Adventures With Reveille

Reveille II (1952-66):

Mascot Hijinks

‘‘M ascot theft was rampant in the Southwest Conference during my time as Reveille’s handler. To protect her, I took it upon myself to elevate my role from mascot corporal to mascot security guard by keeping a .45 pistol filled with blanks under my belt during our two Corps trips that year. I wasn’t going to shoot anyone, but it certainly deterred anybody from trying to steal her!

“When I overheard rumors that Rice University students were plotting to steal Reveille one night, we decided to leave the doors to our dorm hall open. We would let them enter, and then the entire company was prepared to jump out of hiding places to scare the thieves. Fortunately, no mascot muggers came, but we were all on standby to defend her.

“Reveille was a well-mannered dog who loved to meet others and go for runs. We used to run a quarter of a mile around the track surrounding the field during football games, and I recall her leaving a pungent present behind the opposing team’s benches on more than one occasion!”

Reveille IV (1975-84):

Dog Days of Summer

‘‘A t the end of my freshman year, I brought Reveille to my parents’ home in rural Liverpool, Texas, to begin my duties as mascot corporal that summer. She became part of our family. I let her run out in the woods and live as a normal dog, which wasn’t a common thing in the life of a mascot. She also met her match in our family’s 12-year-old miniature dachshund, Heidi, who didn’t give up any ground despite being tiny in comparison. Reveille may have been a university mascot, but in the Gruetzmacher house, Heidi called the shots.

“Reveille often relaxed with my parents while I worked a summer job at the local grocery store. She formed a close relationship with them. Whenever my parents visited campus in the years after my time as a handler, she was always quick to run up to them. I think she remembered them as the people who provided her the special chance to just be a dog one perfect summer.”

Reveille VI (1993-2001):

On the Road Again

‘‘M y favorite memories with Reveille all involve traveling. During the summer I was handler, I drove more than 10,000 miles with her. At the time, the Commandant’s office gave my number to anyone who called requesting Reveille’s attendance at an event. We took a lot of pride in making sure she was accessible, so we rarely said ‘no’ to appearance requests. All summer long, I traveled the Texas A&M Mothers’ Club circuit and attended weddings and countless other events. I kept track of it all with just a paper calendar. Looking back, I think it was harder than raising three kids!

“I was never late, but I recall underestimating my time on one occasion. That fall, while driving to the Baylor game in Waco, three E-2 cadets and I hit stand-still traffic on the highway. When I realized we wouldn’t make kickoff if we stayed in the car, we got out of the truck in uniform and started walking on the side of I-35. We got equal amounts of whoops from Aggies as we did insults from Baylor fans. After walking a quarter of a mile, traffic started clearing up. A fellow Aggie let us hitch a ride in the back of his truck and raced to the stadium so we could make kickoff in the nick of time.

“One other memory involved something scarier. Unfortunately, Reveille suffered from epilepsy, and while in St. Louis, Missouri, before the 1998 Big 12 Championship Game, she went into a seizure. I rushed her to a veterinary clinic, and as soon as we knew she was going to be okay, we pleaded for a way to watch the game. On a 6-inch black-and-white television, Reveille and I watched Sirr Parker ’98 take the famous 37-yard pass to the end zone for the win. So, while she wasn’t on the sideline, Reveille still managed to watch the scoreboard for her Aggies.”

Reveille VIII (2008-15):

Prime Time

‘‘I had the great privilege of serving as Reveille’s handler during the 2012 football season, the first year of our move to the Southeastern Conference. It was Johnny Manziel’s debut as quarterback, and we went 11-2 that season, a huge showing that launched Texas A&M into the national spotlight in more ways than one. Our traditions, including Reveille, became known nationwide outside of the Big 12, and as a result, I had many unique opportunities that season.

“Perhaps the most outstanding was being featured on ESPN’s College GameDay. While I was getting a haircut before football season started, I received a call from an unknown number and let it go to voicemail. I listened to the message afterward and realized I’d missed a call from Lee Corso, a lead football analyst for ESPN. I immediately called back and learned he was coming to Aggieland for College GameDay and wanted Reveille to be with him when he announced that he favored Texas A&M over Florida. On Friday before the game, ESPN shadowed us as we attended classes, explained our traditions and toured Reveille’s dorm room. We met analyst Kirk Herbstreit, appeared on live television and witnessed Texas A&M winning the ESPN commercial of the year. It was truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience!

“One other momentous event involved a call I’d gotten earlier that summer asking me to come speak at an FFA leadership camp due to my prior involvement with the organization. I asked them if they minded if I brought Reveille along, and they burst out laughing. Turns out, the camp coordinators were also the caretakers of Bevo, The University of Texas mascot. So, thanks to my FFA connections, it ended up being the first time the two rival mascots met at a non-athletic event!”

Reveille X (2021-present):

Surprise Swim

‘‘W hen I brought Reveille to my home in Little Elm, Texas, for the summer, I knew she was smart, but I had no idea how smart. I’d seen dogs learn how to sit fast, but Reveille learned how to twirl for two shreds of cheese in no time.

“As her first handler, I witnessed many firsts, including her first time seeing a body of water. Without hesitation, she launched into my family’s backyard pool upon arriving. As a new handler, I panicked! I jumped in fully clothed, but she loved swimming and didn’t want to come out.

“Despite experiencing many of her firsts, I wasn’t the first person to run onto Kyle Field with Reveille X. Instead, she made her debut with Batie Bishop ’23, the previous and final handler for Reveille IX. Because of COVID-19 restrictions, Batie never got to run onto the field when he was mascot corporal. So instead, he ran alongside Reveille X for the Red, White and Blue game in 2021 commemorating the 20th anniversary of 9/11. It was beautiful. I teared up a bit watching him have that special moment with her.”