatt became President and Commandant of Cadets in 1930, a series of changes in the regulations were started that greatly altered the life of a Cadet. Yet, much remained the same. In later years, the PMC Regulation Book was configured as a bright red, three-ring binder that was required to be displayed in every Cadet room at each Saturday Morning Inspection.

The Cadet that violated the major rules of PMC, such as alcohol, stealing, and dishonesty, was still subject to dismissal. Cadets who failed to “measure up to” and maintain the standards of the Corps were given written Delinquency Reports or “DR’s”. Cadets might be reported for improper attitude, conduct unbecoming a cadet, slovenly appearance, or a disorderly room. The Cadet Company Commander, based on the seriousness of the report, would assign demerits. As in 1925, Cadets were allowed a weekly demerit allowance, but were “awarded” Punishment Tours for demerits in excess of the weekly allowance. These walking tours were not less than one hour and were served on Saturday and Sunday afternoons on the blacktop behind Old Main and directly below the Commandant’s Office.

As important as the regulation book was, the adjutant of PMC was responsible for discipline and the operation of the college. In 1917, Edward “Dutch” Brautigam ’07 was appointed Adjutant and Professor of Mathematics and Military Science. He served in these posts until 1930. He is best remembered as one of the most respected adjutants in the history of the College. During his tenure, the discipline and operation of PMC differed little from the time he was a Cadet. Between 1956 and 1962, CPT Giulio “Dee” DiSerafino ’52 served as adjutant and later Assistant Commandant of the Corps. He followed in Brautigam’s footsteps and maintained the standards of the Corps. CPT DiSerafino also became an inspiration to many and was well respected by those who knew him.

Filed Under: Cadet Life, Legends

Thomas Merendino ’41 (Heroism During D-Day)

Thomas Merendino ‘41, often called Tommy, was known as an athlete, scholar and gentleman at PMC. He was a versatile athlete and played football, basketball, and baseball. Yet, it was his smile and good humor that his classmates remembered.

The D-Day mission of the 16th Infantry Regiment was to land on Omaha Beach, the most heavily fortified of the five beaches, reduce the beach defenses, and secure the Beach two hours before dark. As the regiment’s landing craft approached the Beach, they came under intense fire. As the assault wave slowly built up a firing line, Company B, led by Captain Merendino, landed ten minutes after the first assault wave. The scene was described as chaotic and disorganized. As landing craft dropped their ramps, men were killed and wounded as they attempted to get out of the boats. Others were hit as they struggled through the surf or tried to run across the sand weighted down with waterlogged equipment.

Merendino disembarked from the landing craft in the initial assault wave and, with complete disregard for his own safety, organized the men who were struggling in the water and led them through the intense enemy fire to the shore. Upon reaching the shore, he refused to take cover and again organized an assault group for further advance. Fully exposed to the sweeping fire from enemy pillboxes and machine gun nests and a constant target for the snipers on the hill, he personally led the charge up the slope and overran a German stronghold.

General Eisenhower visited the First Division on July 2nd and pinned awards for heroism on twenty five First Division heroes, including Merendino, who received The Distinguished Service Cross Medal. This was not his first act of valor. During the Oren offensive in Algeria, the (then) Lieutenant Merendino directed the fire of a105 mm self-propelled howitzer on an enemy stronghold. When this failed, he ordered the howitzer to ram the German stronghold. He then dismounted the vehicle and charged the German stronghold and captured 20 Germans. This act of bravery earned him The Silver Star Medal.

Filed Under: Legends, Notable Cadets

Citizen’s Training Corps

Prior to the U.S. entry into World War I, neither the Army nor Navy was prepared for war. In many parts of the country patriotic rallies and preparedness meetings were held as early as 1915. Colonel Charles Hyatt responded to a 1917 rally in Chester by offering training and equipment to those men who could not join the National Guard but wished to receive practical military training in preparation for service.

