Each year, on the anniversary of the Battle of San Jacinto, April 21st, Aggies around the globe gather to honor those lost during the year at Muster. A time to reflect on one’s time in Aggieland, Muster annually serves as Texas A&M’s most visible celebration of the Aggie family.
This year, four cadets in Parsons Mounted Cavalry (PMC) traveled to Waco, Texas to serve as speakers at the Greater Waco A&M Club’s Muster ceremony.
“I had the honor of being one of the speakers for the Waco Muster. Parsons Mounted Cavalry was asked to come down and speak about PMC and what it means to be a member of the Corps of Cadets. To me, Muster is the epitome of Aggie tradition. It shows that the university and the Aggie family don’t just view you as a number,” Mason Doige ‘24 said.
Mason views his participation in Waco’s Muster ceremony as a representation of the Corps’ unwavering dedication to all of Texas A&M’s cherished traditions.
“Being a cadet means you are a Guardian of Tradition and a Keeper of the Spirit. We are at the forefront of Texas A&M. We participate in every tradition, whether it’s through simple attendance or through active participation, like in Silver Taps and Muster. While many non-cadets may not participate in these traditions or attend only some, members of the Corps attend all of them. If no one else attended these traditions, there would still be a guaranteed 2,000 cadets there, and that means a lot to me.”
Though their participation in this Muster ceremony looked a bit different from the on-campus iteration, cadets who traveled to the Waco Muster were able to witness another side of the tradition.
“Since this was my first off-campus Muster, I got to see the Aggie Spirit outside of College Station. I realized that the Aggie Spirit is just as strong off-campus as it is on, and I found comfort in knowing that one day I would reconnect with my buddies to honor our own. Muster encourages company and cheer in times of grief. Muster reminds us that we are not alone, wherever we may be after our time at A&M,” Caroline Sauter ‘23 said.
Though Muster ceremonies may vary based on location, the camaraderie is ever present across each of them. From College Station to Corregidor, the Aggie family will continue to meet each year on April 21st to honor our fallen, and the Corps of Cadets will continue to be a cornerstone of this event.
Story By: Robin Nelson ’22