Sigma Chi War Experience

Editor's Note: Here's a great story of a Sigma Chi brother who was called into action

IN OUR HANDS
Sigma Chis, now more than ever, possess the power to wage war against division, suffering and hate. Their weapon? Service. The undergraduates at Wake Forest are already in battle.

by Scott Seedorf, Wake Forest 2003

We have entered into an age of uncertainty. The familiar world in which our parents grew up has given way to globalization and unprecedented technological innovation. A new familiarity is emerging, and the associated challenges that come with such developments are being identified; with ‘ethnic conflict’ and ‘sovereignty threatened’ often being among those most cited. Yet, at the same time, hope for a better world exists. Such hope arises from an ever increasing capacity to provide for the good of humanity. Never before has our ability to reach out to others been so great.

Throughout the past two decades, the Internet has grown into the world’s premier and freest source of information and ideas. The global exchange of dialogue, research and merchandise that was at one time rare is now an everyday occurrence for much of the world’s population. Indeed, the uncertainty we face is a product of the times in which we live. Our increased technological capacity brings with it a greater responsibility to one another. Our eyes have been blessed with extraordinary sight while our hearts have been increasingly burdened by the human suffering we see with heightened clarity.

What will tomorrow bring? The hope of tomorrow lies in the hands of today’s collegian. We share a strong sense of idealism, derived in part from events such as the fall of the Berlin Wall and apartheid’s end, in addition to global ideological shifts towards the promotion of democracy, human rights and international collaboration. Our idealism and resolve have also proven steadfast in the face of war, terrorism and hatred. History has shown us what ensues when the evils resulting from war, terrorism and hatred are allowed to persist unchecked. No longer can we afford to sit back and surrender each other to such fates. Indeed, we have great cause for optimism because we wage war against division, suffering and hatred with a far superior weapon---service.

For us as Sigma Chis, a more humane world is not merely an end to be hoped for, but one to which we have made a commitment---one based upon the ideals we cherish, and acted upon through service to others.

When we arrived on campus as freshmen, we entered into a community of seemingly endless opportunity. Young men and women from all over the world had assembled at an important crossroad, a gateway to the future standing before them with pathways leading in all directions and questions of great consequence impressed upon them: What will you do? Where will you go?

In an uncertain world filled with new challenges, such questions became ever more important, as their answers will determine our common future.

As Sigma Chis, we devote a substantial portion of our collegiate careers to the ideals of brotherhood. Through pledging, we learn about the ideals which those that came before us have identified as critical to our personal growth and ability to rally behind the banner of humanity as we wage war on division, suffering and hatred. By the time we reach graduation, we have learned that our greatest asset is each other. The Delta Nu Chapter at Wake Forest believes such ideals are in the hearts and minds of each brother. Here’s what a few of the brothers are doing.


A Commitment to Community
When Jack Elsey, 2004, arrived at Wake Forest for orientation, he shared many of the traits commonly attributed to college freshman. Feelings of anxiety and excitement created a commonality between his peers and him, though he did not know it at the time. The opportunity to attend a private university did not come easy to Elsey. But hard-work combined with maturity beyond his 18 years fostered his academic capacity. The admissions committee recognized that and saw something more in Elsey. It was the same thing that would later lead him to Sigma Chi--a drive to make a difference.

Elsey is one of Wake Forest’s most valuable community leaders, both on and off campus. Whether he contributes as a leader or participant, his energy is the same. His résumé of leadership positions reflects the degree to which people depend on his guidance. Among other things, Elsey serves as the president of the Wake Forest chapter of Amnesty International and as a member of the Wake Forest Honor Council Board of Investigators and Advisors.

While his own experiences directed him to Sigma Chi, Elsey believes the Greek system as a whole to be a strong advocate of service as wells as a positive influence on personal development. His energy and amiability earned him the respect of the entire Wake Forest Greek system, which elected him Interfraternity Council president for the 2002-2003 academic year.


John Lacy, 2004, aptly exemplifies the duality of being academically oriented and putting a high priority on community service. For the past two years, he has coordinated the ‘Wake Forest Alternative Break,’ which offers students a rewarding way to spend spring break. In 2002, Lacy led a group of students to Charleston, S.C. “We planned an after-school program for elementary school children from low income families who are at a higher risk of dropping out of school,” Lacy said. “The focus was on staying in school and out of trouble.”

In 2003, Lacy led a group to his hometown of Atlanta, where he expanded their service focus to include retirement homes, park-cleaning services, Meals on Wheels and an after-school program.

Back at school, Lacy continues to both participate and advocate participation in service-oriented projects. While juggling a sizable academic workload and preparing himself for the MCAT, Lacy still finds time to help out at the Samaritan Inn Homeless Shelter in downtown Winston-Salem, N.C. For Lacy, service entails far more than providing people with food, housing or books. It is a learning mechanism from which a greater understanding and perspective of humanity is derived.


