Henry McCorkle served in the U.S. Army as a First Lieutenant with Company G, 25th Regiment United States Infantry during the Spanish American War. He was appointed 2d lieutenant of the Infantry on August 1, 1891 and promoted to 1st lieutenant on April 25, 1898. The Spanish American War is the first war that is mentioned in the Shield & Diamond magazine, and it is likely the first war, after the Fraternity's founding, in which Pikes served.
First Lieutenant Henry Leftwich McCorkle became the first known Pi Kappa Alpha war death. On July 1, 1898, Lt. McCorkle was commanding his company in the Battle of El Caney near Santiago, Cuba. The company was participating in an assault on a heavily fortified stone fort, and during a period in which the men were resting to reload their weapons on the firing line, McCorkle was shot by a sharp-shooter through the chest. McCorkle's last letter home reflected the values of service and humility taught in the Fraternity's ritual. After describing the gallant Rough Riders in glowing terms, he wrote, "Don't expect anything brilliant of me, but I will do my duty."
