The Last LSMA Graduation – Part II
A Photo Essay
Text by George Gelish
Photos by George Gelish and
Steve Cardona, Class of ‘74
The Cadet Corps made its final
appearance - all 45 of them. It
certainly was not the 300-plus contingent many of us remember! To see so few cadets on the parade field
was a sad thing indeed. I have said
many times in these pages and elsewhere that I think one of the big reasons La
Salle closed had to do with the fact that it was an institution whose time had
passed. I remember back in the
Seventies thinking the same thing, but then came the age of Ronald Reagan and
“The Evil Empire” to give the “Christian Military Education” (an oxymoron if
ever there was one) one last gasp before doing into its death throes.
Nevertheless, they dutifully formed on the Parade Field for the last time in full dress uniform. There was a retiring of the school colors, probably forever (although some would like to see them fly in the future over a new school on another site). Alumni Association prez Joe Nicelli made a brief speech. (BTW Joe, don’t apologize TOO much for the way we tortured the Monks, they gave as good as they got!) Then, the cadet “battalion” “Passed in Review” for the last time and marched off into history. The end of “The Long Gray Line” had just been drawn.
|
(Photo:
GG) The Class of 2001 come marching to the Esplanade. Thanks for sharing your Graduation Day
with the Alumni! |
(Photo:
GG) Retiring of
the school colors. |
|
(Photo:
Cardona) Standing somberly
outside St. Joseph’s Hall. |
(Photo: Cardona) The Cadet Corps “Passing
in Review” for the very last time. |
|
(Photo:
Cardona) The last LSMA parade ends as our great
school marches off into history! |
(Photo:
Cardona) ’73-’74 Molloy Hall Room 21: Former
roomies Pete Zurla and GG getting together for the first time since
nineteen-seventy-something! |