A Commitment to Country
Although the stresses associated with the MCAT are substantial, Lacy believes them to be trivial when compared to those assumed by Chris Brandt, 2004.

As students returned to campus in mid-January for the beginning of the spring semester, tensions continued to mount as war with Iraq seemed imminent. If anyone in Delta Nu was mindful of such developments, it was Brandt. While Brandt spends most weekdays laboring with classmates over business strategy and fixed income securities, his weekends often entail another set of challenges. As a reservist in the U.S. Marine 2nd Marine Expeditionary Brigade, Lance Cpl. Brandt spends several weekends a year in training.

As the brothers of Delta Nu sat down for their chapter meeting Feb. 17, Brandt calmly walked into the chapter house and asked Consul and roommate Jeff Wilson, 2004, if he could make an announcement. He informed the chapter that his brigade had been activated, and he was to report to Camp Lejeune, N.C., the next morning. What began as a routine Monday night chapter meeting had, in an instant, become the chapter’s longest hour. The world suddenly became much smaller. While Brandt calmly listened to us and smiled, we gained a better understanding of the meaning of courage, sacrifice and friendship.


A Commitment to the International Community
In view of the Western media’s inadequate coverage of the developing world, it is not surprising that we know very little about their cultures, history or troubles. A commitment to humanity does not preclude people beyond Western radar. Rather, it necessitates that we take a proactive approach in expanding our outlook. Mike Bradow, 2004, and Kevan Knoche, 2003, appreciate the importance of a proactive approach to understanding the world at large. Such an approach has afforded each of them a comprehensive and accurate worldly outlook as well as many rewarding experiences.

Mike Bradow, 2004, appreciates the importance of a proactive approach to understanding the world at large, as it has afforded him with both a comprehensive, accurate world outlook and unforgettable, rewarding experiences.

When he arrived on campus, he was uncertain as to what he wanted to do during and after his college years. Not until a friend dragged him to an informational meeting on a summer service trip to the Republic of Georgia did Bradow begin to find a passion. “Stumbling into that volunteer experience my freshman year changed everything for me,” Bradow said. “Although it lasted only two weeks, working in a war-torn country with refugees was a really amazing experience.”

His return to Wake Forest in the fall brought with it the challenge of readjusting to college life. His experience in Georgia had roused new questions and awakened a degree of uncertainty as to how he could add further meaning to his college experience. Bradow decided to go abroad to Chile in the spring. There, he saw a developing country making the transition to free trade and capitalism. He found himself immersed in another culture, where the residents took him in as if he were one of their own. After Chile, Bradow volunteered in Ghana, a small country on the western coast of Africa. Bradow almost instantly fell in love with the village he stayed in and saw something remarkable in its people.

“In Africa the people were so humane and friendly, even in the most impoverished conditions,” Bradow said. “Seeing that and being able to apply it to our own lives back at home lends itself to a greater good overall.”

When Bradow returned to Wake Forest, he showed the chapter a video he had recorded in Ghana. He explained the village’s lack of the basic supplies needed in schools and shared the villagers’ passion for soccer. In response, the Delta Nu Chapter purchased new uniforms and equipment for the village team and bought them a new set of school supplies.

Bradow has become a leading advocate for the establishment of new service opportunities abroad for Wake Forest students, meeting with college administrators and giving several presentations in the process.

“I’ve been looking to continue such volunteer opportunities on campus,” Bradow said. “Fighting to sustain these meaningful programs is what I’m looking to do now.”


Bradow was not the first Delta Nu to go to Africa. Kevan Knoche, 2003, traveled there the previous summer—his first international experience. He spent five weeks studying African economic development in Benin, Africa, living under the same conditions as the people in his host village.

Knoche said the most significant feature of the five-week experience was experiencing underdevelopment.

“I'll always have those memories and pictures in my mind as I go through life,” he said. “It will always have some subconscious effect.”

Knoche returned home at the program’s end and almost immediately packed his things for the upcoming fall semester, which he spent Barcelona. His semester there allowed him to travel throughout Europe, experiencing different cultures and building a greater sense of independence. His travels exposed him to the rich history and beauty of European culture and contrasted the African underdevelopment with the wealth enjoyed by the Western world. Upon his return to Wake Forest, Knoche joined an effort called “Project Bokonon.” Named after Wake Forest Professor Sylvain Boko, Project Bokonon is a non-profit organization that aims to provide Benin with desperately needed medical supplies. In Western countries such as the United States, medical supplies are marked with highly premature expiration dates. Rather than seeing first-rate supplies go to waste, Project Bokonon receives them in the form of hospital donations, immediately shipping them to Benin where they can be used to treat patients and save lives. Project Bokonon recently became a government-recognized not-for-profit organization. Accordingly, Project Bokonon is currently undergoing its Board of Trustees selection process. At the young age of 22, Knoche’s name is high on the list.

