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• 39er
  John Hamilton  – 39er        “A day does not go by I don’t think of him.” Words that often reflect the sentiments of those who experienced combat in Vietnam. I… Read more: 39er
• 9-11 – Executive Office of the President – 2001
  by Al Leister Where were you when…? September 11, 2001 started as a beautiful fall day in Washington, DC. I was the Program Manager for the IT support contract for… Read more: 9-11 – Executive Office of the President – 2001
• 9-11 – Observations from Lower Manhattan – 2001
  by Doug Johnson The day after the attack on September 11, 2001, I sat down and wrote to my family about what I had experienced. This is extracted from that… Read more: 9-11 – Observations from Lower Manhattan – 2001
• 9-11 Experience from Abroad – 2001
       When 9/11 happened, I was working for British Petroleum whose headquarters was in London.  In the afternoon on 9/11 I flew on a 1 ½ hour British Airline flight… Read more: 9-11 Experience from Abroad – 2001
• 9-11 from Oklahoma – 2001
  by Dave Himes        On Sept. 11, 2001, my wife and I were visiting my mom in Lawton, OK on the occasion of her 80th birthday just two days before.… Read more: 9-11 from Oklahoma – 2001
• 9-11 from the Hudson Valley – 2001
  by Bob Jannarone SEPTEMBER 11, 2001      We lived in Cornwall-on-Hudson, New York in 2001.  We had retired over a year before from our jobs at West Point and were… Read more: 9-11 from the Hudson Valley – 2001
• 9-11 in Georgia – 2001
  by Suzanne Rice      Like every American who was alive on September 11, 2001, when the anniversary comes around each year, I remember the horrors of that day felt even… Read more: 9-11 in Georgia – 2001
• 9-11 In Northern Virginia – 2001
  by Glenn Porter      As a Department of Defense contractor, I arrived at HQ Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) at 9:00 A.M. to sign a new contract scheduled for 9:30… Read more: 9-11 In Northern Virginia – 2001
• 9-11 Near Philadelphia – 2001
  by Bernie Tatro      I was at work as Director of Marketing for Jerome Medical in a New Jersey suburb of Philadelphia. Someone received a call about the first attack, and… Read more: 9-11 Near Philadelphia – 2001
• 9-11, The Pentagon – 2001
  by Harry Dolton By Colonel Harry Dolton, Pentagon Numerous graduates of the Class of 1969 have served in the Pentagon over the past forty-five years in a wide array of military… Read more: 9-11, The Pentagon – 2001
• 9-11/1972 – Terror Times Two – 2001
  by Ernie and Mary Ann Albanese Mary Ann Albanese: Stationed with the 141st Signal Battalion in Göppingen, near Nuremberg, Germany in 1972 Ernie and I had the opportunity to make… Read more: 9-11/1972 – Terror Times Two – 2001
• A Close Call for Bob Hope – 1971
  Eradicating rat infestation on FSB Maude may have been Charlie Battery’s primary focus in December 1971, but the artillery battery’s parent organization, the 196th Light Infantry Brigade, narrowly avoided everlasting… Read more: A Close Call for Bob Hope – 1971
• A Grandson’s Question, part 1 – 1971
       It hit me when one of my young grandsons asked me about the time of Veteran’s Day, “Pop, did you ever shoot or kill anyone?”  A completely innocent question… Read more: A Grandson’s Question, part 1 – 1971
• A Grandson’s Question, part 2: The Chaplain Wins the Silver Star – 1971
  The Chaplain Wins the Silver Star At this point, I got more control of myself and went from being a rifleman to being the LT.  I scurried over to our… Read more: A Grandson’s Question, part 2: The Chaplain Wins the Silver Star – 1971
• A Memory from R-Day Class of 1969
  My folks were excited that I got an appointment to West Point.  It was a Saturday morning at breakfast that I got the call from our Congressman Garner Shriver (a… Read more: A Memory from R-Day Class of 1969
• A Memory of R-Day at West Point
  Mine is a pre-West Point story and shows how little I knew about West Point.  I’m from Long Island so my admission physical was done at Fort Jay on Governor’s… Read more: A Memory of R-Day at West Point
• A Mercedes Benz on a Captain’s Pay – 1975
