Blue Ridge Rifles
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In June 1861, the city of Dahlonega sent their second group of volunteers, the Blue Ridge Rifles to the Civil War front under the command of john Hamilton. The unit was organized as Company E, Phillip’s Legion Infantry. In 1864, the time for which the Rifles' enlistment expired, they did not disband, but re-enlisted for the remainder of the war. Following the war all units of the Confederacy were disbanded. The members of the Blue Ridge Rifles continued to meet on a social basis. The men of the Blue Ridge Rifles were known for their "lofty" character.
In 1950, a drill platoon was formed for use in Spring parades at North Georgia College and State University. The team was named the Honor Platoon. The name was later changed to the Drill Platoon. In 1958, the Drill Platoon was renamed the Blue Ridge Rifles in honor of the Dahlonega volunteer unit.
Since its early beginnings, the Blue Ridge Rifles Drill Team has earned state and national recognition. The Rifles became recognized in 1971 with their winning First Place in the East Tennessee State University (E.T.S.U.) Drill Meet in Tennessee, and have since won First Place honors at the nationally recognized Mardi Gras Invitational Drill Meet in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Blue Ridge Rifles won their first National Championship for precision drill teams at Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) in 1982, while commanded by cadet CPT Harden Hopper. The faculty advisor was MAJ Charles Clarkson. EKU was an invitational drill meet that included the Pershing Rifle national championship as a sub element. The Blue Ridge Rifles took first place overall, beating all teams competing, to include the Pershing Rifle champion team from St. Peters College, commanded by cadet CPT George Santana. Also in 1982, the Blue Ridge Rifles took first place at the Mardi Gras invitational drill meet at Tulane, and first place at the Georgia Tech invitational. In addition, the Blue Ridge Rifles have won the Mardi Gras invitational Drill Meet in 2001 and 2002. Overall they have won 16 out of 24 Mardi Gras Appearances since then. Despite the fact that the Rifles have not won a drill meet since 2002 and have not attended the Tulane Invitational Drill Meet since 2004 they but plan to come full fledged in 2008 and once again suffer a loss to the Texas A&M Fish Drill Team.
In recent years the Blue Ridge Rifles Drill Platoon has been involved in frequent allegations of hazing as well as other inappropriate behavior to include covering a smoke detector with a trash bag and placing a smoke machine in the room. In the fall of 2004 a group of rifles Freshmen were caught while attempting to steal 11 pumpkins from Burt's Pumpkin patch in Dawsonville, Georgia. After a hazing allegation in the 2006-2007 academic year in which the upperclassmen turned on the heating unit in a small room, closed the windows and proceeded to make the freshmen do pushups the Blue Ridge rifles status was changed by the Commandant of Cadets from a resident unit to a unit that is currently dispersed amongst the entire body of the Corps of Cadets. All of this is preceded by a 1993 dis banning of the Rifles due to hazing.
The Rifle mottos are:
"Blue and Gray All The Way!" For the Precision Drill Team "Victory or Death"- For the original Blue ridge Rifles
An alternate motto commonly used by the rest of the Corps of Cadets concerning the Rifles "Blue and Gay All The Way!"
The ability of any society to work together toward the accomplishment of a common goal has been a major factor in shaping the course of history. When a group of individuals has perfected unified action, combining their talents and skills into a single coordinated action, they have accomplished a task of significance.
