How One Aggie’s Sketch Became a Symbol of Corps History

The year was 1964. In Dorm 8 on the Quad, a young Daniel Petty ’66—sophomore advisor of Texas A&M University’s Fish Drill Team—was flipping through the pages of a military science textbook when inspiration struck him. 

Pen in hand, he drew out his vision for an original Fish Drill Team insignia—an eagle symbolizing unity, crossed sabers representing strength and honor, and a crown conveying competitive success. In the center, he designed a diagonal-striped shield alluding to the maroon-and-white braided cords seen on the team’s uniforms and shared the sketch for consideration.

That piece of paper became a piece of history. Over the next 60 years—through team championships, consecutive national titles and even a recent induction into the Military Drill Hall of Fame—that emblem has endured as the squad’s official insignia and established a legacy that remains to this day.

“The team has transitioned in many ways since I was on it, but the emphasis on precision, excellence and discipline remains,” Petty said. “It’s so meaningful to still see that insignia in use each time I return to campus.”