  Steve’s story is a surprise ending to George Coan’s “Diary of a Carpool” story – even George doesn’t know the twist in the story! Please read George’s story first and… Read more: A Mercedes Benz on a Captain’s Pay – 1975
• A Night On Greasy Mountain – 1969
  Guys who wear the RANGER tab frequently make a distinction between “Summer Rangers” and “Winter Rangers,” especially if they claim to be the latter.  There are several reasons why winter… Read more: A Night On Greasy Mountain – 1969
• A POW Story – 1973
  I was the Aeroscout Platoon leader flying OH-6A scout helicopters for F Troop, 9th Cavalry, from 7 Sep 72 until the Vietnam cease fire announcement by President Nixon on 23… Read more: A POW Story – 1973
• A Refrigerator in Korea 1973
  By Suzanne Rice, wife of COL Bill Rice, 1-15 Field Artillery, Camp Stanley, Korea After we moved into a larger place in Ui Jong Bu, Bill decided that we could… Read more: A Refrigerator in Korea 1973
• A Semi-final Resting Place, Part 1 – 2018
  I was recently watching a Season 2 episode of “Designated Survivor” and the closing scene showed President Kirkman and his brother standing at the grave of the First Lady who… Read more: A Semi-final Resting Place, Part 1 – 2018
• A Semi-final Resting Place, Part 2 – 2018
  San Marcos Cemetery, San Marcos, Texas: The San Marcos Cemetery is what I think of when I think of a cemetery. It was not large, nor was it flat, nor… Read more: A Semi-final Resting Place, Part 2 – 2018
• A Surreal Sequel to the Surreal Story – 1992
  Prior to the Moscow trip we spent almost 3 months commuting to DC to brief all of the politicians (and there were many) who thought they should be involved in… Read more: A Surreal Sequel to the Surreal Story – 1992
• A Surreal Story – 1992
       As most of you know my post-West Point service was in the US Air Force as a B-52 pilot. At that time, the B-52 was one of the primary… Read more: A Surreal Story – 1992
• A Tribute to Army Docs – 1995
  by Eric Robyn “You have the right knee of a 60-year-old man!” The year was 1995 and I was 48 years old. The Army doctor conducting my retirement physical was… Read more: A Tribute to Army Docs – 1995
• A Tribute to Two Great Pilots – 1970
   Himes – A Tribute to Two Great Pilots – 1970 Those of us who graduated from West Point, but entered the US Air Force for our service, gained a different… Read more: A Tribute to Two Great Pilots – 1970
• A Warrior Remembered 1971
  In recognition of Memorial Day, I reviewed the list of fallen classmates we lost in Vietnam. While many of the names I recognized and can say that I knew several… Read more: A Warrior Remembered 1971
• A-Man, 9/11 and George Marshall – 2001
  by Geoff Prosch It was my honor to serve on President George W. Bush’s team 2001-2009 as Principal Deputy and Acting Assistant Secretary of the Army (Installations and Environment).  The… Read more: A-Man, 9/11 and George Marshall – 2001
• Adventure With Clickaroo – 2014
  To commemorate the 200th story published by thedaysforward.com, we present the story of how it all began. It was in December 2013 that the idea of thedaysforward was born on… Read more: Adventure With Clickaroo – 2014
• Adventures at MS 399, part 1 – 2000
       Let me preface my story by saying I’m not trying to make anyone think I am some kind of math wiz or superstar teacher. This is a game I… Read more: Adventures at MS 399, part 1 – 2000
• Adventures in Spain – 1976
      Choosing the Air Force on Branch Night would take me to places different than my classmates, doing different things. I joined twenty-five of our classmates who went into the… Read more: Adventures in Spain – 1976
• Adventures of a Firefighter – 1974 – 2007
       Fort Lewis, WA was my next assignment after returning from Vietnam in 1973. It was at Fort Lewis that preparation for a second career began.  I joined the local… Read more: Adventures of a Firefighter – 1974 – 2007
• Air Force Bits – 1972, part 1
  Flying north along the South China Sea coastline from our home base at Ninh Hoa, before we got to Tuy Hoa and Qui Nhon, the Vung Ro Point, a mountainous… Read more: Air Force Bits – 1972, part 1
• Air Force Bits – 1972, part 2
