Ferdinand Williams, the first of the class of 1903 to die, was killed in a pistol range accident in 1906. Thomas Selfridge entered the Pioneer Aviation Corps after graduation and became the first person ever to die in a plane crash; not the first military man, but the first person ever. Ephraim Graham and John Carter Montgomery rode with the U.S. Olympic equestrian team in the 1912 Stockholm games. Campbell Hodges went on to be Commandant of Cadets at West Point and President of Louisiana State University after his retirement. Ulysses S. Grant III, one of MacArthur's academic rivals at West Point, became the Director of Public Buildings and Parks in Washington, DC. Marion Howze outlived all of his classmates and died in 1978, ten days short of his 99thbirthday.
Four members of the class of 1903 had even served their country prior to attending West Point. MacArthur's roommate Charles Severson, along with Grayson Mallett Prevost-Murphy, Francis Hinkle, and Roland Broughton were Spanish American war veterans who received their appointments to West Point while serving in the armed forces.
After graduation, six members of the class immediately embarked for the Philippines to help in the suppression of the Moro uprising on Mindanao and Jolo Islands. Six more classmates took part in the Cuban Pacification of 1906-1908. Three, including Douglas MacArthur, saw action in the Vera Cruz expedition of 1914. Ten served under Pershing in the Mexican Punitive Expedition of 1917.
During World War I, over half of the class of 1903 graduates played a role in the American Expeditionary Force that went to France. James Shannon made the ultimate sacrifice and was mortally wounded commanding the 112th Infantry of the 28th Division in the Meuse-Argonne campaign in late 1918. Emil Laurson and Vincent Gallagher as well died with their units in France. Robert Boyers, who played quarterback in 1901 and 1902 on the football team, served in France with the 3rd Division and received the wounds for which he would eventually be discharged.
Two 1903 men served in WWII, MacArthur and 1901-1902 West Point fullback Paul Bunker. Bunker was also on Corregidor, and remained on the island and surrendered with Lieutenant General Wainwright in May 1942. It was Bunker who had the sad duty of hauling down and destroying the colors prior to surrender. A piece of the flag saved by Bunker is now on display in the West Point museum. Colonel Paul Bunker died in a Japanese prison camp on the island of Formosa, March 16, 1943.
