Circa 1959-1960, I was a cadet at Fishburne Military School, Waynesboro, Virginia, and worked in the school armory. We had perhaps 300 M-1’s then and about 200 cadets. For my own rifle, I searched for one with the lowest serial number, which was a Springfield Armory # 1500.
Decades later, at a gun show, I espied a book on Springfield Armory, M-1 rifle numbers. If I recall correctly, it said old # 1500 was the first one sent to the troops (in Europe first?) and not preserved for a museum or VIP general? At a FMS re-union decades ago, I inquired as to the fate of all our M-1’s, and M-14’s which I’d seen used by the cadets in a later school yearbook. I was told the M-14’s were recalled by the Army for use in the Viet Nam conflict. Because military schools became un-popular towards the end of the conflict, the historical school almost foundered, as had Stanton and Augusta. I was told that to raise money, the M-1’s were sold to a local gun dealer. What is the ultimate fate of old #1500?
Some social historical irony here: Shenandoah Valley military schools had been in the wain until just before my late-1950’s attendance, but were saved by the desegregation of public schools, first in Virginia, then elsewhere in our South. This resulted in an infusion of fresh ex-public school, white Southern cadets and many “Wahoo’s” and Confederate flags on campus. I of seven CSA ancestors, alas; was not much of a “Wahoo’r”. What I am told saved FMS towards the end of the Viet Nam conflict, was the admission of “underprivileged” black cadets under some federal social program. I wonder did Stanton and Augusta evidence the same social flexibilities under that program that might he saved them also?
My late dear black friend, Harkless Wooten of Beaufort, N.C., startled me one day with, he too had once gone to a black (Catholic) military private school in Pennsylvania. We were to break-bread one day to discuss our receptive black and white military school experiences; but his death denied us that future sharing: RIP. What was the name of that black Catholic, Pennsylvania, military school? Harkless’ wife was kin to Coast Guardsman Alex Haley’s divorced first wife.
Most useless memorization–still in my head: “Sir, my rifle nomenclature is: U.S. rifle, Cal. 30, M-1, gas-operated, semi-automatic shoulder weapon…”.