  Combat Air Crew – 1972      So that air crews do not get overly exhausted, Air Force regulations state that pilots are not allowed to exceed 100 hours flight time… Read more: Air Force Bits – 1972, part 2
• Air War
      My path into USAF from West Point was due to my dad. Army policy at the time allowed graduating cadets to be commissioned in another DoD branch if they… Read more: Air War
• An Adventure in the “Socialist Paradise” – 1990
  In 1990, as an exchange officer serving in the State Department, I was involved in arms control negotiations and treaty compliance issues between our country and the Soviet Union.  One… Read more: An Adventure in the “Socialist Paradise” – 1990
• An Engineer’s Dream Trip – 1978
       In the fall during the late 70s, I was assigned to the Corps of Engineers Pacific Ocean Division headquartered at Ft Shafter in Hawaii.  It was a great job… Read more: An Engineer’s Dream Trip – 1978
• An Opportunity to Share
  Ray Dupere  – An Opportunity to Share In one of my Days Forward stories, I opened by saying that today’s candidates are far better qualified for West Point than I… Read more: An Opportunity to Share
• Army-Navy from Georgia 1969
  Mike and I met in 1962 (I was 15) while I was vacationing in his summer home of Red River, New Mexico, a small mountain village where Mike worked during… Read more: Army-Navy from Georgia 1969
• At Normandy with President Reagan 1984
  By Colonel Eric Robyn, Aide to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe, 1983-1985 As Aide to the Supreme Allied Commander Europe (SACEUR), 1983-1985, I was privileged to accompany General Bernard Rogers… Read more: At Normandy with President Reagan 1984
• Beast Barracks Ticket to Moscow – 1991
  By Jim Russell, Beast Barracks Ticket to Moscow One of the few opportunities we new cadets had to choose among options during Beast Barracks, the first grueling weeks at West… Read more: Beast Barracks Ticket to Moscow – 1991
• Best Battery Competition 1973-74
  By Suzanne Rice, wife of COL Bill Rice, 1-15 Field Artillery, Camp Stanley, Korea Best Battery Competition – 1973Twice each year the Second Infantry Division Artillery held the DivArty Stakes. In… Read more: Best Battery Competition 1973-74
• Birth of the Night Stalkers – 1980
  Birth of the Night Stalkers Back in January 1980, Ol’ Weird was newly arrived for his third tour at Fort Bragg, fresh from Foreign Area Officer work in 17 Latin… Read more: Birth of the Night Stalkers – 1980
• Bob Hope – 1970
  The kick-off for the Bob Hope USO tour in 1970 was at West Point on December 15.  Since my dad was the Dean of the Academic board, one of three… Read more: Bob Hope – 1970
• Bomber Stories Over Vietnam
  “This is the Sign of the True Professional – To March to the Sound of the guns.” For those of you who have not looked in a while, this is… Read more: Bomber Stories Over Vietnam
• Brass in the Tower 1987-94
  One of the things I turned out to be pretty good at during high school was music. I could always find the right pitches in church songs, and jazz and… Read more: Brass in the Tower 1987-94
• Bridge Over the River Kwai – 1997
  This is a story about when we were in Thailand. It was in 1997 and I was the Westinghouse Country Manager in Bangkok. My wife, Susan, convinced me it would… Read more: Bridge Over the River Kwai – 1997
• Brush With History 1981
  I met my sister bright and early at 8 a.m. at Atlanta Hartsfield International Airport for our first ever Sister’s Week in Georgia. She left Southern Illinois, her husband and… Read more: Brush With History 1981
• CAPS – Detecting and Defeating Foreign WMD Threats 1992-2008
  In the late 1980s the Cold War seemed to be coming to an end, and my work as a nuclear weapons designer was about to lose a lot of significance.… Read more: CAPS – Detecting and Defeating Foreign WMD Threats 1992-2008
• Caring for Army Families – 2001
  When I arrived in the Pentagon in June 2001, one of our biggest challenges was dealing with the Army’s old, deteriorating and insufficient number of on-post family housing units. One… Read more: Caring for Army Families – 2001
• Challenger Investigation Commission – 1986
