Phi Delta Theta - University of Missouri

Phi Delt Patriots THE STORY OF TWO BROTHERS BOUND BY SERVICE MO ALPHA PHI M I S S O U R I A L P H A C H A P T E R O F P H I D E L T A T H E T A THE UNIVERSIT Y OF MISSOURI FALL 2023 The G reetings, brothers! We are several weeks into the fall semester and Alumni Weekend is right around the corner. We hope to see you on campus as the Tigers take on LSU on October 7. In addition to game day activities, we will be hosting a breakfast on Sunday morning at 9 a.m., followed by a chapter dedication at 10 a.m. to brother Bruce Beckett '69, who entered Chapter Grand this past year. Brother Lynn Miller '70 will be our keynote speaker. We also want to take a moment to thank all our donors, including those who gave to the most recent scholarship campaign. This successful campaign will allow undergraduate Phis to receive chapter scholarships and financial assistance. Thanks to your help, Missouri Alpha raised more than $422,000 for this effort. These scholarships will have an enormous impact on our undergraduate brothers and their future opportunities and will also help us continue to recruit the best men on campus. Thank you! Yours in the Bond, Matthew Beckett '96, Vice President, Housing Corporation Board S ome fraternity brothers share a unique connection that goes beyond loyalty to the brotherhood. Many have intertwined careers, while others may share hobbies. For John Clark '61 and Richard Mendenhall '66, their military service brings their stories together beyond Missouri Alpha. Missouri Alpha Memories "My father was a Phi Delt," Richard shared. "Many of his friends in Columbia were also Phi Delts; I knew them all and I wanted to follow in their footsteps. My favorite memories were when I was a pledge; becoming an active and seeing the chapter room for the first time were an honor." "It was not my intention to join a fraternity at first," John said. "However, three of my best friends did: brothers Scott Orr '61, Philip Alexander '61, and Lon Richards '61. I seriously needed the social life, and Phi Delta Theta was a perfect fit. Some of my favorite activities were the summer recruitment activities at the Lake of the Ozarks, living as a roommate in the house with Philip, and my year as house manager." Serving the Nation Beyond college, both brothers began their military paths; Richard served as a Special Forces Green Beret in Vietnam while John joined the U.S. Air Force. John was appointed Air Force ROTC Corps Commander in his senior year, and he later finished pilot training as a Distinguished Flying Graduate. During one of his roughly 80 combat reconnaissance missions over Vietnam, John was captured and held for six years. Meanwhile, Richard's special operations group in Cambodia had an objective to rescue downed pilots in the area. "When I got out of the service and was back at Mizzou, I ended up in class with John's first wife," Richard said. "When she realized I was a Vietnam veteran, she told me her husband had been shot down and they had not yet found him. As she talked about it, she was wrecked with emotions. I became devastated with speculation. Where was he shot down? Was he alive? Could my unit have found him? What if I had been captured? Could I have made it through the heinous POW ordeal?" After his release from North Vietnam on February 18, 1973, John returned to the United States and eventually earned an MBA from Mizzou. He continued his piloting career as an instructor pilot, and John later joined the Missouri Air National Guard. Venerable Veterans Richard eventually had the chance to meet John decades later when the two connected at the chapter's war memorial dedication ceremony. During the event, John had the honor of being the keynote speaker. "Having become somewhat known for patriotic and memorial talks locally, and with my pledge father and a classmate both on the monument, I seemed a good choice for the speech," John mentioned. "I was hugely honored to be asked to do it and feared not measuring up to the task, but I was not going to not try. I hope I did the chapter proud as a gift for everything it had done for me." Mizzou alumni honored Richard with the 67th Annual Distinguished Service Award. "It is an amazing honor," Richard said. "If my parents, who are both Mizzou graduates, were alive, they would be shocked that I am receiving this great honor." While the brothers were not connected as undergraduates, Missouri Alpha's fraternal bonds brought them together through unique circumstances. John's active duty kept him moving often after college, though his leadership skills were honed through the chapter, and he was gracious for the chance to reconnect at the memorial dedication. Richard often heard chapter updates through friends in Columbia, and he was glad to see Missouri Alpha's incredible GPA improvements all the way to the top at Mizzou. A L U M N I S U P P O R T M A K E S A D I F F E R E N C E Thank You from the HCB You can connect with John at clarkjna@gmail.com and reach out to Richard at richardm@boonerealty.com.

• Cover