Texas A&M vs. LSU 2013


Midnight Yell – Friday Nov. 22nd
Midnight Yell Practice will be hosted by the New Orleans A&M Club and led by the Texas A&M Yell Leaders from the balcony of Johnny White’s Pub and Grill, 718 Bourbon St. in the French Quarter. This is the corner of Bourbon and Orleans Streets, directly behind St. Louis Cathedral and across Orleans St. from the Bourbon Orleans Hotel.

Roundtrip Gameday Transportation – Saturday Nov. 23d

For those Aggies attending the game or wanting to tailgate at Tiger Stadium without the hassle of traffic and parking, the New Orleans A&M Club has arranged to provide roundtrip motor coach transportation from New Orleans.  The coaches will be escorted by Baton Rouge police directly to the bus staging area at Tiger Stadium.  Departure time is expected to be 4 to 5 hours before kickoff, allowing ample time for tailgating.  Staging and pickup will be at the DoubleTree Hotel, 300 Canal St., New Orleans, 70130.

In advance of the designated departure time, bus riders will secure a name tag from NOLA Club staff at the DoubleTree for admission onto one of the buses.  Liquid refreshments will be provided on each bus.

Riders are entitled to participate in a catered tailgate hosted by the Baton Rouge A&M Club.  The New Orleans A&M Club will make a donation to the Baton Rouge club for each bus rider to defray their costs and assist with their charitable endeavors.

Ticket cost is $125/adult and $75/child under 18 years old.  Reservations and payment can be made online via visiting http://nolaags.info/gigem/ Check to see who is attending the tailgate party?

Lodging

The DoubleTree Hotel will serve as the Headquarters for the New Orleans A&M Club.  An initial block of 25 rooms *** SOLD OUT *** has been secured for $129/night for Friday and Saturday night (Nov. 22d & 23d).  To make a reservation at the discounted rate you must call the reservation line, 800-222-8733, and ask for rooms in the “New Orleans A&M Club” block.  Additional rooms may be added to the block at a later date but will be discounted from the current rate at that time.

You do NOT have to be a NOLA Club member to reserve at the discounted rate at the DoubleTree.

The NOLA Club is a non-profit organization that coordinates Texas A&M former student activity in the New Orleans area.  The NOLA Club has provided funding for annual scholarships to Texas A&M and annually hosts hundreds of Aggies in conjunction with Mardi Gras and other significant events involving Texas A&M that occur in the city.

TS General Rudder in New Orleans!

Howdy Ags, In case you don’t already know, the TS General Rudder will pull in to the port of New Orleans this afternoon. These are our Sea Aggie brothers and sisters from Galveston. We’re hosting a luncheon for them tomorrow (Tuesday) at the Hard Rock at 11:30. Please join us if you can. Call the Hard Rock at 504-282-6058 to add your name to the list. It’s a meet and greet with lunch; no program. $16/person inclusive of tax and tip.

Of utmost importance is that you be aware that the officers and crew of the Gen Rudder are hosting our club as well as dignitaries from Galveston on Wednesday afternoon from 4:30-6:30 aboard the ship. I’ve attached the official invitation. She will be docked at Julia St.

We NEED club members to attend this function on Wednesday. Please do everything possible to rearrange your schedule and show your support. They’re entertaining us with shrimp, wine, beer, etc. as well as ship tours. Note the footwear requirements for a tour. Closed toe shoes and no heels.

DO NOT rsvp to TAMUG. RSVP to me via return gigem@nolaags.info. I will call Ms. Walker tomorrow with our group number.

Thanks in advance for you support,
Scott ’88

Muster 2013


Muster is a day to celebrate the camaraderie and the friendships, the triumphs and the defeats, the legacies and the impact thatTexasA&M Universityhas made, and continues to make, in all of our lives. It is also a time to honor those Aggies, those friends, family members, and classmates, who are no longer among us. Muster is the essence of the Aggie Spirit.

Dick ’50 and Dot Piner’s estate will be the site of the 2013 Aggie Muster hosted by the New OrleansA&M Club on Sunday, April 21. The Piner’s address is 4401 Patterson Drive in Algiers. Patterson Dr. runs alongside the Mississippi River. As of last year, parking is no longer permitted along the levee. You should try to park at the nearest spot available on the street and not along the levee.

To get to the Piner’s from the Crescent City Connection, take the General DeGaulle Dr. East exit and proceed to Holiday Drive. Turn left onto Holiday Dr. and continue toGeneral Meyer Ave. At General Meyer, turn left, travel approximately 15 – 20 yards, and turn right onto Holiday Pl. On Holiday Pl., keep going all the way to the levee, and turn right on to Patterson Dr. The Piner’s home is about 4½ blocks ahead and is approximately 75 yards past the intersection of Steeple Chase Lane and Patterson.

The menu for the meal will be barbequed brisket, sausage, boneless chicken breasts, potato salad, black beans, green beans, bread, and cake. We will also have plenty of cold drinks on hand.

Plan to arrive at about 3:30 PM or come a little earlier and enjoy the Piner’s beautiful grounds if you would like. This will give you an opportunity to spend some time with old classmates and new friends. We will start serving dinner about 5:00 PM with the Muster Ceremony starting at about 6:00 PM.