       In January 1986 I was an Army major serving as the Military Assistant to the Principal Associate Director for National Security and International Affairs in the Office of Management… Read more: Challenger Investigation Commission – 1986
• Change of Command on Freedom’s Frontier, Korea 1974
  By Suzanne Rice, wife of COL Bill Rice, 1-15 Field Artillery, Camp Stanley, Korea Most people think that a big bureaucracy like the U.S. Army, one of the largest organizations in… Read more: Change of Command on Freedom’s Frontier, Korea 1974
• Chicken Coop – 1979
  Miller, Chicken Coop – 1979 Interested in the prequel? The War That Never Happened (https://thedaysforward.com/the-war-that-didnt-happen-1979/) explains the background for my assignment as the US exchange officer to the Mexican National… Read more: Chicken Coop – 1979
• Christmas in Korea – 1973
  How to celebrate Christmas in a non-Christian country? Because I had showed up in South Korea unauthorized with only a suitcase of clothes https://thedaysforward.com/second-infantry-division-education-program-1973/, there were few options for decorations… Read more: Christmas in Korea – 1973
• Class Rank Matters – 1975
  Jim Bachta was our perennial Brigade Boxing Champ at 132 lbs1.  He graduated 189th in our class.  I was 35 files behind him at 224.2 We both branched Armor.  Luck… Read more: Class Rank Matters – 1975
• Combat Related Special Compensation – 2021
       A number of my classmates and I have diseases related to exposure to Agent Orange* in Viet Nam.  I urge those who were wounded and those have those diseases… Read more: Combat Related Special Compensation – 2021
• Country – A View from Abroad – 1975
        The University of Bonn had the reputation, among West German universities in the mid-1970’s, of being relatively conservative and orderly.  However, when I was privileged to study there beginning… Read more: Country – A View from Abroad – 1975
• Country – My Friend Ed – 2010
  \      I, like my WP ’69 classmates, have had the good fortune during my military and civilian careers to have met some really remarkable individuals along the way. For… Read more: Country – My Friend Ed – 2010
• Country – Reflections
       In keeping with this site’s call for reflective articles on the meaning of West Point’s motto to us over the years, I offer this impression on the third, and… Read more: Country – Reflections
• Country – The War – 2023
  From Jim McDonough, THE WAR – 2023 Speech given at the Army-Navy Club, July 2023, in remembrance of 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War      How do… Read more: Country – The War – 2023
• Court Martial – 1972
  When I was the Company Commander of an Engineer Company at Fort Benning, Georgia from January 1972 to March 1973, I had several drug pushers and other malcontents.  Once I… Read more: Court Martial – 1972
• Crossing Cultures – 1976
  By Claudia Clark, WIFE OF LTC PHIL CLARK While Phil was fighting a war in Vietnam, I was demonstrating against that war in Germany.  The general opinion in Germany of the… Read more: Crossing Cultures – 1976
• Decoys – 1974
      I served in Korea in 1974-75 as the Battalion Signal Officer for the 1st Battalion 31st Field Artillery, an Honest John Rocket Battalion located at Camp Stanley, Ui Jong… Read more: Decoys – 1974
• Defining Moment 1972
  by Bob Jannarone A defining moment of my life came while I was a Company Commander at Ft. Benning, GA, in 1972. After about four months in command, I looked… Read more: Defining Moment 1972
• Destination Alaska – 1970
  I didn’t meet Harold Lee Maxson (called Tub) until he was close to the end of his years at West Point. Tub and I would have been married 50 years… Read more: Destination Alaska – 1970
• Dinner with Friends – 1970’s
       Many American military posts might be considered remote to some who live in the large metropolitan areas of the U.S. Those who have been assigned to foreign countries often… Read more: Dinner with Friends – 1970’s
• Down Under…With No Reserve ‘Chute – 1978
       I certainly claim no expertise or long experience in parachuting, as do many classmates and “master blaster” friends, some with hundreds of static-line and free-fall jumps.  My brief parachuting… Read more: Down Under…With No Reserve ‘Chute – 1978
