APSU Governors Military Hall of Fame announces Class of 2023
By: Payton Baggett July 13, 2023
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Austin Peay State University (APSU) has announced six inductees into the APSU Governors Military Hall of Fame Class of 2023, and they will be honored during a reception and induction dinner on Nov. 10 in the Morgan University Center ballroom.
The Governors Military Hall of Fame was established in 2022 and is housed in the William E. & Sadako S. Newton Military Family Resource Center, Tennessee’s largest military student center. It honors APSU alumni, living or deceased, who served in the U.S. military with records of extraordinary service or sacrifice and those who have demonstrated dedicated support and substantive contributions to the U.S. military and its veterans. For its second year, the Military Hall of Fame is being sponsored by Jack and Margie Turner.
“I am proud of Austin Peay’s longstanding connection to the military and of our unparalleled support for military-affiliated students,” APSU President Mike Licari said. “This year’s class of inductees to the APSU Governors Military Hall of Fame is a testament to the extraordinary service that so many members of the Governors family have provided.”
The members of the second class of Austin Peay’s Military Hall of Fame are:
Command Sergeant Major (Ret.) Ruben Arriaga (’13)
Retired Army Command Sgt. Maj. Ruben Arriaga began his military career in 1996. His first assignment was at Fort Drum, New York, and in 2002 he completed the Special Forces Qualification Course and reported to Fort Campbell, Kentucky. He served in combat during many notable operations and was promoted to sergeant major in 2013. That same year, he graduated from Austin Peay with a degree in health and human performance. After returning from his 10th combat deployment, Arriaga retired from the Army with 25 years of service. He was the vice president of the APSU Military Alumni Chapter from 2014 to 2016.
The Late Colonel (Ret.) Ted Crozier Sr. (’57)
During his time in the U.S. Army, the late retired Col. Ted Crozier Sr. was the first to command what would become the 101st Combat Aviation Brigade at Fort Campbell, Kentucky. His command of the 101st Aviation Company was accompanied by many firsts – notably, he was the first aviator to serve as chief of staff of the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). In 1957, he graduated from Austin Peay State University with a degree in history. He retired from the Army in 1977 after 32 years of service. In 1978, Crozier was elected mayor of Clarksville, Tennessee and served two terms in office. Crozier passed away in 2017 at the age of 91.
The Late Brigadier General (Ret.) Wendell H. Gilbert
The late retired Army Brig. Gen. Wendell H. Gilbert was a graduate of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point and George Washington University. While in the U.S. Army, he served as the chief of staff for the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault) at Fort Campbell, Kentucky and was the assistant division commander for the First Armored Division stationed in Bamberg, Germany. He also served two tours in the Vietnam War. After retirement, he was vice president for development and university relations at Austin Peay for 17 years, where he began campaigns such as APSU's Candlelight Ball. He was then called to state service as commissioner of veterans affairs, as Tennessee’s first commissioner of homeland security and finally as the chief of staff for former Gov. Don Sundquist. Gilbert passed away on July 8, 2022 at the Brigadier General Wendell H. Gilbert Tennessee State Veterans Home in Clarksville, Tennessee at the age of 91.
The Late Lieutenant Colonel (Ret.) Bobby T. Ladd (’53)
The late retired Marine Lt. Col. Bobby Ladd graduated from Austin Peay in 1953 and also received his master’s degree from Pepperdine University. He retired from the U.S. Marine Corps after 26 years of service. As a naval aviator, he qualified to fly both jets and helicopters. He served two tours in the Vietnam War and earned many military honors and awards, notably receiving the Air Medal 16 times. Each Air Medal award required Ladd to fly 10 separate missions, meaning he was cited for flying 160 separate sorties in combat. Because he did not often speak about his time in combat or the times he risked his life for the safety of other soldiers, his family was unaware of his accomplishments until reading about them after his passing in 2019.
The Late Colonel Paul Roberts (’78)
The late Army Col. Paul Roberts was a member of the APSU Governors Guard ROTC Program. In 1978, he graduated from Austin Peay and the University’s Army Reserve Officers Training Program. Several years later, he went on to complete the Special Forces Qualification Course. He was in combat during various missions in South and Central America, including Operation Just Cause. He also served as a member of the National Guard’s 20th Special Forces Group in Bosnia. Following active duty, Roberts was an instructor in the U.S. Army School of Infantry at Fort Benning, Georgia. He passed away in 2000.
Captain Anthony Simmons (‘89)
Dr. Anthony L. Simmons graduated from Austin Peay in 1989 with a degree in robotics. He then attended Naval Officer’s Candidate School in Newport, Rhode Island, where he was commissioned as an ensign in June 1990. He went on to earn a Master of Science in mechanical engineering from the Naval Postgraduate School and a Master of Arts in military art and science from the Air University. He also has a doctorate in strategic leadership from Regent University. His 28 years of experience in the U.S. Navy includes four at-sea commands. Ashore, he has worked in human resources at the Navy Bureau of Personnel and at the Pentagon on the staffs of the Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Chief of Naval Operations. Dr. Simmons served in three combat tours. He is in the final stages of publishing his book, “Championing Organization Wellness.” He is also the founder and owner of Sixth Gear Consulting, LLC, a leadership performance consulting practice.
Celebrating the inductees
This year’s Military Hall of Fame celebration will begin with a reception at 5 p.m. on Nov. 10 in the APSU Morgan University Center Ballroom, followed by a 6 p.m. induction dinner. Tickets are $50 per person and can be purchased at www.alumni.apsu.edu/halloffame23.
The Class of 2023 honorees will also have their names unveiled at the Newton Military Family Resource Center during a private reception on Veterans Day. In addition, all members of the Military Hall of Fame will be recognized at the Governors football game at 1 p.m. the same day at Fortera Stadium.
“Each of this year’s inductees is a combat veteran, so it’s fitting that we’re unveiling their dog tags in our hall of fame display on Veterans Day,” said retired Army Maj. Gen. Walt Lord, APSU’s vice president for the Military and Veterans Affairs Division. “We look forward to celebrating their military careers and contributions with them and their families, along with our inaugural class of 2022 inductees, at our annual Military Appreciation Football Game later that day.”
To learn more about the APSU Governors Military Hall of Fame, including the honorees from the inaugural Class of 2022, visit www.alumni.apsu.edu/govsmilitaryhalloffame.