In early April, a group of eighty boys and 104 men braved a cold rain to enlist in the Citizen’s Training Corps at PMC. Two groups were formed. Those boys sixteen or older were part of the High School Cadet Corps, and those men eighteen to fifty-five were part of the Citizen’s Training Corps. Eventually the number rose to 400, many traveling from as far away as Wilmington and Philadelphia. The course, conducted by Captain Lewis Morey and the Military Staff of PMC, was to last for ten weeks. The Citizen’s Training Corps drilled two nights each week for two hours. The high school cadets trained two afternoons for an hour and a half each week. Drills were originally held in the riding hall, but with the arrival of eight arc lights from the City of Chester, the citizen soldiers began to drill outdoors. Besides the drills and strenuous physical exercises, lectures in the Assembly Room in Old Main were held. The topics included a variety of military subjects, such as the mechanism and use of the Army rifle and trench construction.

While PMC made an important contribution on the home front, graduates were training similar groups throughout the United States. Colonel Hyatt received frequent reports from alumni in New Jersey and Tennessee.

Filed Under: Legacy of PMC, Legends

Joseph P. McCaffery ’27 (A Marine Raider in the Pacific)

Joseph P. McCaffery ’27 attended PMC along with his brother, Hugh McCaffery ’24. Because of his size and older brother, he was known as “Little Joe.” While at PMC, he was recognized as a marksman and the quarterback on the football team. “Babe” Buono ‘26, one of McCaffery’s roommates, stated that, “When it came to courage and transferring that courage to others, Joe had no equal.” After graduation, McCaffery was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army Reserves, but resigned to accept a commission in the Marine Corps Reserves.

After serving at Pearl Harbor, Shanghai, San Diego, and Quantico, McCaffery joined the Marine Raiders. The Raider battalions were a special mission force that were lightly armed and intensely trained to spearhead larger amphibious landings on beaches (thought to be inaccessible); conduct raids requiring surprise and high speed, and operate as guerrilla units for lengthy periods behind enemy lines. When a battalion lost its commander on Guadalcanal, McCaffery assumed command. After leading his troops though a dense jungle to safety, he was immediately promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assigned to the 1st Marine Raider Regiment. In the Munda-Rendova campaign, he led a 15-mile trek through a swamp and wiped out a Japanese garrison, which had been caught completely by surprise. Next came the landing at Bougainville.

For this operation, McCaffery took over the Second Raider Battalion. The landing encountered a Japanese crossfire, which caused havoc and disorder within the assault waves. McCaffery landed with the first wave of Raiders. As the Marines cleared the beach, they were stopped by machine-gun fire from a well-concealed bunker. While leading the Marines forward, McCaffery was struck four times in the chest. Despite the best efforts of the corpsman and Battalion surgeon, he died.

His fellow soldiers described him as a brilliant officer, kind and loyal friend, and courageous hero. He was awarded the Silver Star Medal for his superior leadership between November 1942 and January 1943. In May 1944, McCaffery was awarded the Navy Cross posthumously for “extraordinary heroism while in command of the 2nd Marine Raider Battalion in action against enemy Japanese forces.” In 1945, the USS McCaffery, a navy destroyer, was commissioned in his honor.

Filed Under: Legends, Notable Cadets

Dome Signatures

Construction of Old Main began in 1867 and, for 15 years, it served as the principal building on campus. In 1882, Old Main caught fire and sustained considerable damage. Within seven months, the new building was completed. While there were many improvements, the building continued to include student rooms, a dining room, classrooms, and an assembly hall.

For many years, Military Science classes were taught on the top floor of Old Main. Within the Dome itself, a tradition of a Cadet leaving his name scrawled on the rafters or walls continued for almost a century. Today, these areas are off-limits for reasons of safety and insurance; however, the signatures of the famous and not-so-famous remain in perpetuity within the interior of the Dome.

