Graduation Exercises

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Before Graduation Parade, rumors circulated about the Class of '57 running, instead of marching, to join the reviewing party. The reviewing party included General Maxwell D. Taylor ’22, then Chief of Staff, United States Army, in addition to the Superintendent and the Commandant of Cadets. At the command for the graduating class to march forward, a rebel yell erupted from H-1’s Rabble Rousing Carl Burgdorf. He pulled out a hidden Confederate Flag and took off running like a jack rabbit. Of the 24 cadet companies all but four ran. The runners soon learned that they would spend major parts of their final cadet days confined to their rooms.

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"Front and Center. Forward March. The parade proceeded normally until we formed on line and began to move forward as a class. After we started the march forward in two long lines, I watched out the corners of my eyes thinking those guys on the right weren't keeping a very straight line. Carl Burgdorf (Company H-1) pushed Bill Meyerholt (Company H-1) in the back and said, 'it's now or never'. Carl gave out a rebel yell and they were off and running. I got a prod in the rear with a saber. They are running - let's go. Some of us in the class would have preferred not to break ranks, but most of us felt if one Classmate ran, we all ran. For what seems like an eternity, no one followed Carl and Bill until H-1 and G-1 broke. Then the flood gates opened and all but two companies in each regiment responded." 

 

Breaking ranks was a long held tradition during the Graduation parade, but had been abandoned and ruled against for several years prior. The class of 1957 wants to experience and bring back the tradition. They were the last class to do so. Forever known as Black '57.

 

1957 Breaking Ranks - After Action Investigation 

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