Villanova's first V-12 Program Celebrates 75 years - Lessons in Leadership for the Class of 2018!

By Paul M. McBride, Captain, USMC, (1983-1989)

Seventy-five years ago the United States was a little less than two years into World War II.

The immediate buildup of men and materiel was such that the service academies located at West Point and Annapolis could not meet the demand for junior officers. In response to the need, the government came up with two programs to supplement the forces.

The Army Specialized Training Program (ASTP) was developed to produce US Army and Air Corps Officers... the Air "Corps" was the predecessor to the Air "Force".

At the same time, the Navy's V-12 Program was developed to produce Naval Ensigns and Marine Corps Second Lieutenants.

In 1943, Villanova was selected to host a Navy V-12 program. In July of that year, 400 Navy seamen and 200 Marine Corps privates arrived at Villanova. They began a demanding and accelerated curriculum of engineering and pre-medicine designed to supply college-trained men to the Armed Services. The first commencement for V-12 students was on 24 October, 1943. (See picture above)

In 1945, the Naval Reserve Officers Training Corps Program was established on campus, closely followed by the phasing-out of the V-12 program in 1946.

I was privileged to be part of the NROTC class of 1983 on the 40th anniversary of the original V-12 program.

Newly Commissioned 2nd Lt. P.M. McBride, USMC, with his parents and grandmother... Spring 1983. C.J. McBride served as a Tank Commander with the 710th Tank Battalion Attached to the First Marine Division at Peleliu in 1944. WWII Marine Eugene Sledge wrote about the battle in his landmark work "With the Old Breed"- a tough but historically significant read. 

Last Friday - 18 May, 2018 - 24 men and women, who will serve in various capacities across the Navy and Marine Corps, were commissioned as Ensigns and Second Lieutenants. The majority of these young men and women will go on to serve one or two tours and then separate from active service after a half dozen years or so to join the private sector. That was the path I followed. In that many of the midshipmen will follow a similar path, Colonel Ken DeTreux, USMC, the NROTC Unit's Commanding Officer, asked me to share my experiences.

As the weather was inclement, the program was moved from Austin Field to the "Friendly Confines" of the old Jake Nevin Field House. This was a serendipitous turn of events in that it allowed for an anecdotal story that took place in that exact location back in 1982.

I was introduced by Colonel DeTreux as "Mister" Paul McBride... formerly known as "Captain" Paul McBride, USMC. I commended the midshipmen, as I pointed out that they were part of one of the finest NROTC programs in the country. I then shared the following story detailing my experience when I joined the fleet for the first time.

I arrived on Okinawa in early 1984 and prepared to meet my first CO, the legendary Lieutenant Colonel W.R. Hapgood. Upon reporting aboard, the Colonel had my orders in hand and after shaking mine, the very first thing he said was... "Hmmm Villanova... that’s a good school! My first Company Commander was a 'Nova Grad - 'Captain' PX Kelley... ever heard of him?" It was a trick question in that 'General' Kelley was then serving as Commandant of the Marine Corps - a Four Star general and the highest ranking Marine. I then shared with the Colonel that not only had I heard of General Kelley, I had already met him a couple of times

I then told the Midshipmen that the first time I met General Kelley was RIGHT HERE in this Field House. I was a Junior and in the Color Guard that supported all six college's graduation ceremonies in 1982. General Kelley was the keynote speaker for the College of Commerce & Finance and took time to wish us well as we prepared for our final year of school before joining the fleet. I pointed to the stage and shared how we stood opposite the orchestra for all SIX graduations. I still can't listen to Elgar's Pomp and Circumstance for too long after that Spring weekend in '82.

A young Hapgood first met Kelley back in 1958 when they were both "plank owners" of Second Force Recon Battalion. Hapgood was an enlisted Marine at the time and was greatly impressed with how well Kelley worked with his team - both officers and enlisted. Hapgood invested heavily in training his junior officers in the fundamentals of leadership from the enlisted perspective and borrowed liberally from Kelley's example. One of the most important lessons Hapgood shared was to ask for help. As a young officer, you were not expected to know everything. You were expected to do your best, but when you reached the end of your knowledge you should ask for help. Quite frankly, as a young officer you were responsible for the very lives of your team. If you didn't know what you were doing your bad decision could have deadly consequences. This was a freeing concept in that it required putting aside any type of pride one might have about not knowing what to do. It also had a side benefit in that the young officer who asked for help both of their seniors and of those who reported to him or her, actually gained respect for admitting the need for help and for not being a "know it all". I then shared that lessons learned in those first years in the fleet continue to guide my decision making to this very day.

(L to R) Major L.E. Conatser, USMC, LtCol W.R. Hapgood USMC, 2nd Lieutenant P.M. McBride, USMC... "Live Fire" Exercises - Camp Fuji, Japan 1984. 

The takeaway from my first encounter with LtCol Hapgood was that he had a positive impression of me simply because of the company I had kept.. my Villanova Classmates. I hadn't done a single thing in the Marine Corps at that point and yet my CO already had a positive impression of me based on who he already knew to be a good officer (General Kelley) and the fact that I had gone to the same school! Later during that first tour I was tasked - as a 2nd Lieutenant - with stepping in to the role of Company Commander - a Captain's billet. Hapgood's earlier training paid off as I was able to apply the leadership principles he (and by extension General Kelley) had imparted to me with great success at the Company level.

Of note, in the years since Villanova's V-12 Program was first formed no school other than the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis has produced more "Flag" Officers - Navy Admirals and Marine Corps Generals. Of the 1,500 men and women who have been commissioned at Villanova since 1943, 24 have achieved flag rank.

Of special note, in 2004 Villanova Grads were responsible for both the Atlantic and Pacific Fleets! Admiral William Fallon '67 served as Commander, US Forces Atlantic at the same time Admiral Walter Doran, also a Class of '67 alum, was the Commander, US Forces Pacific. In addition to PX Kelley Class of 1950... George Crist '52 and Anthony Zinni '65 also served as four star General Officers in the Marine Corps.

Congratulations to the Class of 2018 May you have Fair Winds and Following Seas and may you remain Semper Fidelis!

About the author... Paul McBride is a former Marine Officer and the Founder and President of America Military Society Press. You can contact him at [email protected].

If you are a "Villanova Vet" and interested in learning more about how you can support the student programs offered please contact the author for further information.

This article originally appeared on the AMSP1775.com website on May 24, 2018