Roswell, New Mexico
Near North Main and College
GPS coordinates: 33.410698,-104.525472
Take a photo of your rally flag with the above image.

New Mexico Military Institute (NMMI) often brags about its famous alumni such as Conrad Hilton, founder of the Hilton Hotel chain; Sam Donaldson, ABC newsman; Samuel Marmaduke, founder of Hastings; Peter Hurd, American artist; Tony Lama, Jr., founder of Tony Lama Boots; Roger Staubach, former Dallas Cowboys quarterback; Owen Wilson, popular young actor; and Paul Horgan, two-time Pulitzer Prize-winning author. It denies the popular rumor that Jessica Jaymes, Hustler magazine’s 2004 “Honey of the Year,” is an alumna.

Founded in 1891 as Goss Military Institute, this is the only state-supported, co-educational, college-preparatory high school and junior college in the United States. The first class consisted of thirty-eight students, more than half were female students. The school provided the only high school education in Southeastern New Mexico, focusing on military training as well as academic subjects. The female students were not subject to the same military discipline as the boys but did drill daily with wands instead of rifles.

Alumni Memorial Plaza, whose outline is in the shape of the New Mexico flag’s Zia sun sign, is dedicated to William D. DeSanders, a B-17 pilot and member of the class of 1940. His larger-than-life statue sculpted by Roswell oilman and artist Rogers Aston stands in the middle of the plaza. Bronze statues also sculpted by Aston of soldiers from the First and Second World Wars, Korean War, and Vietnam War at each of the four corners of the plaza commemorate the alumni who served in those conflicts. Aston’s close attention to detail reflects careful research.

The statue above is of 1st Lt. William DeSanders for which the Alumni Plaza is named. DeSanders graduated with the class of 1940 and became a B-17 Flying Fortress pilot that participated in bombing runs over Germany. Before his 23rd mission he became ill and a substitute pilot took his crew that was subsequently shot down over Hamburg. Here he is, “counting the stragglers.”

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Tour of Honor-New Mexico is sponsored by Michael Hickman from Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.