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Non-Black administrators collectively referred to Black cadets as a gang, the lawsuit claimed, and unruly non-Black cadetsone literally spat in the face of a staff member; another elicited a swat response by threatening to blow up the schoolwere allowed to remain on campus, while her kid was suspended over a racially charged fight he wasnt even involved in. Colonel Stuart B. HelgesonPresident, Valley Forge Military Academy & College, Established in 1928, Valley Forge Military Academy and College is an international leadership institution, comprised of a middle school, high school, and college. Weeks earlier, the school's top brass had elevated . During the years of highest enrollment, in the 1960s and 1970s, Cadets of the Middle School were assigned to the "H" Company. Victims Come Forward To Tell Their Stories. As a premier military charter school, PMCS Valley Forge will prepare students to attend any of the United States . During this period, students are trained in the customs and traditions of the school, a modified version of British military drills, and ceremonies. During another standoff, Gallagher emailed an HR official asking when Woods contract was up for renewal. Weeks earlier, the schools top brass had elevated the 20-year-old college sophomore to the highest rank available to cadetsfirst captain. Another one recalls Rivera flirting with her repeatedly and saying she reminded him of his wife. Ryan Niessner, who submitted a sworn affidavit for one of Stewart Ryans cases, told me he was sexually assaulted as a 15-year-old Forge cadet in 2009. It was the most bizarre thing in the world. Other administrators were similarly perplexed. David Finger 1947-1951. $169.99. Helgeson also tried some new revenue streams, such as licensing the Valley Forge name to a K12 school in Qatar and submitting a proposal to the local school board to establish a public charter school on the grounds. Those with Academy Commissions wear the letters "VF" in place of the "U.S." insignia and school crests as branch insignia and unit crest. Events such as the Military Tattoo, Regimental Dining In, and Vespers reflect British traditions. After classes, cadets participate in athletics and extracurricular activities. We're a nonprofit (so it's tax-deductible), and reader support makes up about two-thirds of our budget. With school leaders doing little to address the fraught campus atmosphere, Schumacher had taken it upon himself to patrol the grounds as often as possible. Wayne, PA - Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) faces several lawsuits that allege former students were sexually assaulted, hazed, and physically assaulted during their time as cadets at the private military boarding school. Woods complaint cites parental concerns about supervision and abuse dating as far back as 1997. Inexpensive, too! the crest comprises an eagle with wings displayed and a scroll bearing the motto 'Courage, Honor, Conquer.' We cant compete with Main Line boarding schools with sleek furniture and IT thats state of the art. Underweight cadets receive milk and cod liver oil, circa 1933. Trying to build a better view of life, something close to the impossible | Learn more about Ugochukwu Eze's work experience, education, connections & more by visiting their profile on LinkedIn The same suit claims that after a 13-year-old classmate reported his own abuse to school officials, his tormentors branded him with a Bfor bitch., Based on the schools nonprofit tax filings, Valley Forge has spent more than $4 million on legal fees over the last two decades. They did their best to prevent fights, and would rush injured kids to the hospital. It was disgusting, says a 2020 graduate. Former Valley Forge president Walt Lord presided over a brief period of reform before stepping down. That was before the pandemic. He ascended through the Army ranks to the position of major general and served in Sarajevo and Afghanistan. Our dedicated team has already filed one physical and sexual abuse lawsuit against Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Basic ECP eligibility and entrance requirements include a minimum cumulative high school Grading in education grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale (2.5 for scholarship); a minimum SAT score of 850 (Math and Verbal sections only); pass a Department of Defense Medical Examination (arranged by Army ROTC); pass the Army height/weight and physical fitness standards; have U.S. citizenship (original naturalization document issued by INS or state-issued birth certificate); and be between 17 and 27 years of age and of good moral character. This story has been updated to reflect that schools horses were given away, not sold. The concert was attended by United States President Richard Nixon. Check out our wide selection today! One can reasonably argue that the military must instill compliance and cohesion in its combat units. Baker retired as superintendent in 1971 and died at his home on July 31, 1976, at 80.[1]. In June, the school disbanded its cavalry and gave away its 16 horses. Its become a case study in how not to run an education institution.. Valley Forge Military College Cadets wear a Royal Military Academy Sandhurst style uniform. But the kind of torment Valley Forge kids were subjected to, trauma that can leave psychological wounds as deep as those borne by soldiers on a battlefield, is impossible to justify. 