Muster Poster Shows Classes Of 1968, 2018 And Strong Aggie Bonds

Each year, the campus Muster organized by current students hosts the 50-year reunion Class of Aggies.

Representing these two groups on this year’s Muster poster are a current student in the Class of 2018 (see below) and a former student in the Class of 1968 — who owes his life to a ’68 Classmate.

Looking back

Mike Beggs ’68 was a yell leader at A&M before entering the Marine Corps and serving in Vietnam. Leading a rifle platoon in the Que Son valley, he stepped on a landmine that nearly tore his leg off. He heard his radio operator acknowledge “Peachbush 1-7 inbound,” meaning a medical evacuation helicopter was on its way.

As Beggs lay bleeding and temporarily paralyzed and blinded, the helicopter arrived, but found no space to land. Hovering overhead, the helicopter began taking sniper fire, but its pilot disobeyed standing orders and lowered a jungle penetrator — a folding anchor-like device that had been banned in part because it could snag and tether a helicopter to the trees — “so that he could rescue a wounded Marine who was unknown to him,” Beggs said.

“Many years went by, and all of us boys from the Class of 1968 became the old men of the Class of 1968, but we stayed connected through phone calls and emails.”

In 2008, an email discussion among Beggs’ classmates from Squadron 1 touched on the passing of an Army pilot who’d flown unauthorized medevac missions to save lives in Vietnam. Beggs (pictured at left) replied to the group with his story of the Marine pilot who “had risked his own life, the lives of his crew, and his career by choosing to do what was needed rather than what was permissible.”

Beggs wrote, “I do not know who the pilot of Peachbush 1-7 was, but I will be eternally grateful to that unknown helicopter pilot who saved my life.”

Ten minutes after he sent the email, a simple reply came: “Mike, Peachbush 1-7 was yours truly. Gig ’em, Charlie.”

Charlie Rodenberg ’68 and Beggs had known each other since they were the only two Marine cadets in Texas A&M’s “Huslin One” squadron.

“I picked up the phone and called Charlie,” Beggs said. “It had only taken me 37 years to find out that an Aggie Classmate and good friend had saved my life.”

Rodenberg passed away in 2011, and the first time Beggs told the story publicly was in the eulogy he gave at Rodenberg’s funeral. Read a full version of the story that was published in 2012 by the Bryan-College Station Eagle here.

More than 200 members of the Class of ’68, including Beggs, are expected to come together next month in College Station for their reunion. Each year’s 50 Year Reunion is scheduled to coincide with Muster, and the 50 Year Class members are honored guests at the student Muster; this first occurred in 1945 with the Class of 1895.

Beggs has just completed 10 years as a Class Agent; he and his fellow Class Agents worked with Association staff to organize the reunion.

Leading the way

Pictured with Beggs on the 2018 campus Muster poster is Bryanna Chabarria ’18, executive officer of Company E-2 in the Corps of Cadets.

Muster is “something that struck me and really made me feel like a member of the Aggie family my freshman year as a first-generation Aggie and college student,” Chabarria said.

“I’ve unfortunately known someone on roll call each year I’ve been here, so that personal connection has been there with each ceremony and has just added to just how special this tradition is and what it’s meant to me.”

The poster design, which is created each year by the student Muster Committee and The Association’s graphic designers, will also appear in promotional materials to help Aggies around the globe find one of over 300 Musters to attend.

Check the map at tx.ag/FindAMuster to see where the Muster closest to you will be held.

More helpful links:
• Which Muster calls a particular Aggie’s name? tx.ag/WhichMuster
• Can I answer “Here” for them at the Muster I’m attending? tx.ag/WhichMuster
• Place an Aggie’s name on Worldwide Roll Call: tx.ag/AddAName
• Which names are called at the student Muster on campus? tx.ag/criteria

Gifts made to The Association of Former Students help provide many Muster services, allow the daily maintenance of the Worldwide Muster Roll Call and mail thousands of invitations to Aggies for local Musters. Add your support at tx.ag/give.