Being able to renew friendships and enjoy good company in person was particularly satisfying after having our wings clipped for some time during the Covid-19 periods of lockdowns, travel restrictions and resultant semi-isolation.
Huge "thanks!" to all of you who were able to make the trip; and our fond, personal regards to those teammates and families who couldn't join us this time. You'll be pleased to know that the team voted overwhelmingly to continue our reunions at Purdue as long as some of us are still roaming the planet and able to travel. We truly hope to see you next time.
This reunion was also significant because it so closely coincided with the Purdue Drill Team's 6th National Championship won on April 7, 1962---- nearly 60 years ago to the day of our 2022 reunion! Several of the marchers and alternates on that Championship team's 60th Anniversary were with us for this 2022 reunion. Bravo Zulu to you all!
It has been the tradition for many years now that we try to time our PDT/PDTA reunions with Purdue's ROTC Hall of Fame (HOF) induction ceremony weekend. This year Wayne Henderson was inducted as the latest PDT alumnus to be elected to the Purdue ROTC Hall of Fame. He has joined the HOF ranks with five other fellow PDT teammates previously inducted. We are very pleased that PDT/HOF members Ron Neubauer and Tom Smith were also able to join us.
The PDT and PDTA experiences clearly had an early and continuing positive impact on each and every one of us in terms of leadership, self- motivation/discipline and a "team above self" ethos. Attributes which were finely honed during our time on the respective teams have clearly served us well in our subsequent military and/or civilian pursuits.
Finally, a special "Thank you" and hand salute goes out to: Dave Snyder for being the perennial driving force in organizing and executing our reunion. and Steve Heavrin for being our photo-journalist and capturing the pictures now presented for your enjoyment. Aloha and best wishes until we meet again!
Captain Wayne Henderson entered Purdue University in the fall of 1959 from Gary, Indiana on a full Navy ROTC scholarship. Wayne made an immediate impact by being the first and only freshman to be chosen Drill Captain for the 6-time National Champion Purdue Drill Team which, in 1961, performed at the White House at the personal request of President Kennedy. He was named a Distinguished Military Graduate upon completing his BS in Industrial Engineering in 1964. Immediately after graduating from Purdue and being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the U.S. Marine Corps, Henderson was assigned to The Basic School in Quantico, VA and graduated at the top of his class that included four sons of Marine Generals, one of whom later became the 31st Commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps.
On March 8th 1965, 2ndLt Henderson landed in Vietnam with the 1st Marine Brigade. While serving in Vietnam, Wayne participated in and/or led more than 40 combat patrols, ambushes, search & destroy operations, and long-range reconnaissance missions. He also trained village chiefs and their militia in military tactics, and flew over 20 aerial observer missions, calling in artillery and naval gunfire on enemy positions. For his actions during his deployment in Vietnam, Henderson was awarded the Bronze Star Medal with combat "V" for valor. After his 13-month tour in Vietnam, 1st Lieutenant Henderson was assigned as Adjutant of the Marine Barracks, Pearl Harbor where he served as Casualty Notification and Assistance Officer for families of Marines in the entire Pacific Basin who were killed or wounded in Vietnam
Captain Henderson left active duty in late 1968 and was sought out by Lt General Dean Sangalis (LtCol at the time) to take the position of Company Commander for the 2nd Battalion, 24th Marines Reserve unit in Chicago--- a rifle company that had failed the Inspector General's combat readiness review and in need of a strong new leader. Captain Henderson went on to dedicate 2 1/2 more years to the USMC as Company Commander for H Company 2/24, turning the Company around from "worst to first" and winning the General Clifton Cates award as the Outstanding USMC Reserve Company two years after taking over as its commanding officer.
After retiring from AT&T as Director of Network Engineering, Wayne founded Capital Dynamics, International--- a high-tech consulting company specializing in Information Communications Technologies. His work as a business, engineering and financial strategist in 15 developing countries on 4 continents has brought internet access and telecom service to millions of previously unserved families around the globe. Wayne remains active as an Executive Coach to Fortune 500 corporations. His family includes wife Stacie, daughter Reily and son Kevin.