5.00 (2 reviews) Tel: (610) 989-1200. Asked directly what the prospects were for keeping Valley Forge open, he sounded a note of warning. It was here Salinger honed his writing skillsa sentimental poem he wrote about the school is still recited at its gatherings. [4], In April 2019, a former Cadet sued Valley Forge Military Academy for abuse and extreme negligence from the school administration. The College has been designated by the Governor and Legislature as the Military College of Pennsylvania., Copyright 20212023 Valley Forge Military Academy and College. David Epstein 1950-1954. Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Two female former cadets recalled to me how, after they were caught trying to sneak off campus, Rivera threatened to look in on their rooms at night when they slept. Valley Forge Military Academy and College has nearly a century of success providing the highest levels of education to young men and women. [19] Colonel Feltham also introduced the British "Slow March" in approximately 1961.) During the 1950s to early 1960s, the officer rank structure of the Corps of Cadets, VFMAC, was: Other ranks wore the chevrons on the sleeve and were ranked accordingly, with a mix of British and U.S. Army and Marine enlisted ranks. These self-appointed protectors also stayed with students experiencing mental health crises to ensure they didnt harm themselves, and organized shifts to track down comrades who had fled the campusa frequent occurrence. For all the time theyre putting into this they could do something positive, Helgeson said. Copyright 2023 Mother Jones and the Foundation for National Progress. 237 were here. Additionally, some students in the school's band perform regularly on and off-campus on the school's Coronation Heraldic Fanfare Trumpets. The current board chairman, John English, who runs a defense contracting consultancy, described the angry alums as a collection of malcontents., This place isnt closing, said English. Its just not the case. Info. Out on patrol that night, Schumacher told me, he felt on the brink of darkness.. As Riveras former supervisor, Bossert recalls cautioning him about his demeanor with the young women on campus. But when an administrator raised concerns with the HR office about that counselorwho was later convicted of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old at another schoolI was told that it was none of my business, to just stay out of it.. Those selected enter active duty as a first lieutenant, with earned longevity. The school was granted military junior college status by the Department of Defense sometime between the 1940s and the 1960s. Schumacher and a handful of other cadets thus took it upon themselves to shield fellow students from bullies and twisted TACs alike. At the same time, the academy modeled uniforms, crest, Alma Mater, and rank structure on those of the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York. In another troubling case that Wood discussed with a local newspaper in 2017, four male college cadets conspired with a fifth to covertly film his sexual encounter with a drunk female cadet. Typically, only the first and last verses of the Alma Mater are sung. Cadet officers wear gold rank stars or "pips." An institutional focus on protecting the Forges reputation above all else has created, in the words of one former teacher, a chocolate-covered onion. Amid a steady drip of scandals, lawsuits, and pissed-off parents, leaders have clammed up, countersued, and compiled a list of perceived enemies who are barred from campus. Additional clients, Ryan says, are preparing complaints that stem from the Forges intentional ignorance.. The exam is the culmination of a boot camp of sorts for incoming college students. Its dire, said 1988 alumnus Dan McSweeney, who said the academy had 750 students during his time, compared with fewer than 175 planned for this years class. Its extremely negligent to let students have this level of power over each others lives, he said. Another slide depicted Rivera as particularly abusive, a contention bolstered by numerous staffers and cadets, including one who remembers Rivera routinely ordering Schumacher into his office just to scream at him. While the struggle for control goes on, the physical plant keeps deteriorating, said Ray Bossert, a retired U.S. army colonel and Valley Forge alumnus who served as a senior tactical officer at the school before he quit last year in solidarity with Lord. Buying Format. Cadet Sergeants, Corporals, and Lance Corporals wear chevrons on the sleeve: red chevrons on grey for the infantry battalions; red chevrons on black for the mounted components and the band. ), In 2020, fed up, Schumacher and a dozen or so other cadets created a PowerPoint and presented it to school officials. Thus, the officer ranks used until 2014 and reinstated in 2016, but with improved insignia, are from that era, namely: On the Full Dress Uniforms, Cadet Officers wear rank insignia as on the "School Uniform", except that the Cadet 1st Captain wears braided shoulder knots with a full dress aiguillette in recognition of his role as the Corps Cadet Regimental Commander, who leads the entire Corps. We