Filed Under: Legacy of PMC, Legends

David Wilson ’66 (Convoy Ambush)

David Wilson was attracted to PMC by its military education, discipline, and development of leadership skills. He quickly assimilated to life at PMC and was considered to be a model Cadet. He promoted esprit-de-corps and motivation among his classmates. He was commissioned during the Commencement Exercises of 1966.

On 31 January 1968, First Lieutenant David Wilson commanded a supply convoy of mostly 5-ton tractor trailers that was returning to An Khe from Pleiku, RVN. At the foot of the Mang Yang Pass, a superior enemy force, supported with heavy weapons, ambushed the convoy. Many of the vehicles in the convoy had stopped and were subject to intense enemy mortar and small arms fire. At the moment the ambush was triggered, 1LT Wilson’s command vehicle was just forward of the kill zone. Although he was out of danger, he immediately returned to the kill zone and, with complete disregard for his own safety, 1LT Wilson commenced leading his men to safety. Then, while directing the convoy to safety, his jeep sustained a direct hit from a mortar round.

David Wilson was posthumously awarded the Silver Star and Purple Heart for his outstanding leadership and heroism for saving the lives of many of his men. Six Cadets served as pallbearers and the Commandant’s Staff and others from PMC attended the services. In December of 1968, the Bien Hoa Cantonment Area was dedicated to his memory. During the ceremonies, Brigadier General D.A. Richards, Commanding General of II Field Force Transportation units, stated: “David Wilson knew the meaning of valor . . . the meaning of caring … the meaning of responsibility, and to me, David Wilson represents the hope for the future!”

Filed Under: Legends, Notable Cadets

Eddystone Disaster

In 1917 the Eddystone Ammunition Plant, located outside of Chester, was one of the busiest munitions factories in the country piercing fuses and filling shells with gunpowder. On Monday, April 10th at about 9:55 a.m., just days after the U.S. had entered the war, “F” Building of the plant was torn apart by a trio of explosions. One hundred and thirty-three persons, mostly girls, lost their lives in the explosion. The majority of the women killed worked in the loading room.

The force of the explosion was terrific and filled the air with chaos. The calls for help went out to firefighters, ambulances and doctors throughout the area. One hundred PMC cadets, under the command of Captain Lewis Morey, rushed to the scene. Almost immediately the cadets began to calm the crowds and restore order. The Chester City and Crozer hospitals quickly became filled and the Sixth Regiment Armory in Chester was turned into a temporary hospital. A cadet company was assigned to keep order as hundreds of relatives and friends arrived at the Armory.

Afterwards, numerous accounts of the service of those at PMC were noted including the Philadelphia Inquirer:

“Cadets of the Pennsylvania Military College Rushed to Scene Immediately Following Explosion and Placed on Guard Duty — It was the ‘first taste of war’ for the young men and they handled the situation in a creditable fashion. With rifles, the cadets forced back the crowds, which tried to fight their way into the plant yard. They remained on duty for more than five hours and proved of real assistance.”

Filed Under: Legacy of PMC, Legends

PMC Band

From the earliest origins of the school, the Drum & Bugle Corps and, later, the PMC Band were at the center of campus life. When Theodore Hyatt founded the Delaware Military Academy in 1858 -1859, among the faculty was Richard Triggs with the title of Professor of Vocal and Instrumental Music. Drums, fifes and bugles were there too. In 1864 the legendary Professor John Robson Sweney, a former Union Army bandmaster with the Third Regiment Delaware Volunteers Band, came to Pennsylvania Military Academy and re-organized the fife, drum and bugle squad.

During the history of PMC and its predecessor institutions there were numerous student musical organizations. Often, though, the school hired professional bands to play for formal events and important parades. PMC’s Drum & Bugle unit performed often, as well. Everything changed in 1935. Under the direction of Professor John Norris Robinson ‘84 the modern PMC Marching Band was launched with just fourteen cadets.

