Gotta love Military Ball. This was an annual event for the VTCC, a formal affair where the cadets wore uniforms or ball gowns, depending on whether you were male or female or a practical joker. General Stanton Musser (I think that was his name) made it mandatory my junior year, and there was some howling over that. A lot of people were either not keen on dressing up in the monkey suits or weren’t happy about the prospects of finding a date. I can’t recall who I went with my junior year, the year this particular strip would have been drawn. I wouldn’t be surprised if I went with JP, my dyke (one of the terms for a freshman sponsered by a junior). I know JP was my date for Ring Dance, which was also another formal affair for cadets, though as I recall, the civilian student body also participated, just not to the extent that we did (presentation of the date by an escort, presentation of the ring, sabers, uniforms, etc.). I do remember my date for Mil Ball my freshman year, and of course my date for Mil Ball my senior year was my future husband, Michael. And I didn’t go my sophomore year. But for the life of me, who I went with the year it was made mandatory is beyond me. I may not have had a date at all and just gone stag with some of my buds.

General Musser was interesting. He was a great guy, retired Air Force if I recall correctly, and popular with the VTCC. He was also aparently a fan of the Rats! cartoons. I know because I got a note from his office saying so, and because I got called down to his office one day with a request from his secretaries to draw a cartoon about the General. “Draw something about General Musser! And make it funny!” Noooooo pressure there!

Anyway, I don’t know if Military Ball is still mandatory or not. If any cadets or recent graduates are reading this, leave a comment and let me know. I’m always curious about how things have changed in the last 20 or so years…

20 or so years?! Jeeze, I’m getting old.