were there to be a role model for these kids, not a drill instructor. Cadets were meant to be supported by adult TAC (teach, advise, counsel) officers, many of whom are military veterans. The Forge has churned out other bigwigs, including Gustave Perna, the retired four-star general who led the Operation Warp Speed vaccine push, and General H.R. 49); by Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky live at the Academy of Music in Philadelphia. Young Sheng, a 2015 graduate, recalls a punishing world of sleep deprivation, verbal abuse, and smokingextreme physical conditioning that caused cadets to puke and pass out. Royal Wedding Duties. When Helgeson arrived at the academy in 2017, the school had some challenges, he said. Amid money woes, administrators have curtailed sports, slashed courses, and assigned teachers to unfamiliar subjects, leading to an academic decline so steep that some Forge cadets complain certain colleges no longer accept transfer credits for many of their courses. Not after all the work weve done. One student stabbed a classmate with scissors; another bashed his peer with a baseball batneither met serious repercussions. Prior to the production of the film, the key actors -Timothy Hutton, Sean Penn, Tom Cruise and others - were required to participate in a 45-day-long period of orientation with the students of Valley Forge Military Academy. It also has a Drum and Bugle Corps legacy (through the use of brass instruments), and starting from AY 2011-2012, it also has a fife player on its rosters. For the 2020-2021 Academic year, enrollment for the academy stands at 153 cadets and for the College at 91 cadets. Condie. Lawlessness is commonplace. He didnt know whether he wanted to go on living: I was just mentally shattered., His friends found him later, parked on the roadside in a state of shock, and urged him to come back to campus. Helgeson, the schools current president, hopes for the best. Artillery made their debut in the corps (as E Battery) in 1939, formerly in the machine gun role. Valley Forge Military Academy and College. Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 712) and military junior college in Wayne, Pennsylvania. [18] (Bandmaster Dudley Keith Feltham served as Bandmaster of the 1st Battalion, the Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry from 1938 to 1949. Bossert and another former TAC singled out one Glen Mills colleague whom the Forge hired in 2016. The near constant meddling made the work untenable, said Lord. ECP Lieutenants are obligated to serve for a total of eight years upon commissioning: the initial two years are served in the Reserve Components (Army Reserve or Army National Guard), and the additional six years are served in either the Reserve Components or the Active Component, dependent upon the needs of the Army. Cadets may also take the first two years of Army Reserve Officers' Training Corps while attending VFMC. Current Global Measurement Campaigns & IOPs. He reflected, too, on the interesting collection of misfits hed befriended at the Forge, and the memories they shared, bad and good. We have to be honest about the fact that we are fed up with the current leadership failures at Valley Forge, Picone said. The GSM shared memories of his involvement in the wedding for Prince William and Kate . Those who embrace them and live into them recognize leadership isnt just a word and isnt given but earned. But in November 2004, the board of trustees booted Long for an alleged pattern of sexually harassing employees. Shop Valley Forge Military Academy apparel, grad announcements, class rings, gifts and more from Balfour. At Taps, all cadets, except those granted "Late Lights" to study and cadets of the college, are required to be in bed. Students are immersed in a unique educational experience centered Five Cornerstones . He had a decidedly different job in 2011, when he was the Garrison Sgt. Wood quit the Forge that year, in any case, after seven years on the job. Valley Forge Military Academy and College (VFMAC) is a private boarding school (grades 7-12) and military junior college (MJC) in Wayne, Pennsylvania. A guidance counselor from the Valley Forge Military Academy and College was fired Tuesday and police are investigating alleged inappropriate contact with two cadets. A disciplinary board advised that all of the perpetrators be dismissed, but the schools president ignored the recommendation and allowed three of the five to stay. The Delaware County Court of Common Pleas reported the following activity in the suit brought by Valley Forge Military Academy and College against Roman E. Yang on March 12: 'Complaint (e-Filed)'. Wear gold rank stars valley forge military academy closing `` pips. concert was attended by United.... 153 cadets and for the College at 91 cadets was up for renewal have this level of power over others... Were for keeping Valley Forge Military Academy and College was fired Tuesday police! Drill instructor for Prince William and Kate, the schools top brass had elevated the 20-year-old College sophomore to hospital... Academy apparel, grad announcements, class rings, gifts and more from Balfour athletics extracurricular. Reserve officers ' Training corps while attending VFMC compliance and cohesion in combat... 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