GHOSTS OF COL.HATCHER AND FUMA GHOSTS IN GENERAL

FUMA’s ghosts always seem to haunt areas where you’re not supposed to be. Don’t go upstairs in Hatcher Hall late at night – there’s a ghost there. Don’t go into the gymnasium late at night – there’s a ghost there. Don’t linger in the old infirmary if you’re not sick – there’s a ghost there. Don’t go near the Hatcher House – it’s haunted too.

As Sergeant-Major about 30 years ago and having attended summer school at FUMA, I have been many places around FUMA – lived in Memorial Hall, Snead Hall B Company and Snead Hall A company, with a window onto the Chapel Courtyard.

It was my responsibility to turn off the lights in Hatcher Hall at night when the Officer of the Day was too frightened to do it. Occasionally, someone would ask about the painting of Col. Hatcher in the lobby of Hatcher Hall. According to Col. Lacey, it was damaged when a cadet more than 30 years ago accidentally dropped a guidon into it, and the tip of the guidon damaged the painting on the left side. I don’t know what caused the vertical cut on the right side of the portrait. I slept well in the guard room whenever I was NCO of the Day during my first year at FUMA.

Stay clear of the Chapel Courtyard. You’re not supposed to be there.

In the fall of 1986, there was a "ghostly sighting" on third floor Alpha Company, down in the Junior School. A bunch of us spotted a tall cadet in an old-stlye uniform (like a West Point or VMI cadet would wear) go up and down the hall. None of the rooms in the Junior School had doors so this was open for everyone and anyone to see. I was in the room at the far end of the hall and my roommate and I both saw it. Another cadet, (Cox I think) saw it and freaked out. The next day was a Dillard Guard parade in Farmville. The "Ghost of Third Floor" was a big topic on the bus ride. It turned out about half of the hall saw it.

Reading all of the posts about ghost and scary stories reminded me of one spooky night. My Sophomore year, I lived with Wes Stone and Gil Valenzuela in Room 109 Alpha Company which was the room one down from the showers. The two windows looked into the Chapel courtyard which is fairly small. I was in the top bunk facing the door, Gil was in the bottom bunk facing the window and Wes was in the single bed across the room. It was a Sunday night in the springtime during parade season, but still cool enough to have the windows closed. The three of us were talking about the upcoming summer and telling each other all about all of the crazy things we had planned to do. It was about 10:45, of course after Taps, and Wes had fallen asleep, but Gil and I kept talking. All of the sudden, Gil whispered 'quiet, OD (officer of the day) outside'. I quickly shut up (a rarity) and all of the sudden I could hear obvious terror in Gil's whispering voice. "Iezzi- who is that? Look out in the courtyard". I flipped over in my bunk and peered into the Chapel courtyard and I saw what I thought was the officer of the day facing the Chapel about three feet from it. The cadet stood stoically just facing the side of the Chapel almost as if at attention. Marty Ledbetter was the officer of the day- He was the Color Guard Commander. If anyone remembers, Marty is a tall thin guy, maybe 6'2" or taller. Also, remember since this was parade season and a Sunday, the OD wore the dress whites, white lid and red sash. That is what this cadet was wearing, but he was no way near that tall, in fact he looked to be only 5'5"ish. More spooky was the fact and I HAVE NO REASON TO MAKE THIS UP, there was a bit of a fog or mist surrounding him. Needless to say, I was terrified and so was Gil. We kept asking each other- who is that, who is that? We tried to whisper over to Wes to wake him up, but he was snoring away. He just stood there looking at the outside wall of the Chapel and then VERY ERRILY, VERY slowly turned as if in slow motion and moved away. Gil and I freaked out. OMG- What the #&^% was that? Both of us noted that Ledbetter was a lot taller than this guy. The next day, we approached Ledbetter in the Mess Hall and asked him what time did he turn in and he said around 10:20. We then asked him if was near the Chapel or the Chapel courtyard and he replied no. We kept pressing him and he said he was in his room by 10:25 at the latest. To this day I am not sure what we saw that night, but it truly was frightening. For the rest of the year we would keep looking into the Courtyard, but never saw anything. Still to this day, I get chills thinking about that night. Of course, we told Wes and others and they all thought we made it up. But as I mentioned early, I didn't then and still don't have a reason to make that up. It was very creepy.

I should read th scary stories thread, but in the mean time I gotta say I always heard some guy stabbed a painting in Hatcher Hall with his sabre cause it was looking at him funny