CAPER Company A-5 was located at Pennsylvania State University - Altoona Campus.  According to the 1967 Pershing Rifleman yearbook, Company A-5 was one of the first 6 companies to be chartered (before March 17,1967).  Representatives from Company A-5 attended the first CAPER National Convention in Washington, DC in April 1967.

The 1967 Pershing Rifleman article for the company at Pennsylvania State University at Altoona was mistakenly headed S-2, but the 1968 article had it right and confirmed my memory that they were Company A-5.  The article says that they were "formally affiliated" with the national CAPER organization on January 5, 1967.  (NOTE:  I've seen the phrase "affiliated" in a lot of the early information and have the feeling that no charters were printed yet, so the term "chartering" was not used yet).  They were approved as an organization on by the student government on January 10, 1967.  Of course they had been active before those two things had been done.

The idea started at the beginning of the Fall Term 1966 at the Student Activities Fair.  Two weeks later 20 girls attendy a meeting in Ivy Hall with the intention of organizing a girls drill team.  They decided that their uniform would consist of a navy blue skirt and sweater, a white blouse and loafers until they could afford navy blue blazers and skirts to match.  They performed drill routines in several parades that fall.  In December they accompanied their "Pershing Rifles brother" to the Catholic Child Care Center in Lakemont, PA and entertained the orphans with their drill routines.  They also spent some time talking with the children.

At the beginning of February, they finished their 15 week pledge period by each of them presenting a Pledge Manual to a Board of Review and then were initiated.  Another pledge class was started a few weeks later to help build the organization.  They traveled to Pittsburgh in February for a drill competition at the University of Pittsburgh where the Pershing Rifles were participating.  In March during spring break the competed in their first drill meet at the University of Maryland.  Unlike many coed groups that drilled without weapons, the drilled with M-1's.

The 1969 Pershing Rifleman article said that during the fall term their pledge class marched in the Halloween parade in Hollidaysburg and a Christmas parade.  The company, along with their Pershing Rifles company held a hoagie sale to raise money for future drill meets.  A combined Initiation Ball was held in January and both organizations sponsored the Military Ball in February.  

CAPER Company S-5 won the East Coast Invitational Drill Meet.  They participated in drill meets at Pennsylvania State University and Pratt Institute (New York City).  The crowning achievement of the year, was winning the Coed Competition in Cleveland, Ohio.

In 1970, CAPER Company A-5 was named as one of the four regimental headquarters.  They were 5th Regimental Headquarters.

If any of the alumni of CAPER Company A-5 from the 1960's find this page, I want to let them know that I have been in contact with Robert Bewley, the 1968-69 Pershing Rifles 5th Regimental Commander.  He is one of my Facebook friends.  We also have tried to contact the PMS who helped start this company, but haven't heard back from him.

Linda

This page was created to give a place where the Alumni of Company A-5 and 5th Regimental Headquarters can find people and share their memories.  Here are some links to make this page better:

Add more names to the alumni list.

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*  Some contact Information Available, click here if you'd like to contact them.  Some may be out of date.  Linda will attempt to contact them for you and give them your contact information.

The creator of this website, Linda Grissette (the 1970-71 CAPER National Commander) is not asking for any money to help support this project.  Her reward will be finding people she remembers and learning about other former members memories.  If you appreciate the effort, please use her for all of real estate needs.  If you aren't in the St. Louis area where she works, she can find a great agent in your area and will receive a small referral fee.  Contact Linda about real estate.  See Linda's main real estate website.