• Duty – In Gratitude for Chaplains – 2001
       Over the course of my life as an “army brat,” a soldier and a retiree I have been well served by military chaplains representing a wide array of backgrounds,… Read more: Duty – In Gratitude for Chaplains – 2001
• Duty and The Deadline Report – 1970
       In June 1970, ten weeks into my first assignment and three weeks after making first lieutenant, I assumed command of B Troop, 3rd Squadron, 7th Cavalry, in Schweinfurt. 3/7… Read more: Duty and The Deadline Report – 1970
• Duty, Honor, Country – Through the Years with Coach K
  My first experience with Mike Krzyzewski was as a Company mate the first two years, before I was shuttled off to a new Company.  The first plebe year re-sectioning for… Read more: Duty, Honor, Country – Through the Years with Coach K
• Duty, Honor, Country – Coach K – 1975-2021
       By Pete Grimm As a class we were all proud to see Mike tapped to coach Army and, for what seems now only a moment, sorry to see him… Read more: Duty, Honor, Country – Coach K – 1975-2021
• Duty, Honor, Country – Motto Lived – 1971
  Author’s note:  I shared this story about Barry McGee with my A-2 mates at a recent reunion. Several advocated that I should share this anecdote with the Class.      Most… Read more: Duty, Honor, Country – Motto Lived – 1971
• Duty: Rwanda – 1994
  McDonough, DUTY:  RWANDA 1994      I had been granted the opportunity to command at brigade level late in my career, something I had aspired to for some time.  But it… Read more: Duty: Rwanda – 1994
• Enriching Our Friendships
  Robyn, Sally Congratulations to The Days Forward for 10 years of memories!  I could not have anticipated the gift this website has been to all of us associated with the… Read more: Enriching Our Friendships
• Europe – Over Three Decades
  From: Scott Wallace (1983-1988, 1992-1994, 2001-2003)      I had the privilege of serving in various US Army positions in Europe (principally Germany) over 9 years.  Each of my tours was… Read more: Europe – Over Three Decades
• FB Rifle – Work Continues – 1971
  On Fire Base Rifle and along its access road work continued at a fair pace.       As time went on, we started to find some explosives along the road during… Read more: FB Rifle – Work Continues – 1971
• FB Rifle Rebuild – 1971
  In early April or so, I took on new mission.   We were to enter a “new” AO (area of operations), reopen a road and build a first-class permanent firebase for… Read more: FB Rifle Rebuild – 1971
• Field Force Chuckles – 2021
  Each state has a “West Point Field Force” of volunteer grads and parents who help young candidates assess whether West Point is a fit for them and assist the Congressional… Read more: Field Force Chuckles – 2021
• Fighting Fires – Yellowstone National Park 1988
  By Suzanne Rice wife of COL Bill Rice, 1-84 Field Artillery, Ft. Lewis, Washington      Yellowstone National Park is on fire! In the 1940’s, fire, like disease, insect infestation, and weather… Read more: Fighting Fires – Yellowstone National Park 1988
• Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 1 of 3
  Part 1 I reported into Phu Bai and was given my platoon command.  It was a bit under strength in personnel with only a few NCOs.  My “experienced” platoon sergeant… Read more: Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 1 of 3
• Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 2 of 3
  Fine Dining – 1970 Fine Dining Part 2 The mess situation was pretty good if you were in the rear – two or three hot meals a day.  On a… Read more: Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 2 of 3
• Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 3 of 3
  The work on the hill was basically manual labor. I had a M426 bulldozer for a while, but the demand for engineer stuff was great and the Battalion Commander LTC… Read more: Finally a Combat Engineer Platoon – 1970 Part 3 of 3
• First Day as a Forward Observer – 1970