His commitment to international service continued when he headed to Honduras as a H.O.P.E Scholar. Having raised money throughout the year to fund their trip, the H.O.P.E scholars spent two-weeks in the poorest regions of Central America building houses. The raised funds covered the cost of supplies; the scholars provided labor for building.

“When we first arrived and began working, we were all a bit reserved and felt that the men thought we were imposing,” Knoche said. “But as the week progressed, more and more people would be outside and excited to begin another day’s work. Some of the houses didn’t have any work done, but everyone worked on a house whether it belonged to them or not.”

What Knoche found particularly meaningful was how people of different cultures could show up knowing very little about one another, and work side-by-each toward a common goal.

Knoche said, “That is in essence what service is truly about. We are not going in as controlling Americans, but as people who, like them, want to help one house at a time.”


Our Common Future
While we live in an uncertain world, we cannot lose sight of what is most important. We must resolve that our common future is not open to compromise. A wealth of opportunity stands before us, and our common future is in our hands. Service provides us with the means to expand our horizons and extend a hand to those who so desperately need it, whether it be in our own community, country or the world at large. As we continue on in our collegiate careers and beyond, that crucial question which will determine the course of humanity remains.

What will you do?

Posted By: Esteban Escobar

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Sat, Oct 16, 2004
Sigma Chi honors those serving in Iraq
By JESSICA TIMS | Morning Sun Staff Writer

About 400 Sigma Chi fraternity brothers have descended upon Pittsburg this weekend to celebrate the 40th anniversary of PSU's Zeta Iota chapter of their brotherhood.

Friday night, several alumni gathered at Pittsburg State's Veterans' Memorial Amphitheater to honor their brothers who have served and are serving their country.

"We have three Zeta Iota brothers, currently serving in Iraq that we know of..." said Retired Air Force Maj. Gen. George Lampe, an alumnus of the Pittsburg State University Chapter of Sigma Chi fraternity. "We also have a young man, Capt. Shannon Nicklaus, of the Kansas Army Guard that has been mobilized and is down at Fort Sill, waiting deployment to Iraq and couldn't be with us. We are exceptionally honored to have a young man with us tonight Lt. Col. Bill Sullivan... Tennessee Army National Guard. He has been altered for deployment to Iraq within the next 60 to 90 days and he came to this reunion to tell us he will see us again.

"On behalf of these five guys, three that are there and two that are on their way, I want you to know how much it means to us to have Zeta Iota Sigs over there defending us."

All Sigma Chi veterans were asked to surround the reflecting pool to be honored for their service to their country. The Xi Omega charter members of the Zeta Iota Sigma Chi fraternity placed a wreath on the side of poll as Marsha Mauersberger sang "America the Beautiful."

Today, the celebration will continue with special presentations to the founding members of the fraternity. PSU President Tom Bryant will also make an appearance and address the current members and alumni. The brothers will also be sealing a time-capsule to preserve special documents collected over the last 40 years.

Posted By: Kevin Naranjo

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Editor's Notes: This is the brief biography of a Sigma Chi brother who received the Significant Sig award and was inducted into the Sigma Chi hall of fame for his duties to America

Brigadier General Robert L. Cardenas
Biography

Brigadier General Robert L. “Bob” Cardenas, USAF (retired)Test Pilot, Combat Leader in both Bombers and Fighters as well as Commander of the Air Force Special Operations Force. He has flown over 60 different aircraft in his career.

General Cardenas began his military career as a Private in the Army Cost Artillery, then became a pilot as a Cadet in the Army Air Corps. He was commissioned a 2nd Lt. in July 1941 and in 1942 was sent to 29 Palms, CA to establish an Army Air Corps Glider School.

In 1944 he flew combat missions in B-24 Liberators in the skies over Germany, He was shot down on his 20th mission but was not captured. He escaped into Switzerland and then into France prior to D Day. He was later flown out back to England and to a rehabilitation center in the US. He became a test pilot after his graduation in 1945 from the Flight Performance School at Vandalia, Ohio.

He participated in the flight test evaluation of the German jet fighter ME-262 and the Arado 234 bomber. In 1947 Cardenas was a key member of the X-1 supersonic project.

Major Cardenas was the Officer In Charge Of Operations and command pilot of the B-29 that launched Captain Charles Yeager into the realm of supersonic flight.

In 1948, he was assigned as Officer in charge of Flight Test Division projects at Muroc AB and as Chief Air Force test pilot on the YB-49 flying wing project. After completion of the Performance Phase II tests he checked out Captain Glen Edwards in the YB-49 on May 20 & 21st. He then received orders to USC for completion of his Aeronautical Engineering degree. He was ordered back 15 days later, after the crash of the YB-49 and loss of the crew, in order to complete the Stability & Control Phase in the remaining YB-49 aircraft.

