University of Virginia Library

RATC Hassles ROTC,
Meets Other Foes

By Steve Grimwood

RATC's Assemble

Tuesday afternoon at the
University has traditionally found
the Army ROTC troops parading
around in the dell by the first-year
dormitories. Recently the marchers
have been joined by a new
quasi-military group known as the
Revolutionary Army Training
Corps, or RATC.

The Army ROTC began its
exercises at 2:00 last Tuesday.
Members of RATC drifted into the
dell during the next hour, attired in
jeans, overcoats, leather jackets and
serapes. Tom Gardner, who wore a
ten-gallon hat, stated "they (the
army) have got us beat for
absurdity."

One member of RATC remarked
that "these things are always very
impromptu," which seems to
perfectly describe the antics of the
group. A hasty meeting was called
to assemble the newly gathered
RATC's, and ROTC and military
research in antics were
unanimously voted into oblivion.
Col. Gardner then formed his
troops on the sidewalk, into a
company numbering about
fourteen. Armed with two plastic
machine guns, a red flag, a buffalo
horn and a few signs, they marched
parallel to the ROTC troops
chanting at times:

After this march, the RATC
took a defensible position at the
other end of the field, from which
the revolutionaries assaulted their
green clad opponents with several
verses of Country Joe and the Fish,
accompanied by a tape recorder
and led by Mr. Gardner, playing the
stick.

Squad leader Steve Squire
announced the next move: "Charge
within a yard or so, [of the troops]
then quickly retire to the
sidewalk." The laughing group
followed orders to the letter. No
visible effect was observed in the
ROTC ranks. The next charge was
across the field and into the woods
"to practice guerrilla and infiltration
tactics."

Suddenly, under the cover of a
green smoke bomb, RATC rushed
out of the woods and attacked
Alpha Company. One RATC
member fell to the ground with a
large, red stain on his chest. Carried
quickly off the battlefield and onto
the sidewalk, he was covered with a
flag and taps were blown.

But RATC did not let such a sad
event on them. "Everybody good
swimmers? Form for a sneak attack
on the Navy." With these immortal
lines. Col. Gardner regrouped his
troops. They marched a few feet,
then stopped as an egg came
crashing through the trees from the
sidewalk above.

No eggs immediately followed
the first, until several RATC's asked
the students who were standing
above why they didn't throw more.
The group at the top of the hill
responded with five or six more
missiles, then sadly announced that
they had no more. A heated
exchange between them and Mr.
Gardner followed, and it was
evident to all that the "Colonel"
was angry.

The march continued for several
more yards, until it was met by a
group of students in phys. ed.
uniforms. They stood silent and
glaring, but Col. Gardner merely led
RATC through the center and no
one was touched, physically. But
the boisterous chatter of RATC
diminished considerably, and the
crowd of around fifty spectators
were silent.

NROTC was not in sight when
the group arrived at the athletic
field behind Memorial Gym. So as
not to waste all that space, drill
practice was held, consisting of the
order "left face," six times. First
floor Newcomb Hall was then
successfully attacked and captured,
and RATC returned to the dell to
pull their most daring antic of the
afternoon, a surprise visit from the
woods.

ROTC was parading around the
dell, divided up into four
companies. Suddenly, as the last
company in line rounded the far
corner, a new addition to the
parade bounded out of the woods.
The now jubilant RATC's then
followed Charlie Company around
the field and passed in review to the
cheers of the crowd, while the
Army pointedly ignored them, as it
had done all afternoon.

Breaking up, the RATC's joined
the spectators sitting on the hill.
One RATC member waved a five
dollar bill and offered it to any
ROTC member who would leave
the lines. There were no takers, but
cries of "You flaming****" came
from the same spot at the top of
the hill as the eggs that were
thrown.

The RATC troops were again
formed, and passed in review, giving
the raised arm clenched fist salute.
Two conversing officers were
briefly surrounded as RATC
marched on, and RATC was in turn
nearly run over by Alpha Company.

The overall mood of the
afternoon was one of laughter, but
it did not end on that note. Several
stern-faced students asked RATC if
it would be present next week,
promising that they would be back
"with a few of our friends." Is a
confrontation in the prospects for
next Tuesday? RATC will be there,
and "a few of their friends" will
probably show up. Maybe ROTC
will end up stopping a riot.