Those of you who have grandchildren in college or anticipating that you will have (I have nine), no doubt know that few of them have any idea of what they plan to major in. Here's an example of what I mean.

Howard Clark Jr. was born May 17, 1893, in Salina, Kan. He moved with his family, however, to East Chicago, where he graduated with the class of 1910. In high school he was, among other things, a member of the very first debating team of the school. In those days, that was quite an honor. It was especially a distinguished feat that year because East Chicago High School beat the great debating team of Crown Point.

Howard also was active in athletics and was a member of the Glee Club. Despite these distractions, he made good grades and was in position to do good work in college. He somehow had, as an observer of the day remarked, "time left to keep his teachers guessing what mischief he would be into next."

With high school diploma in hand, he entered Indiana University, where a young man with mischief in his heart had a fertile field for raising heck.

Nevertheless, he did OK in school and was a member of different organizations, including being secretary of Sigma Delta Chi, the journalism fraternity; being on the Arbutus staff of 1916; and being Editor-in-Chief of the "Daily Student," the university newspaper. He also belonged to the Jackson Club and the Indiana Union. After all of that, he graduated from IU in 1916 with a degree in English. Now what?

With the smell of gunpowder in the air, Howard joined the Indiana National Guard on July 9, 1916. He left for the Mexican border, where he showed an unusual talent for upward mobility. On Sept. 16, 1916, he made corporal and on Dec. 11 of that year, he was appointed assistant bandleader (of the 152nd Infantry). The bandleader gig brought with it a ranking of first sergeant.

After the Pancho Villa episode ended, Howard returned to Indiana for his discharge at Fort Harrison, but that didn't last long. He was again called up March 26, 1917, and was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 152nd Indiana National Guard. He was stationed, conveniently, at East Chicago on guard duty from April 1, 1917, until May 15, 1917. After a series of transfers and appointments, he was made sergeant major April 11 and then sent to Officers Training Camp on May 25.

After receiving his commission, he returned home on furlough (from Gettysburg, Pa.) and, while he was at it, married Abbie Mauger of Indiana Harbor, who was a twin. Indeed, the twins were called "Blue" and "Brown" because one of them had blue eyes and the other had brown eyes.

The other twin, incidentally, married Sonny Sheetz, eventually co-owner of The Big House. Thus Howard, son of the principal of East Chicago High School, became a brother-in-law of the man later described as Al Capone's lieutenant in Indiana.

Here's the short of it. Howard became a distinguished general in the Army and his son also became a general.