In November 1948 he gave a final briefing to a Board of General Officers at Patterson AFB on the results of the test program. In January 1949 he was ordered to fly the YB-49 from Muroc AB to Andrews AFB in Washington for President Truman’s Air Show. The transcontinental non-stop flight set a record time of 4 hours and 5 minutes.

During the Korean War, Cardenas was at Wright Field and Edwards AFB testing new jet fighters and bombers. He was then Commander of the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing at Naha AB on Okinawa after completion of Air War College. On his return to the States he was assigned to the Pentagon as Chief of the Aircraft and Missiles Program Division.

From the Pentagon, he was assigned as Chief of the Special Operations Division at US Strike Command Headquarters in Tampa, Florida. In 1962 he led a joint Army & Air Force Special Force into the Kashmir, India for the purpose of evaluating and improving high altitude resupply drops in the Himalayan Mountains. He used these techniques to equip forces and prevented an incursion of Chinese through the Himalayas linking into East Pakistan.

He was then sent back to Okinawa as Commander of the 18th Tactical Fighter Wing at Kadena AFB. After the Gulf of Tonkin crisis he flew F-105 combat missions from Korat, Thailand over North Vietnam. He returned to the US to command the 835th Air Division at McConnell AFB, training F-105 crews for combat in Vietnam.

He was promoted to Brigadier General in 1968 and placed in Command of the Air Force Special Operations Force at Eglin & Hurlburt AFB, Florida. On October 12, 2002 his contributions to the development of Special Forces was recognized by induction into the Air Commando Hall of Fame.
He went on to be assigned in Europe as Vice Commander of the 16th Air Force in Spain. It was there that he had the dubious honor of negotiating with Muammar Gadhafi the withdrawal of US forces from Wheelus AFB in Libya.

As the US Deputy to Live Oak in Belgium his responsibility to SACEUR was to maintain open corridors to Berlin by calling the Soviets bluff to block travel to Berlin by land, air or rail. Prior to his retirement in June 1973, General Cardenas served as the Chief of the JL Division of the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff (JSTPS) where he was responsible for the development of the Joint Stategic Target List of the US nuclear War Plan (SIOP).

Cardenas has been honored by the Distinguished Service Medal, Legion of Merit with Oak Leaf Cluster, Distinguished Flying Cross, Purple Heart, Meritorious Service Medal, Air Medal with four Oak Leaf Clusters, Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Commendation Medal with Oak Leaf Cluster and the Presidential Citation. Foreign decorations include the Spanish Grand Legion of Aeronautical Merit with Sash & Dagger.

From 1973 until 1983, Cardenas worked as an Executive in private industry. In 1983 he was appointed to the White House as the California coordinator for President Reagan’s Southwest Boarder Economic Action Group. He resigned in 1985 and accepted an appointment by Governor Dukemejian as Chairman of the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Advisory Group as well as a member of the California Council of Criminal Justice.

In 1987 the Governor appointed the General to the California Veterans Board where he was later elected to be Chairman of the Board that is the policymaking body for the California Department of Veterans Affairs. He left in 1993 to serve as Chairman of the San Diego United Veterans Council and as a Director on the Board of the Veterans Memorial Center & Museum.

On April 15, 1993 the University of New Mexico, College of Engineering, honored him for his outstanding Professional contributions and leadership. The USAF Test Pilot School at Edwards AFB honored the General on December 10, 1994 as a “Distinguished Alumnus” and on September 1995 he was inducted into the “Aerospace Walk of Honor” at Lancaster, California.

The Sigma Chi fraternity awarded him the “Significant Sig” medal during their 1995 National Convention in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Currently he serves as a member of the San Diego Mayor’s Veteran Advisory Board, Chairman of the Veterans Memorial Museum & Center as well as a Trustee of the Flight Test Historical Foundation at Edwards AFB.

Gen. Cardenas reports when he received Sigma Chi's award, it was significant to him as this is a prestigious and long time standing institution; as they celebrated their 150th anniversary in June 2005. The ceremony was held near it's birthplace, in Cincinnati, Ohio.

To celebrate this milestone of 150 years of existence, they selected 150 members of Sigma Chi to be members of the Significant Sigma Chi Hall of Fame". He says he was extremely humbled to have been selected, and more so when he saw who the other 149 were.

He was recently appointed By the VA Secretary Anthony Principi to the VA Memorials and Cemetery Committee in Washington. It is a statutory Advisory Committee that meets in Washington and other locations.

General Cardenas lives at home with his wife Gladys and their children and grandchildren in San Diego, California.