Pikes in Service
Although the United States had been engaged in Vietnam since 1955, there is no mention of the military effort in The Shield and Diamond until March of 1964 when it was reported that Pi Kappa Alpha lost its first member in the Vietnam War. Lt. Louis A. Carricarte, (Miami, Gamma Omega 1960) had graduated in 1962 and immediately become an Army pilot. He was killed in action on December 12, 1963, when his plane was shot down during a combat mission flying over enemy territory.
After March 1964, mention of Vietnam War continued in The Shield and Diamond throughout the conflict. The alumni news section was filled with notes about recent alumni joining the conflict, either voluntarily or through the draft. Hundreds of Pi Kappa Alpha men served during the war. At least four Pi Kappa Alphas were held as POWs, and at least 27 became Gold Star Heroes, giving their lives in service.
The Vietnam War is perhaps most unique in Pi Kappa Alpha’s history of military service because of the way Fraternity perception of the war changed, mirroring in many ways the shifting perceptions of the nation as a whole. What could be called the "official" Fraternity position towards the war, as evidenced by articles in The Shield and Diamond and remarks made by prominent leaders, was decidedly positive in the early- and mid-1960s. Editor of The Shield and Diamond Robert D. Lynn (Presbyterian, Mu 1931) complained in December 1965 that "American foreign policy has been subjected to critical and unwarranted abuses by many" and introduced an excerpt from a letter by a Pike serviceman, stating that it would help to showcase "the contrast between our fighting forces in Vietnam and the bleeding hearts on some of our campuses." (Bleeding hearts that Executive Director Earl Watkins (Mississippi, Gamma Iota 1949) assured readers in June 1966 did not include men of Pi Kappa Alpha). He wrote that, although accounts of student demonstrations against the war filled the newspapers, "I know of no incident, personally, where a member of our Fraternity has been involved."
Like the national perception of the Vietnam conflict, Pi Kappa Alpha’s position on the war changed as well. While the Fraternity never wavered in honoring its members who served and died during the war, its support for the war itself did sour. By the 1970 Biloxi Convention, the Fraternity was officially opposed to the war, adopting a resolution that stated the representatives "disagree with the continued military and political involvement of the United States in Southeast Asia" and that they believed involvement in the conflict "is not in the best interests of our nation."
Learn more about Second Lt. Paul Eklund, (Linfield, Delta Rho 1941), (pictured third from left) on a search and destroy operation north of Bien Hoa during the Vietnam War.
