A Chapter in the Legend of Ken Glass, Marine Corp. Veteran from Scio NY
By Chuck Wiser, I write the words to share what my eyes see and my heart feels
Several months ago, I was given the privilege to write an article about a proposed Scholarship Award program being developed to honor Scio, New York resident Kenneth (Ken) H. Glass, son of Corrinne and Tom Glass, who graduated from Scio Central School in 1978. The Glass family had been notified by Clarion University that the Sportsmanship Attitude Academic Scholarship was being established in his honor. Ken Attended Penn West Clarion University from 1978 till 1982. Following a distinguished career and retirement from the United State Marine Corps as a Chief Warrant Officer 4, after 26 years of dedicated service. The onset of the Covid Pandemic derailed the scholarship announcement and activities until just recently. Details of this distinguished event will follow a brief description and review of some of Ken’s accomplishments during and after his Scio Central School graduation.
In his high school years Ken was an all-around athlete (twice named to county baseball all-star squads) and was a stalwart on the 1970s basketball powerhouses under legendary Scio coach Roger Rigby. His prowess on the hardwood enabled him to be named to the Allegany County South All-Stars in both 1977 and 1978, and being chosen as county MVP in 1978. He set a school single-game scoring record with 58 points. In 2010 he was selected to the Allegany County Sports Hall of Fame joining his former coach Roger Rigby who is also a member of this Hall of Fame.
Ken’s storied career at Clarion University is noted in correspondence issued by Norbert A. Baschnagel, former Assistant Men’s Basketball Coach and Full Professor at Clarion University, and who is now Director of “Sportsmanship I” All-Star Basketball Games.
“Ken Glass was an outstanding student-athlete, had a great attitude, showed steadfast self-control, trust, and sportsmanship each day at practice and in games. He was one of the best conditioned student-athletes I ever worked with in my life and was an outstanding team player for the Men’s Basketball Team at Clarion University from 1978 to 1982. He was a member of the 1981 NCAA Division II Basketball Championship Regional Second Place Team with a record of (23-6), his four year record was (84-32 from 1978-1982 with over 20 wins a year)
After entering the Marine Corps in 1989, Ken continued to play basketball and was the MVP of the Okinawa USMC regional tournament in 1992. Later he was selected as a member of the All-Marine Men’s Basketball Team in 1991, 1992, and 1993. In 1994, he was selected as the Okinawa and Marine Corps bases Japan “Marine of the Year.” He was an honor graduate of the USMC martial arts instructor course at Parris Island, S.C. Recruit Training Center . Later he was an honor graduate from both the Advanced Staff Non-Commissioned Officer Course in 2000, and the Warrant Officer Basic Course in (2004).
While in the service, Ken was deployed to Iraq three times in support of Iraq Freedom and once to Afghanistan during Operation of Enduring Freedom. He was also honored with awards for: Outstanding Marine on Okinawa selected from among 47000 fellow Marines, Meritorious Service Medal for his financial acuity and for managing, controlling, and documenting; saving many millions of dollars of military expenditures assuring that American taxpayer dollars were “spent efficiently in support of anti-terrorism and peace keeping operations.”
Other awards included: Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medals and the Joint Service Achievement Medal.
Having already been deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan previously, Ken stepped up once again in showing just how truly he represented his loyalty and unheralded sacrifices already on display by coming through for a fellow Marine soldier. Faced with a deployment of that Marine, who had family circumstances that would be greatly affected and disrupted by that departure, Ken volunteered to be sent on the deployment himself, allowing his military team mate to stay at home with his wife and Family.
Professor Baschnagel reactivated Ken’s Scholarship Award activities recently and it is all coming to fruition with a ceremony April 1st, to be held at Keystone High School in Knox, PA. Following are comments and details of the award.
