Another Carlisle Story: MAJOR WADDY THOMPSON: TRUTH AND FORGIVENESS David Tate: CMS 1963 I started Carlisle six weeks late as a freshman in 1959. They had to put me in a room with two seniors. One of them was the runner up in Golden Glove Boxing in his home state of Georgia. He was a Light Weight and had super speed with his hands. He had the fastest hands I have ever seen. The Gillette Friday Night Fights were always watched by us laying on the floor with elbows on the floor, face in hands, and eyes on the action. Every week we saw a new show loaded with talent. It was controlled war for me and fascinating. But I didnt know how to fight. Max showed me some of the basics, how to step into the punch, how to make a fist, dont clinch the fist until just before the punch landed, and roll the fist over as you throw the punch. I couldnt wait to get into a fight. Every day Max would show me a little more and how to shadow box. About two weeks later another freshman in my Company D called me a SOB. I jumped into the stance Max taught me, and delivered the perfect punch across his nose. As I threw the punch, I thought of a fight between John Wayne and Lee Marvin. I knew my opponent would fall backwards across the room, just like the movies. Wrong! I broke his nose. Now what? Then Maj. Thompson appeared out of nowhere. He made me take my opponent across the street to the infirmary. The Majors wife, Mrs. Thompson was the Nurse for all Carlisle cadets. She took a good look at his nose and called Dr. Watson to come and fix it. How Dr. Watson fixed his nose is not as important as the fact that Mrs. Thompson made me be there next to my opponent. I held his hand through the whole process. I was crying worse than he was. Finally Maj. Thompson asked us what happened. Carlisle’s honor code is: “Never lie; Never cheat; and Never steal.” Obeying this code saved me from life on the Bull Ring. We both told the truth. I didnt have to walk a single tour for that mistake, and the broken nose kid never called anyone else an SOB. And I never had another fight at Carlisle. I wonder some times what influence Mrs. Thompson had on Mayor Thompson’s decision to teach us a lesson for both of our mistake. Don’t really know, but I’m glad both of them were a part of my life as a cadet.
Posted on: Thu, 01 May 2014 20:00:58 +0000