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• 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 – 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 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 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 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 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 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, 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
• 9-11/1972 – 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
• 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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-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
• 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
• 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 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
• 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 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 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
• 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 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 – 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 – 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 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, 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 – 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 – 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: 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
• 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 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
• 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
• 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
• 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 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 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
• 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 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 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• 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
• Hey, I Could Really Use a Ride – 1971
  Timing is everything and I’m certain that West Point has ingrained that principle in the minds of all its graduates along with so many other important aspects of military life. … Read more
• Honor – Encounter with the Honor Code – 2021
       During the Coronavirus pandemic, classmates from Cadet Company E4 kept in touch with monthly Zoom meetings.  During one meeting there was a discussion of the Honor Code: “A cadet … Read more
• Honor – Honesty – 1973
  by Bob Jannarone      While I may think I have always been scrupulously honest, I must admit that I have a mischievous streak in me. That might have come from … Read more
• Honor – The Harder Right – 2001
       “Get yourself a good lawyer,” was the advice I kept hearing. I had just been selected to run a large water agency in Florida, and although people seemed genuinely … Read more
• Honor On the Line – The Seventh Flimsy, 1971
  by Eric Robyn 1971 … a period of extreme turbulence in the Army and American society.      I had just returned home from Vietnam.  Reunited with my wife Sally and … Read more
• Honor: The Role of Honor – 2011
  Once each year during the holidays, the Societies of all the Service Academies in the Greater Kansas City area sponsor a formal dinner in Kansas City to celebrate the cadets … Read more
• Honor: When Honor is Absent – 2006
                          The call from Governor Jeb Bush’s Chief of Staff came at 9 o’clock at night.  “Can you take over the Florida Correction’s Department at 6 am in the … Read more
• Hooch Area Dogs – 1972
  In Vietnam where I served, every compound of American GIs had their own dogs.  These were mostly fed mess hall scraps that the troops sneaked out for their canine buddies.  … Read more
• Identification Friend or Foe
  After graduating from the Air Defense Officer Advanced Course, I was assigned to a Hawk Missile Battalion in Korea. I spent the first seven months of my tour as the … Read more
• In Country Part I – 1970
  By Colonel Wayne Murphy, PhD, PE, Hue, Vietnam Part I At Cam Ranh Bay we deplaned and were placed into the standard quarters in base camps.  They were plywood, metal … Read more
• In Country Part II – 1970
  By Colonel Wayne Murphy, PhD, PE, Hue, Vietnam Part II The Vietnam War was mistakenly fought using draftees and soldiers with fixed individual one year tours.  Reserve units for the … Read more