By way of INTRODUCTION,

    The SII and LWMA alumni wrote most of these stories. Some are serious, some are sad, and some are funny, but they are mostly things that happened either at the school or during a time while the alumnus or alumna was a student at SII or LWMA. Some stories are about events that have happened to former students recently, but have something to do with SII, LWMA, or this website. These stories make up a small part of the 100+ year history of the school that Dr. Lyman Ward founded in 1898 in the town of Camp Hill Alabama.

   Some things in some stories posted here might seem cruel or harsh to an outsider, such as a prospective parent or student. Let me assure those readers that certain details might have been left out of some of the stories. But any story that seems to show a cruel or a hazing type of action is not that way at all. In none of these stories was anybody hurt in any way. We do edit the stories for content and names. Believe me when I say that we have received stories that would be great told among friends, but could reflect badly on the school. Those stories do not make it to the "Stories" pages.

   Remember, a story always gets bigger and better with each telling.

   All of the "Ghost" stories on this website, are NOT HORROR stories, like the "Friday the 13th" movies. There is NOTHING in Tallapoosa Hall or on the LWMA campus in the way of the supernatural that ever hurt anyone. All those stories should be looked at with a large grain of salt, say about the size of a beach ball. Tallapoosa Hall is not even open late at night any longer and whatever scared me when I as in the eighth grade, was probably, upperclassmen or my own friends.

   The first story on the "Stories" pages is about the "Big Chill of 1963." When I wrote that story in 1997 I thought the current cadets might enjoy reading about the cold weather in January of 1963 and compare it the cold weather they knew at LWMA. Then other alumni started sending in stories about the weather, and everything else! I have also copied some stories from the school papers, yearbooks, message board, and Jerri Beck's SII-LWMA Centennial History Book published in 1997. I hope that the current cadets will be able to read the stories and enjoy them along with the alumni.

   Now, in July of 2002, I am adding story number 131 that is a very nice story from the sister of an alumnus who passed away recently.

   Remember this website is not all about seeing who can tell the biggest story. It is about a great many things; S.I.I., L.W.M.A., Teachers, Staff, Cadets, Classmates, Friends, and Friendship....... mostly Friendship.

P.S. Please, read some of the compliments we have received about the website, message board, and "Stories".

   This website: http://www.lwalumni.org is the official recognized website of the Lyman Ward Alumni Association, and is NOT the official website of Lyman Ward Military Academy. That website is http://www.lwma.org.

   The opinions expressed here in the stories, and any comments posted on the message board are NOT the opinions or polices of Lyman Ward Military Academy or the Lyman Ward Alumni Association and should not be taken as such.

The contents of the stories are the opinions, remembrances, and thoughts of the authors of those stories alone. The stories are posted here for the enjoyment of the students, faculty, staff, and the alumni of the school and nothing else.

To all of those who have sent us one story or more we say....