Happy San Jacinto Day

Today is April 21st, known to all Texans(or at least it SHOULD be known) as San Jacinto Day. It commemorates the defeat of Santa Anna by Sam Houston on the banks of the San Jacinto River.

from http://www.earlytexasfamilies.com/te...n_jacinto.html

THE BATTLE OF SAN JACINTO. At four o'clock on the afternoon of April 21, while the Mexicans were sleeping and resting, (taking a siesta as what was a custom in their country) the Texans formed a battle line of about eight hundred foot-soldiers and made ready to charge the Mexicans who were on a wooded hill a mile away. Before the battle began, General Houston sent Deaf Smith and five others to destroy Vince's Bridge over which Santa Anna, Almonte, Cos, and their men had crossed as they came down from Harrisburg. At the same time the calvary, sixty-four men led by Colonel Lamar, rode around some woods to come upon the enemy from another side. The foot-soldiers walked nearly to the top of the hill and were within a few hundred yards of the Mexican camp before they were discovered. Their little band began playing a popular song of the time, one verse of which began with, "Will You Come to My Bower I Have Shaded for You?" Reaching the crest of the hill, they opened fire and began yelling, "REMEMBER THE ALAMO!" "REMEMBER GOLIAD!" The Mexicans fired and ran, and in eighteen minutes their whole army was routed. Several hundred Mexicans were killed and almost all the rest were captured. General Castrillion was among the dead. Only twenty-one Texans were killed or seriously wounded. Santa Anna got away on a fresh horse and tried to go back to Richmond, where his main army was waiting. He was pursued by the Texans and when he reached Vince's Bayou, he found the bridge destroyed so he left his horse and ran into the woods.

As an Aggie, today holds an even more special meaning. It is an Aggie tradition to gather together on April 21st each year to meet with friends and remember those fellow Aggies that have died during the past year. Today and tonight Aggies all over the world will get together to remember past victories and losses on the battlefield of life and to share stories from our alma mater. We also have a Final Roll Call for those Aggies that can't answer for themselves, as they've passed on. After a candle is lit in their memory, a 21 gun salute is fired by the Ross Volunteers, the elite A&M drill team that serves as the offical honor guard for the Govenor of Texas. I'm driving 3 hours to Sioux Falls later today to attend the only Muster in South Dakota.





This year has extra meaning for me. I will be answering "Here" for 2 of my ROTC classmates who were killed in Iraq. Both were some of the greatest men and Aggies you could ever hope to meet.

So in honor of Doyle and John,

Roll Call For The Absent

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

In many lands and climes this April Day
Proud sons of Texas A&M unite.
Our loyalty to country, school, we pray,
And seal our pact with bond of common might.
We live again those happy days of yore
On campus, field, in classroom, dorm, at drill.
Fond memory brings a sigh -- but nothing more;
Now we are men and life's a greater thrill,
Before we part and go upon our way,
We pause to honor those we knew so well;
The old familiar faces we miss so much today
Left cherished recollections that time cannot dispel.

Softly call the Muster,
Let comrade answer, "Here!"
Their spirits hover 'round us
As if to bring us cheer!

Mark them present in our hearts.
We'll meet some other day
There is no death, but life eterne
For old friends such as they!

Kitso
KS 361 days of the year i'm proud to be an Aggie, but this day more than the rest