Charlie Snauffer ’72 Tells About The Annual Inspection

In the 1950s the Honor Unit White Star was worn on the right sleeve of both the wool shirt and the garrison coat. These cadets are looking over the speech trophies. For many years the white star was surrounded by a gold wreath, signifying Honor Unit With Distinction.

With April [2024] only a couple of weeks away, it puts me in mind of our yearly G.I. inspection.  This was an annual inspection of the School to see if we retained our [ROTC] Honor Rating shown by the white star that was on our uniforms above the right breast pocket,  which meant we were in the top 10% of military schools. What it meant to us, was it was time to clean the barracks within an inch of their lives.  The threat was if you didn’t do this or that, you could cost the School its honor rating.  I am here to tell you after going through seven G.I. inspections, I never had an inspector take down the light globe in my room and look for dust or tell me my shoes weren’t glassed to his satisfaction.  What did happen, is we went overboard for fear that we would be the reason that the school lost its honor rating.  They never lost it in seven years, but it does go to show you that a bunch of adolescent males can clean like you wouldn’t believe.

(Fred Seibold ’53 adds:  In the early 1950s, we still lived in Gray and Howe Halls, which had hardwood floors.  Getting ready for G.I.–Government Inspection — we would scrub our floors with an old toothbrush to get the “hidden dirt” out of the cracks.  Mere mopping wasn’t enough.)