A Promise Kept: Honoring a father’s legacy through The Citadel ring

September 27, 2024September 27, 2024 Students

By Cadet Zoe Crecos, SCCC ‘25

Cadets Michael and Robert Hart are twin brothers from the Class of 2025. Their family legacy is linked to their father, John “Jay” Hart Jr., a member of The Citadel’s Class of 1992. As his sons honor his memory and continue the tradition, his Citadel ring, engraved with ‘92, now holds even greater significance.

Their father passed away unexpectedly in October 2021, during the brothers’ freshmen, or knob, year. To honor his memory, the brothers made the decision to donate their father’s ring to The Citadel’s Band of Gold program, where it was melted down and incorporated into the Class of 2025 rings. This gesture reflects their deep respect for their father’s legacy and their dedication to the institution that played an important role in their lives.

A decision inspired by loss

Jay Hart was not just an alumnus of The Citadel; he was a man who embodied the values of servant leadership and humility. Jay had a magnetic personality that could light up a room, but he was equally comfortable in the background, doing things no one would notice.

“Whenever we’d be at a party, he’d be the life of the party on the dance floor,” Michael said. “But then he’d also be in the kitchen washing dishes afterwards. That’s just the kind of person he was.”

The twins said that donating their father’s ring felt like the right way to honor his legacy.

“We wanted his ring to have meaning beyond just us,” Robert explained. “It felt like a way to carry on his legacy, not just for us, but for other cadets too.”

The meaning of the ring

For Michael and Robert, wearing their father’s ring holds a great deal of importance. It represents their father’s resilience and dedication.

“When he started at The Citadel, he made himself two promises,” Michael recalled. “He promised he’d make it through knob year, and he promised he’d graduate. He always said he never specified what would happen in between, but he kept those two promises. That’s why he had ‘A Promise Kept’ inscribed inside his ring.”

Robert added, “That ring was special to him, and now it’s special to us.”

The Harts decided to engrave “Thanks, Dad” inside their rings. Additionally, they had a small Citadel ring crafted for their older sister, made from the same batch as their own Citadel rings.

“Her ring has a little bit of our batch in it too,” Robert said, underscoring the family’s bond through their shared experience.

Reflections and moving forward

The Hart twins acknowledge that their father’s presence is felt in everything they do at The Citadel.

“His stories about The Citadel were a huge part of why we chose to come here,” Michael explained. “We thought about other schools — the Naval Academy, West Point — but we kept coming back to The Citadel. It was like there was really only one option for us.”

As they anticipate Ring Day, a significant milestone for every Citadel cadet, Michael and Robert reflect on the meaning this moment holds for their family.

“It’s bittersweet,” Robert shared. “We wish our dad could be here to see us put on our rings, but we know he’ll be with us in spirit.”

Their mother and sister will be there to witness the moment, joining in the celebration of not just Michael and Robert’s accomplishment, but their father’s legacy as well.

“It’s going to be emotional for all of us,” Robert said. “But at the end of the day, we know he’s proud of us. And wearing his ring is a way to carry him with us, always.”

For the Hart twins, Ring Day is much more than the conclusion of their Citadel journey; it stands as a tribute to the love and legacy of the man who inspired them to walk the road less travelled. Jay Hart’s Band of Gold will live on, both through his sons and through the many cadets who will have the privilege of wearing a ring made with a part of his.

The Hart twins wish for readers to take away a vital lesson from their father’s story: the importance of looking out for one another. As Citadel graduates, they will carry their rings along with the friendships they formed, the latter holds far greater significance. It is essential to support each other, embody the traits of a good classmate and friend, and express appreciation for those around them. A meaningful insight shared with the twins is, “Some people wear the ring because of its meaning, and some people give meaning to the ring.” Their father’s story aims to inspire reflection on the kind of legacy one aspires to create.

About the Band of Gold program

The Citadel will celebrate the Class of 2025 with a traditional Ring Presentation Ceremony on Friday, Sept. 27.

The Citadel Alumni Association’s Band of Gold Program gives families of deceased alumni a chance to find an appropriate use for such a time-honored possession. Each year, the Band of Gold program uses the gold in previous class rings to craft the rings for the senior class, creating a connected history with alumni across the decades.

During the ceremony, the Class of 2025 will honor the alumni, and their families, who chose to donate their class rings to the Band of Gold program. Those alumni, all with special stories of their own, are:

Joseph G. McInerney, Jr., ’48
Maj. Jan W. de Graaf, USAF (Ret.), ’55
Lt. Col. William R. Von Harten, USMC (Ret.), ’55
Otis C. Jones, ’55
Carl R. Mees, ’55
Louis T. Brzezinski, ’65
Charles D. Burnside, ’65
William P. McCoy, ’65
James J. Meyers, Jr., ’65
David M. Pitzer, ’65
Samuel J. Steger, ’65
Harwood Beebe III, ’75
Craig W. Brooks, ’75
Alan C. Alpert, ’85
John M. Hart, ’92
R. Boyd Barker, ’95

Cadet Zoe Crecos is the Regimental Public Affairs Officer for the South Carolina Corps of Cadets. Crecos, who is from Palm Beach, Florida, is a Marketing and Business Development major with a minor in Data Science. When she graduates, she will be pursuing a career in Supply Chain at Boeing in Charleston, South Carolina.