Cadet Gunnar Ward Delivers Vespers Address on Resilience and Character

In this Vespers address, Cadet Gunnar Ward, a high school junior from Union, Missouri, speaks on resilience as a matter of daily choice rather than toughness or perfection. Drawing from his experience as Band Company 1st Sergeant, Cadet Ward emphasizes consistency — accepting correction, choosing effort when motivation fades and doing the right thing when no one is watching. He challenges cadets to be intentional about their habits and relationships, reminding them that ease is not the same as excellence.

He connects his message to the Cadet Prayer’s call to “choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong,” noting that leadership begins with integrity and character built over time. His address is followed by remarks from alumnus George Davison ’68, who reflects on MMA’s enduring motto — Diligo, Veneratio, Veritas — and its call to live out love, honor and truth as lifelong values.

MMA supports cadets of all faiths. On Sundays, cadets may attend a chosen place of worship, and the Academy transports them to and from their chosen local church. Vespers, a nondenominational Sunday evening service held in Memorial Chapel, is a time for cadets to reflect on the week behind them and mentally prepare for the week ahead. It’s a pause for self-reflection, growth, gratitude and prayer, supporting cadets' exploration of the spiritual dimension of their lives.