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Woodberry in Iraq
An Article from This Week's Oracle
The Oracle is the student newspaper, and the following article appears in this week's edition.
Co-Editors in Chief - David Butler, Zander Strange
News Editor - John Baker
Sports Editor - Andrew Ellison
Features Editor - Stuart Bonner
Senior Writer - Trent Bradley
Faculty Advisor - Bart Kempf
Woodberry in Iraq
by Charlton Desaussure
Chronicling the Greatest Generation in World War II, the acclaimed documentary “Band of Brothers” speaks volumes of the bravery of our forefathers. Many Woodberry alums were members of that elite band, including forty who lost their lives in the War and are memorialized in plaques in Anderson Hall.
Sixty years later, another generation of Americans has been called upon to fight for freedom, and Woodberry graduates are again a part of this noble effort. While this list of graduates is not complete, the graduates known to be currently fighting in Iraq are Thomas Ball, ’92, Donald Bengin, ’96, Jamie Peace, ’97, Allen Grinalds, ’89, Bill Kluttz ‘89 and Major William Watkins, ’84. Other members of the Woodberry family are Ed Denault’s sister and Mrs. Firman’s son.
Members of both of these generations of Woodberry graduates share a love of their country and beliefs that led them to fight. Among the World War II soldiers memorialized in Anderson Hall is Richard Fuller Patterson, ’34, an extremely accomplished student at Woodberry and a graduate of Princeton. On his plaque is a quotation, from the Princeton Alumni Review, which says, “Truly, no man ever believed more surely than Fuller Patterson in the cause for which he fought and heroically died. Princeton may well be proud of its part in shaping that belief and in having given one of its most noble sons to the cause of freedom.” Woodberry should also be extremely proud of all of its alumni who fought then and are fighting now for our country.
One such alum, the son of former Woodberry Headmaster, General John Grinalds, Allen Grinalds, has been flying helicopters in Iraq and has had a chance to call his parents several times between missions thanks to family friend Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. Other families across the nation have not been as lucky as the Grinalds in talking with their sons and daughters. Some know nothing of the whereabouts of their children and have witnessed firsthand the horrors of war, and the Woodberry family has suffered just as the nation has suffered. The whereabouts of Major William Watkins, ’84, who might have been on a plane that went down on Sunday, have been unknown since the day of the crash. While his family has been notified by military officials, he has not been officially classified as missing in action, and a unit is attempting to find him now. Across the nation, families are having similar experiences with sons and daughters in Iraq, and prayers go out to all of these families and especially the Watkins to ease their experiences with the tragedies of war.
Echoing the “Band of Brothers,” Amici begins, “Our strong band shall ne’er be broken formed at Woodberry.” This band of brotherhood that connects Woodberry students all over our nation exists in many forms but perhaps with the greatest honor among alumni who serve our country. We salute Thomas Ball, ’92, Donald Bengin, ’96, Jamie Peace, ’97, Allen Grinalds, ’89, Bill Kluttz ’89 and Major William Watkins, ’84.
Back
Co-Editors in Chief - David Butler, Zander Strange
News Editor - John Baker
Sports Editor - Andrew Ellison
Features Editor - Stuart Bonner
Senior Writer - Trent Bradley
Faculty Advisor - Bart Kempf
Woodberry in Iraq
by Charlton Desaussure
Chronicling the Greatest Generation in World War II, the acclaimed documentary “Band of Brothers” speaks volumes of the bravery of our forefathers. Many Woodberry alums were members of that elite band, including forty who lost their lives in the War and are memorialized in plaques in Anderson Hall.
Sixty years later, another generation of Americans has been called upon to fight for freedom, and Woodberry graduates are again a part of this noble effort. While this list of graduates is not complete, the graduates known to be currently fighting in Iraq are Thomas Ball, ’92, Donald Bengin, ’96, Jamie Peace, ’97, Allen Grinalds, ’89, Bill Kluttz ‘89 and Major William Watkins, ’84. Other members of the Woodberry family are Ed Denault’s sister and Mrs. Firman’s son.
Members of both of these generations of Woodberry graduates share a love of their country and beliefs that led them to fight. Among the World War II soldiers memorialized in Anderson Hall is Richard Fuller Patterson, ’34, an extremely accomplished student at Woodberry and a graduate of Princeton. On his plaque is a quotation, from the Princeton Alumni Review, which says, “Truly, no man ever believed more surely than Fuller Patterson in the cause for which he fought and heroically died. Princeton may well be proud of its part in shaping that belief and in having given one of its most noble sons to the cause of freedom.” Woodberry should also be extremely proud of all of its alumni who fought then and are fighting now for our country.
One such alum, the son of former Woodberry Headmaster, General John Grinalds, Allen Grinalds, has been flying helicopters in Iraq and has had a chance to call his parents several times between missions thanks to family friend Lieutenant Colonel Oliver North. Other families across the nation have not been as lucky as the Grinalds in talking with their sons and daughters. Some know nothing of the whereabouts of their children and have witnessed firsthand the horrors of war, and the Woodberry family has suffered just as the nation has suffered. The whereabouts of Major William Watkins, ’84, who might have been on a plane that went down on Sunday, have been unknown since the day of the crash. While his family has been notified by military officials, he has not been officially classified as missing in action, and a unit is attempting to find him now. Across the nation, families are having similar experiences with sons and daughters in Iraq, and prayers go out to all of these families and especially the Watkins to ease their experiences with the tragedies of war.
Echoing the “Band of Brothers,” Amici begins, “Our strong band shall ne’er be broken formed at Woodberry.” This band of brotherhood that connects Woodberry students all over our nation exists in many forms but perhaps with the greatest honor among alumni who serve our country. We salute Thomas Ball, ’92, Donald Bengin, ’96, Jamie Peace, ’97, Allen Grinalds, ’89, Bill Kluttz ’89 and Major William Watkins, ’84.
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
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