Pikes in Service

The ten-week Spanish-American War in 1898 saw the first military service of Pikes since the Civil War. A number of Pi Kappa Alphas were among the American forces who fought in Cuba. A list of members who volunteered for service in the war, printed on page 38 of the December 1898 issue of The Shield and Diamond lists 13 Pikes from seven different chapters as having served their country. This same issue notes that "while therefore our number of soldiers has been few, our men have all served valiantly, and have done their full share in helping to make the country’s victories glorious."

One of them, Lieutenant Henry L. McCorkle Tennessee, Zeta 1898), would make the ultimate sacrifice and become Pi Kappa Alpha’s first Gold Star Hero. McCorkle commanded a company of regular infantry in Cuba during the Battle of El Caney. On July 1, 1898, McCorkle led a charge in the capture of Fort Caney and was killed in action. In a letter to his family, written just days before his death, McCorkle wrote, "Don’t expect anything brilliant of me, but I will do my duty."

Read a tribute to Lieutenant McCorkle in the February 1899 issue of The Shield and Diamond here.

Learn about the five uniformed Lambda Chapter (The Citadel) members in the photograph here.