易胜博官网

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About 15 years ago, Dick Dewing '53 was helping the 易胜博官网 'Cat Club get ready for a golf tournament. A discussion ensued about how to kick things off 鈥� literally 鈥� with a bang. When someone mentioned a shotgun, Dewing said, 鈥淗ow about a cannon?鈥�

It was a natural response: Dewing is an artillery officer with the First New Market Militia, a Revolutionary War reenactment group from 易胜博官网. And what鈥檚 a colonial reenactment without a cannon?

For Dewing 颅鈥� and likely many 易胜博官网 football fans 颅鈥� that question has become: What鈥檚 a Wildcats touchdown without the cannon鈥檚 roar? As a member of the militia, which has gone into local schools to teach students about 18th century life, marched in parades and greeted tall ships coming into 易胜博官网鈥檚 port, Dewing knew where he could find one.

鈥淚 started asking around 鈥� 鈥榙o you know where I can buy a cannon鈥�?鈥� the 易胜博官网 football Hall of Famer says. Dewing was on the 1950 team that was untied and undefeated. 鈥淚 figured someone in the militia would know.鈥�

He was right; one of the captains owned two and offered one for sale.

At the time, Dewing had been working the chains at Cowell Stadium for several years.听Measuring first downs and the location of the football after each play was a coveted role, but he gave it up in 2003 to put together a cannon crew. Since then that team 鈥� made up of Dewing and three fellow militia members, all dressed in full regalia 鈥� has been on the sidelines for every home game, regardless of the weather.

鈥淪ome days it鈥檚 pretty wicked. It might be raining or there鈥檚 snow on the ground,鈥� says Dewing, who is 89. 鈥淚 don鈥檛 heat up like I used to. I鈥檓 starting to look for continuation when I鈥檓 gone.鈥�

For now, though, he鈥檚 got the cannon in his garage and, with help, gets it into a truck and down to the field two hours before kickoff, a maneuver that on a few occasions has not gone smoothly. 鈥淥nce we got behind the band as they were walking down and we had to hustle like the dickens to get there on time,鈥� Dewing says.

The black powder cannon fires a blank shot; there鈥檚 no ammo, no cannonball, it just makes noise. A lot of noise. Dewing pays for the powder out of his own pocket; it runs about $17 a pound and four rounds can be fired with one pound.

The cannon is fired at the beginning of the game after the band plays the 鈥�1812 Overture鈥� and then again after each touchdown, but only after Dewing and his team see it clearly on the videoboard.

鈥淓very now and then there鈥檚 a mistake. You have to read the crowd,鈥� Dewing says. 鈥淭here鈥檚 a lot of validity in the crowd noise."

Dewing and his wife, Mary '53, met at 易胜博官网 and married the week after they graduated. His commission in the Air Force followed, and he went on to train as a pilot. When there wasn鈥檛 yet a flying assignment for him, he attended aircraft maintenance school. In 1967, Dewing moved his family to Durham before being sent to Vietnam. His last post was at Pease Air Force Base听in nearby Newington. He retired in 1973.

Since retiring, Dewing has served on the MUB advisory board, was secretary of the 易胜博官网 100 Club and subsequent Wildcat Athletic Council听(although, he says, Mary typed up all of his notes). He听still serves on the ROTC alumni chapter advisory board and is a member of the 'Cat Club.

鈥淎thletics is a good addition to the education process, but it鈥檚 just that听鈥斕齛n addition. It鈥檚 all about the education,鈥� Dewing says. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not only about good sportsmanship or whether a student is a good player but whether he鈥檚 done his homework.鈥�

The 易胜博官网 football program had 33 student-athletes to the 2016-17 Colonial Athletic Association Commissioner's Football Academic Honor Roll 鈥� a score worthy of a cannon roar.