Over the years, the PMC Band achieved much state and national recognition that endured until the Corps ended. The Band performed at many major events, including the New Orleans Mardi Gras, the New York St. Patrick’s Day parade, Norfolk Azalea Festival, the U.S. Army War College and for Philadelphia Eagles football fans. In 1965, the Band won the National ROTC Band Association’s Marching Competition phase at the New York World’s Fair and claimed the title as the #1 ROTC Marching Band in the Nation.

Click here for photos and a more detailed history of the PMC Band.

Filed Under: Legacy of PMC, Legends

PMC: A Distinguished Military College

Theodore Hyatt’s introduction of military training, using the West Point program as a yardstick, was so successful that “the War Department considered Pennsylvania Military College the one institution in the country most nearly on a par with West Point.” Although the War Department had no formal inspection for those schools with military instructors and equipment until 1889, PMC had its first inspection in 1880. In 1904, PMC was named to the top ten distinguished military institutions by the War Department. Ten years later, the War Department inspections resulted in twenty-nine schools being classified as “distinguished colleges” out of 139 inspected. PMC was among the top twenty-nine schools. In 1926, Douglas MacArthur congratulated PMC on its “well merited distinction.” The college briefly lost its designation as a distinguished military college due to low enrollment. It was regained in 1924 and continued to hold this distinction thereafter.

The yearly War Department inspections were more than a display of military ceremony. The schedule was demanding and included cadet interviews, inspections of quarters as well the institution and how the cadets performed in weapons, marching, voice and command along with detailed phases of small unit command. Other inspection teams echoed the comments of Brigadier General Tasker that “The battalion work at inspection, review, parade, and extended-order drills, the artillery drill and the mounted drill, were exceedingly good,” for many years to come.

As a distinguished military college, PMC would submit the names of three cadets to the War Department. These cadets were then recognized as having been added to the War Department Records. Later, the number of cadets selected each year was expanded and they were recognized as Distinguished Military Students. These cadets possessed outstanding qualities of leadership, an aptitude for military science as well as being an above average student and demonstrated their involvement in campus and civic activities.

Filed Under: Legacy of PMC, Legends

John Tilelli ’63 (A Soldier’s Soldier)

On the recommendation of a PMC alumnus, John Tilelli’s family visited the college. Impressed by the “rigor, discipline of study and environment” of PMC, John Tilelli applied, was accepted and enrolled. His Rook year was difficult, but as he became acclimated to the procedures and the expectations of the academic work, he improved. As a cadet, John quickly became an outstanding example. With some luck and hard work he never walked a tour and graduated as a Distinguished Military Graduate. To this day he credits the Corps of Cadets, with its camaraderie and the leadership education, putting him on the path to success.

After graduation, he began a career in the Army in a variety of diverse and vital positions. First in Vietnam as a Company Commander in the 18th Engineer Brigade and as the District Senior Advisor to Team 84, Commanding General the 1st Cavalry Division during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm, and four times in Germany. Tilelli’s staff assignments include the Pentagon, as the Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans, then as Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans and Vice Chief of Staff of the Army. He concluded his active duty career as Commander in Chief of the United Nations Command, Republic of Korea / U.S. Combined Forces / U.S. Forces Korea. Tilelli is a highly decorated officer, wearing the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Parachutist Badge along with decorations. He was the recipient of the Distinguished Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Legion of Merit, the Bronze Star with “V” Device (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), the Defense Distinguished Service medal, the Meritorious Service Medal (with three Oak Leaf Clusters), the Air Medal, the Army Commendation Medal (with two Oak Leaf Clusters), and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry with Silver Star and Palm.

For more than 30 years, John Tilelli served his country in the armed forces with integrity and distinction. His combat leadership and management skills have made the U.S. Army an improved organization. This sentiment was echoed on the floor of the House of Representatives in 2000.

Listen to General John Tilelli Jr., USA (Ret) speak on Veterans Day at the Vietnam Memorial Wall. November 11, 2012. Click

Filed Under: Legends, Notable Cadets