The new R.O.T.C. program began to place a new emphasis on the campus. By 1939, the program was growing and was comprised of two companies of cadets. When Pearl Harbor was attacked on Dec. 7, 1941 and America entered World War II, the military influence on campus skyrocketed.
The entire look and “feel” of the campus took a drastic change. Every male student was required to be enrolled in the Military Department. Students wore their uniforms daily, and were rarely seen in civilian clothing. The female students, not to be left out, organized a unit of the Women’s Auxilary Corps and also wore military uniforms. They marched on the drill field (located on the present day site of the Science and Mathematics …show more content…
This was a daily event on the PRJC campus during the military years.
Cadet officers stand inspection in front of the Huff Hall “barraks” during the military years. Marvin Ross White, who would later become PRJC president, was a cadet prior to enlisting in the United States Army to send his diploma to him. Speights was sent to Italy with the 36th Infantry where his duty was muleskinner on a mule train, transporting supplies through the mountains to the front and bringing the bodies of Allied soldiers back from the battlefield. Speights felt he could better serve his country on the battlefield, so he acquired a transfer to the front. Approximately
70 days later, Sergeant Speights had been awarded five Silver Stars, two Bronze Stars, the European Campaign Medal with five battle stars, a bronze arrowhead, unit citation, French Croix de Guerre with Palm, a good conduct medal and received a battlefield commission to 2nd Lieutenant. Speights served in the Invasion of Italy and the Invasion of Southern France. He was one of many PRJC-trained solders to receive special citations for their