Gator History

EST. 1960

Squadron 2, better known as Gator 2, was originally founded in 1960. It is the oldest existing outfit in the Wing, and the second oldest outfit in the Corps.

Squadron 2 is also known as the "Country Club". Cecil, the Gator Mascot, appears over the outfit motto "Easy Come, Easy Go" on the outfit sign, which symbolizes the philosophy of all Gators, past and present.

Gator 2 has a long history of excellence and has consistently been placed among the top outfits of the Corps for Military Bearing, Scholastics, and Athletics.

Gator 2 has had some very colorful as well as distinguished members pass through it's ranks.  The camaraderie, spirit, and pride can be traced to those "early Gators" who lit the torch that all Gators carry today. 

The Beginning

The following is an account of the formation of Squadron 2 as remembered by:

        Bernard Selensky ’61

        Ned Sandlin ’61

        Richard Williams ‘61

Squadron 2 was formed in the fall of 1959 from members of Squadrons 6 and 3. The first C.O. was Bill Coley ’60 who was killed in Vietnam. The first X.O. was Charlie Bell, now living in Donna, Texas. The oldest living C.O. is Richard Willams ’61, retired Air Force and living in Mantau, Utah. His X.O. was Bernard Selensky ’61 who is currently living in Richardson, Texas.

Due to the circumstances in the Corp at that time, the class of ’61 holds the distinction of having the highest attrition rate to that time, a dubious record which probably still stands. Less than half of the in coming fish made it through graduation. Colonel “Pelly” Dittman, the Professor of Air Science at the time, delighted in lining up the freshman and telling them “look to your left, look to your right, neither of those fish will be here next year. If you can’t take it “highway 6 runs both ways”. If you made to sophomore status, you had toughed it out.

The famed Gator 2 mantra “Easy Come, Easy Go” logo became a reality due to the efforts of Albert Hoyt ’61, now living in the San Francisco Bay area in California. Al says the actual design and draft of the logo was done by Ken Gritter, a freshman architecture major in the outfit. No one is sure but it is believed that Ken resides somewhere in Texas.

It must be noted that Ned Sandlin and Richard Williams both still have original outfit t-shirts.

• Anyone having additional information on the early days of the outfit, we ask that you please contact any member of the Board to relay it.

 

The Oppenheim Saber

THE AGGIE RING AND THE SABER

The following letter and article describe how the Oppenheim Saber came to Squadron 2. The first part is a letter from Colonel Duane E. Vandenberg ’52 (shown below as a senior).                                          

I was a Sophomore  That summer (May-September ’50) I was an office boy at Southern Pacific Railroad in their building on Franklin Street in Houston.

One day, delivering the office mail, I noted a small man gazing out a window. He looked somewhat sad. I went over to talk to him and noticed he was wearing a much worn Aggie ring. I “whipped out” and met him, saying something like, “Sir, I see you are an Aggie”. “No son”, he said, but my son was”. We got acquainted and he told me his son, whose ring he was wearing, was killed in the Phillipines fighting the Japanese. Over time we talked several times. One day he told me he had his son’s saber that he had carried as a cadet at A&M.

Many years later I was stationed at Bergstrom AFB, in Austin. On a trip to A&M

I carried the saber with me, sought out some Sophomores in Squadron 2 and gave it to them. They found out about the Saber’s full history and about the death of Captain Oppenheim. This is the end of Vandenberg’s letter.

The following information was researched by Ross Epstein ’70, Commander of Squadron 2.

The cadet officer’s saber worn by a 1935 graduate became a Corps unit memorial to James Randolph Oppenheim who died in a World War II prison camp.

The saber was given to Robert D. Robinson, who was a Squadron 2 sophomore, by Air Force Major Duane E. Vandenberg ’52 then stationed at Bergstrom AFB.

Oppenheim carried the saber as adjutant of the Composite Regimental Staff in 1935. A cadet captain, (below as a senior) he was member of the Ross Volunteers.

                                                                                            

Ordered to active duty with the Corps of Engineers in 1940, the officer had charge of air field construction and maintenance at Fort Stotsenberg and Clark field near Manila. Oppenheim was with GEN. Douglas MacArthur on Bataan. He died in a Japanese prison camp shortly after the American surrender at Corregidor.

The sophomores and freshman felt the saber is symbolic of Squadron 2 and wanted to place it in proper respect, explained Robison a zoology major from Memphis, Tenn. During the year the saber will be kept in a glass case given by the Classes of ’70 & ’71.

The saber is presented to each new Squadron 2 commander who will wear it during Final Review. “Little did we know” said Ross Epstein, CO Squadron 2 in 1970, that this tradition of handing down the saber that started in 1968 would still be happening after 33 years……….and it was all because someone recognized “the Aggie Ring”.

Special thanks goes to Mr. Ross Epstein ’70 for providing this important historical information about the outfit.

 

(http://sq-2.tamu.edu)