The charge for the meal is $20 per person, children, 12 and under, are free.

The deadline for reservations for the meal is Thursday, April 18. Please return your reservations as soon as possible. Give a call to an Aggie buddy and bring them along with you.

If anyone needs to make late reservations, needs help with directions or anything else, please call one of the Muster Tri-Chairs; Paul Schott ’86, (504) 376-4885, Scott Wolff ’88, (210) 478-2833, or Theresa Wolff ’89, (210) 710-5915.

During mealtime and before the Muster ceremony, we will show a video which highlights the greatest moments of the 2012 Aggie football season. Come relive the season with your Aggie family.

Ross Volunteers @ Hard Rock Cafe’


The Ross Volunteer Company will arrive in New Orleans on Sunday, February 10th, and will also stay at the Naval Air Station in Belle Chasse. They will have some free time in the Quarter that night and reassemble at the buses by the U.S. Mint building at curfew time. On Monday, February 11th, the RVs will attend our club’s luncheon at the Hard Rock Cafe’ (NOTE NEW ADDRESS) at the corner of Iberville and Bourbon (11 AM). This location is at the end of the 100 Block of Bourbon St. Hard Rock has remodeled the Storyville complex near the Brennan’s Red Fish Grill. Following lunch, they will have free time until and evening curfew. On Tuesday, they will lead the Krewe of Rex Parade as Honor Guard at 10:00 AM. This continues a tradition that began in 1951.

The menu will be the Hard Rock Group Menu which will be served at a cost of $16 (tax and tip included). The choices will be the Hard Rock hamburger of cheeseburger, grilled chicken breast sandwich, veggie burger or pulled pork sandwich. These will come with fries, soft drinks and a brownie or cookie. A cash bar will be available. Club members and guests can be included in the paid meal count by paying at the event. Contact numbers are 504-491-5154 or 504-588-9880. Hard Rock Cafe’s # is 504-529-5617.

AGGIE LAGNIAPPE NEWSLETTER
FISH DRILL TEAM LUNCHEON
As in past years, the F.D.T. will attend the Tulane Invitational Drill Meet on Friday, February 8th, on the Uptown campus. Over 70 universities and U.S. Service Academies will compete. This year’s F.D.T. will defend the National Title won last year by the Class of 2015 Team. The Fish will arrive Thursday, Feb. 7, 2013, and stay at the Joint Forces Reserve Base (BAS) in Belle Chasse.

On Saturday, February 9th, our club will host the team upperclassmen, trainers, advisors and the A&M Corp of Cadets Color Guard for a luncheon at Tujagues restaurant at 823 Decatur St.. After leading the Iris Parade, the Fish will change out of uniform at the Hilton Hotel and come to Tujagues. Club members, guests and accompanying team family members can order from the menu at their own expense. No paid reservations are required. See you soon!

Sons of Texas A&M


Texas A&M is writing its own military history in the blood of its graduates.  Not only in the Philippines Campaign but on the active fronts of the southwest Pacific, Texans daily emblazon the record with outstanding feats of courage on land on the sea and in the air.  No name stands out more brilliantly than the heroic defender of Corregidor, General George F. Moore.  Whenever I see a Texas man in my command I have a feeling of confidence.”  Gen. Douglas MacArthur, 15 September 1942

Corregidor Island at the southernmost tip of the Bataan peninsula was the final refuge held by the Americans in the Philippines.  Corregidor, with its network of tunnels and formidable array of defensive armament, along with the fortifications across the entrance to Manila Bay, was the remaining obstacle to the 14th Japanese Imperial Army’s complete control of the Philippines. As long as the island remained in American hands, the Japanese would be denied the use of Manila Bay, the finest natural harbor in the Far East.

In March 1942, President Roosevelt ordered MacArthur to leave Corregidor because he did not want to run the risk of MacArthur being captured. Before he boarded the PT boat that would carry him to Australia, MacArthur instructed Major General George Moore to “keep the flag flying.” After escaping to Australia, MacArthur made his famous “I shall return” speech. Moore commanded the Philippine Coast Artillery which contained roughly 5,000 men and four forts in defense of Corregidor.

On 9 April lacking food, ammunition, and morale, American and Filipino troops in an upper section of the peninsula surrendered to the Japanese and the infamous Bataan Death March and its atrocities ensued. These events led to international recognition of the 1942 Aggie Muster on Corregidor. Knowing that Muster might soon be called for them, twenty-five Aggies led by George Moore ’08 following Texas A&M tradition, mustered on 21 April during the Japanese siege of the “Rock,” the name given to the island by its defenders.  A war correspondent recorded the muster of the 25 Aggies gathered in the trenches while enemy artillery shells were exploding all around them. This report gave a tremendous boost to stateside morale, especially in the great state of Texas.

On 6 May 1942, General Jonathan Wainwright, who had assumed command of the Philippines campaign upon MacArthur’s departure, surrendered the Corregidor garrison at about 1:30 p.m. leading himself and General Moore to be captured by the Japanese. MacArthur “returned” to the Philippines on 20 October 1944.

