In the academic year 1931-1932, Lang's Grenadiers (named after John Walton Lang, Commandant at that time) was formed as the senior precision drill team of The Citadel. The Richardson Rifles was a company of cadets composed of one platoon from each of the two upper classes. The senior platoon was named Lang's Grenadiers, while the junior platoon was called the Summerall Guards. Lang's resignation from office in 1933 caused the name of the senior platoon to be changed to the Bond Volunteers (in honor of Colonel Oliver James Bond, who had recently stepped down from serving as President of The Citadel). When Colonel Bond died, the senior platoon took the name Summerall Guards, while Bond Volunteers became the name of the junior platoon. The junior drill team should not be confused with the Junior Sword Drill, an entirely different unit. When the Bond Volunteers and Summerall Guards marched together, the combined unit was known as the Richardson Rifles. The name Richardson Rifles was used for the last time in 1943. See also SUMMERALL GUARDS and LANG'S GRENADIERS. (Source: Dennis D. Nicholson, A History of The Citadel: The Years of Summerall and Clark, pp. 29-31. U430 .C5 N53 1994) (HN & DH)
