Citadel alumni remember the fallen3/21/2008 12:19 AM 
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By HALEY HUGHES Staff writer
Alumni of The Citadel gathered in Edgefield on Thursday to honor and remember those who no longer stand with them.
About 30 members of the CSRA Citadel Alumni Chapter paused for a few moments to remember comrades during the annual Muster, a ceremony held on March 20 to preserve the memory of late male and female alumni. All graduates are expected to report to the Muster and, no matter where you are in the world, alumni are to find the Muster.
Taps was played on the bagpipes and the room recited the Cadet Prayer. They also sang The Citadel's alma mater.
Roll call was given to the alumni who passed away in 2007.
"We answer on their behalf, 'Present for duty, sir,' just as they did at the quadrangle at The Citadel," one of the event's organizers said.
Class of 1961 alumnus George Hill said the evening was important to him because he enjoys keeping up with the school.
"The Citadel is always very meaningful to me. The Citadel is a very close-knit school. Once you go through it, it's a special bond. There are not many schools like The Citadel left," he said.
Class of 1950 alumnus Rusty Bailie also said The Citadel is a unique institution. Tears welled in his eyes and his voice shook as he recalled his time there.
"It is not for every young man, young woman," he said. "It is for those who want to go the road less traveled."
The Citadel is a state-supported, four-year comprehensive college. Its primary purpose has been to educate undergraduates as members of the South Carolina Corps of Cadets and to prepare them for postgraduate positions of leadership.