       March 1970 was a turbulent time of unrest and deep cultural division over the Vietnam War.  Despite the emotional and strident voices of opposition, this Field Artillery Second Lieutenant… Read more: First Day as a Forward Observer – 1970
• First Digital Military Radios 2004-2007
  One software project in my software career that may be of interest was that I worked on the team at Harris RF Communications, which developed the first digital military radios… Read more: First Digital Military Radios 2004-2007
• First Time Flying
  Great life changing event. Would not wish to change any of it, not on your lives! Flew (my first time ever) to Idlewild Airport and bused into Manhattan Hotel. That… Read more: First Time Flying
• Fish Killer – 1975
  From 1972 till 1975, the First Cavalry Division at Fort Hood was an experimental test bed for the US Army, trying all kinds of innovations.  The division was called TRICAP… Read more: Fish Killer – 1975
• Flying with Kay – 1975
   “Man, you should have seen the babe the Old Man picked up yesterday!” “Yeah, she was gorgeous, but she’s enlisted.  A Platoon Sergeant.  I hope he doesn’t get in trouble… Read more: Flying with Kay – 1975
• Framing the Army of the Future – 1995
  By Suzanne Rice, wife of COL Bill Rice, Chief of Plans and Operations, Third U. S. Army, Ft. McPherson, Georgia When General Dennis Reimer, USMA Class of 1962, was named… Read more: Framing the Army of the Future – 1995
• Freedom Bird – 1972
  Ol’ Weird arrived in Vietnam early in 1972 and served entirely in the mountainous part of II Corps, the central section of South Vietnam, mostly flying Huey helicopters in support… Read more: Freedom Bird – 1972
• From Crossed Rifles to the Cross – 1975
  I was rummaging through a box of stuff recently and came across a photograph of myself dating back to my high school days. Looking at my young self-50+ years later… Read more: From Crossed Rifles to the Cross – 1975
• Gary Steele, Tight End – 2008
  On 12 October 1968, a Saturday, Army hosted Cal-Berkeley at West Point.  Rain and cold had cancelled the regular Saturday morning full-dress parade on the Plain.  The weather was not… Read more: Gary Steele, Tight End – 2008
• GDP Redux – 1990
  The Cold War was a period in U.S. history that defines our generation, our Army experience and much of the collective experience of our military careers for the Class of… Read more: GDP Redux – 1990
• Getting Ready for Vietnam – 1970
  I chose Armor branch in the main because of the large number of positive Armor role models on the Academy faculty.  As I was also volunteering for a Vietnam assignment… Read more: Getting Ready for Vietnam – 1970
• Global Air Adventure
  In early 1971, I was a co-pilot in a global air refueling squadron that rotated crews in and out of Eastern Thailand and Fairbanks, Alaska from our home base in… Read more: Global Air Adventure
• God Bless the U.S.A. – 1987
       It was a pitch-black night – early morning, really, long before sunrise. 15,000 of the most patriotic, courageous soldiers in the US Army had marched to the parade ground… Read more: God Bless the U.S.A. – 1987
• Guardian Angels – 1972
  Continuation of stories about flying Hueys in Vietnam during 1972.  See part 1, “Smoke”. Craziest thing I remember about “bombing” was one really windy day around March ‘72 when I… Read more: Guardian Angels – 1972
• Gym at R-Day
  Vividly recall sweating through our first long, slow line of the day, right after leaving the gym … still in civvies, with suitcase in hand and a bewildered expression. After… Read more: Gym at R-Day
• Haircut before R-Day
  My parents dropped me off at the entrance to central area after a couple days drive from my home near Chicago.  We stopped one day in PA to visit my… Read more: Haircut before R-Day
• Halloween Surprises – 1983
  Getting orders to Germany in 1982 was not what we wanted, but like all dutiful Army families, we did as ordered. We settled in a very small dorf (village) on… Read more: Halloween Surprises – 1983
• Headed to R-Day with no experience
  I took United Airlines from SFO to NYC; found Port Authority, & a bus to the Thayer.  When I arrived, I did run around with a group of guys who… Read more: Headed to R-Day with no experience