Moore was held as a POW and was liberated in August 1945 at the end of the War. General Moore was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal while in captivity. Moore graduated from the A&M College of Texas (Texas A&M) in 1908 and died on 2 December 1949.

One of the most well known Musters was held after the war in 1946. Aggies who were present among the American armed forces on Corregidor once again held Muster on the island.

On 21 April 1946, General of the Army Douglas MacArthur sent a message from his office as Supreme Allied Commander for the Allied Forces to Aggies. It is quoted in its entire text below:

Sons of Texas A&M

On Corregidor – 21 April 1946

In this hallowed soil lie the mortal remains of many men who have died that liberty might live. Among the bravest of these brave are twenty officers, sons of Texas A&M, unable themselves to answer this year’s annual muster. It is for us, therefore, to do so for them — to answer for them in clear and firm voice — Dead on the battleswept Corregidor where their eternal spirit will never die but will march on forever, inspiring in those who follow the courage and the will to preserve well that for which they bled.

Of them and those of their fellow alumni who lie in hallowed soil of other lands and those who survive them, may it truly be said that in the noble teachings of their Alma Mater — in the tradition of the great American leader, Sam Houston, who this day, one hundred and ten years ago, wrested Texas from foreign dominion by defeating Santa Ana on the historic battlefield of San Jacinto – they stood steadfast, unyielding and unafraid through those dark days of our country’s gravest peril – and by inspiring example helped point the way.

Signed – Douglas MacArthur

Major Darrel E. Griffin ’44, USA (deceased), a long-time member of the New Orleans A&M Club, attended Muster on the Rock in 1946. Darrell is on the back row on the right side of the “S” on the banner that hangs in the famous photograph of the 150 Aggies who mustered at the entrance of Malinta Tunnel on Corregidor.  In 1998, Mr. Griffin spoke at the annual New Orleans A&M Club Muster. During his address Mr. Griffin humbly spoke of his experiences at the 1946 Muster on Corregidor. Mr. Griffin concluded by expressing is hope that the Muster tradition would remain a unifying force for all Aggies.

Darrell was a native New Orleanian. He attended the 1940 Sugar Bowl between the 1939 National Champion Aggies and Tulane. He graduated from Alcee Fortier High School in 1940. After attending A&M for three years, his entire class was called into military service in 1943. He returned to Aggieland in 1947 and received a Bachelor of Science in Architecture in 1948. Upon graduation, Darrell returned to active duty and served in the Philippines, Japan, Korea, Germany, Alaska, and Texas. Darrell retired from the Army in 1964.  After his military career, Darrell taught at Delgado Community College in New Orleans as a Professor of Architectural Engineering and also served as the Director of Facility Planning. Darrell’s volunteer efforts included the German Seaman’s Mission, the Japan Society and, of course, the New Orleans A&M Club where he directed many of the Ross Volunteer receptions held annually in conjunction with Mardi Gras. Darrell died on 20 March 2006 and was buried with military honors in the National Cemetery at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio.

Tannehill is the first Aggie quarterback ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft.

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Ryan Tannehill
Courtesy: Texas A&M Athletics

NEW YORK — Record-setting Texas A&M quarterback Ryan Tannehill was the eighth overall selection of the 2012 NFL Draft on Thursday, marking the first time A&M has produced top 10 picks in consecutive years. Tannehill, from Big Spring, Texas, was selected by the Miami Dolphins. Last year, All-American Von Miller was picked second overall by the Denver Broncos and went on to earn Defensive Rookie of the Year honors by the Associated Press. “It was awesome. It was everything I thought it would be and more,” Tannehill told ESPN’s Suzy Kolber after his selection. “It was such a humbling experience and yet so exciting at the same time. To see my name on the back of a NFL jersey for an organization like the Miami Dolphins, I couldn’t be more excited.” The coaching staff for the Dolphins will be familiar to Tannehill since it features three members of the Aggies’ 2011 staff – former head coach Mike Sherman (offensive coordinator), Zac Taylor (assistant quarterbacks coach) and Jim Turner (offensive line). Also on the Dolphins staff is former A&M tight end standout Dan Campbell. Tannehill is the first Aggie quarterback ever selected in the first round of the NFL Draft. The previous high for an A&M signal-caller was when Marion Pugh was selected in the second round of the 1941 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. It was also the first time Texas A&M has had players picked in the first round of the NFL Draft in consecutive years since the early 1990s when the Aggies did it in 1992-94. Tannehill is the only player in NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision (FBS) history to throw for 4,000 yards and gain more than 1,500 receiving yards in his career. He’s also the only FBS player to have single games of 400-plus passing yards and 200-plus receiving yards on his resumé. Among the A&M passing records that Tannehill shattered during his career were single game passing yards (449 vs. Texas Tech, 2010), and single season passing yards (3,744, 2011) and completion percentage (65.0, 2010). As a receiver, Tannehill set freshman records for season catches and receiving yards (55-844 in 2008) and single game freshman records for catches and yards (12 catches for 210 yards vs. Kansas State, 2008).