Georgetown University Spraker Rifles Drill Team

Harry W. Spraker, Jr. was the Cadet Colonel in command of the U.S. Army Reserve Officer Training Corps (R.O.T.C.) cadets at Georgetown University. He graduated from Georgetown University and was commissioned in the U.S. Army in 1950, and was subsequently sent to the front lines of the United Nations police action in Korea. He was awarded the Bronze Star and Silver Star before being killed in action at Cnonchog, Korea on 4 February 1951.

 

After his death, the Georgetown University Army R.O.T.C. cadet corps named their competition drill team after him. The Spraker Rifles, as they became known, competed across the United States in challenging drill competitions and on occasion won trophies. For many years they also organized and ran the Georgetown University National High School Drill Tournament. But most importantly, the Spraker Rifles became a vibrant social organization that brought students and cadets closer together outside of class. It has been the closest thing to a fraternity that the Georgetown University Army R.O.T.C. cadet corps has known, and many of the friendships made in the Spraker Rifles have lasted for lifetimes.