THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, October 30, 1994 TAG: 9410280335
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS PAGE: 03 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: Rebecca Myers
LENGTH: Long : 114 lines
The year Alonzo E. Short Jr. was appointed captain of the I.C. Norcom football team was the year he went from being ``one of the boys to being a leader,'' a friend once commented.
Under Short's auspices, the Greyhounds went undefeated, untied and unscored upon until the last game of Short's senior year.
Ask Short about it and he'll tell you much of the credit for his ``metamorphosis'' goes to Walter ``Doc'' Hurley, Short's high school coach and present day mentor.
``I think the fact that Doc Hurley thought enough of me to want me to be the captain of the team let me know that I had to live up to some responsibilities, where heretofore I had, perhaps, not been living up to,'' said Short, a 1957 Norcom graduate.
``Not only now was I responsible for myself, I was accountable to my coaches and to my teammates for leadership. And when that comes down on you, it causes you to take stock of yourself and look deep down within you, and it also causes you to put your best foot forward.''
Short took that leadership from the football field to the fields of Vietnam, Okinawa, Europe and the Middle East during his 32-year career in the U.S. Army.
Before his Sept. 1 retirement as a three-star lieutenant general, Short was the highest ranking African-American on active duty in the Army since Gen. Colin Powell's retirement.
While in the service, Short was in charge of a communications system that kept the White House and all the branches of the military linked around the world. He now serves as chief executive officer and chairman of a Falls Church company that specializes in information engineering and technology, data administration and business services.
While a student at Norcom, it was not Short's intention to make a career of the military.
``The only thing that I know is that Coach (Walter) Hurley, Coach (Horace) Savage and Coach (Bob) Smith - and many of our other teachers - were just sort of beckoning us to go ahead and make something of ourselves, use the potential that we had, try to get an education if we could,'' he said.
Short went on to Virginia State, where it was mandatory for males who were not already veterans to be in the ROTC for two years. He liked the training, he said, and discipline.
``Not only did it teach discipline, it also taught good leadership skills - skills that I knew then that I could apply to whatever I did out here in life, whether it be the military or education or what have you,'' he said.
Short, who just last week moved to Alexandria, makes the trip to Portsmouth to see his mother, Rosa, and brother, Hal, several times a month.
``I at least try to spend one, sometimes two, weekends a month with my mother. Since I've been in the Washington area - back here on the East Coast - I'm normally down there at least two weekends a month,'' Short said in a telephone interview from his Falls Church office.
In fact, Short will return again this coming weekend to be the grand marshal in a parade Saturday celebrating a reunion of all I.C. Norcom alumni.
Short is no newcomer when it comes to parades. A few years ago, he was a parade marshal at Virginia State University, and in 1992, the city of Portsmouth had a parade in his honor.
``I guess I'll just be waving and smiling!'' he said with a chuckle.
Name: Alonzo Earl Short, Jr.
Nicknames: ``Fang'' and ``Al''
Neighborhood: Mount Hermon and Truxton
Number of years in Portsmouth: 22
Birthplace: Greenville, N.C.
Birthdate: 27 January 1939
Occupation: Chairman and CEO of MICAH Systems, Inc.
What other job than your own would you like? CEO of EDS or AT&T
Marital Status: Married to Rosalin Reid (a wonderful lady!) for more than 32 years
Children: Stan, 31, and Daniele, 26
Grandchildren: Stephen, 1
Fondest childhood memory: Growing up in a loving and nurturing family and community
First concert: 1958 at Virginia State University in Petersburg
What song or book title best describes your life? ``Amazing Grace''
If you won the lottery, what's the very first thing you'd buy? The McDonald's directly behind I.C. Norcom High School to help spark economic recovery and create jobs in our city. This McDonald's is closed and boarded up
If you could trade places for just one day with anyone in the world, who would it be and why? Walter ``Doc'' Hurley; just to see how it feels to be in the shoes of someone I greatly admire.
Biggest accomplishment: Being part of a loving and God-loving and -fearing family. Our love for God and each other grows daily and I cannot think of anything bigger or better.
Most embarrassing moment: I was the keynote speaker at a major conference in the nation's capital, and someone inadvertently removed my speech, and I had to wing it for 20 minutes.
If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be? Be more compassionate and helpful to my fellow man
Perfect way to spend the day: With my wife spoiling our grandson, Stephen
I can't resist: Chocolate
Favorite Portsmouth restaurant: The Circle
Favorite Portsmouth hangout: Fagan's (long since closed)
Biggest problem facing Portsmouth: Lack of economic opportunity and clear vision for the future
If you had three wishes for Portsmouth, what would they be?
More compliance to the call of 2 Chronicles 7:14
More racial harmony and genuine concern for one another
Economic recovery and growth
Other than its small-town atmosphere, what do you like about living in Portsmouth? When I lived in Portsmouth, the city had a winning spirit. It seemed as though all odds could be overcome. I would love to see that spirit re-ignited. ILLUSTRATION: Staff photo by BILL KELLY III
KEYWORDS: INTERVIEW PROFILE
by CNB