Ol’ Weird learned the tools he needed for life while at West Point. He even earned his nickname there.
Besides a tremendous foundation in math, the sciences and engineering, we all got well-rounded in English and other foreign languages, law, psych, sosh and history, plus a few electives. By graduation, every last one of us had upwards of 200 credit hours, a genuine BS degree so broad we were qualified to be admitted to virtually any graduate program at any university in the country. Civilian professors were thrilled by our study habits and discipline, as we knocked out program requirements with astounding effectiveness.
My own personal appreciation of our cadet academics came in 1987, when I sat for the Engineer-in-Training exam. Having been out of school almost two decades, I showed up for the open book exam with nothing but a single yellow reference book and my old slide rule.
Kids I was taking the exam with arrived with shopping carts full of reference books, notes, texts and marvelous programmable graphing calculators. Never even having seen a slipstick, they were astounded when I showed them the technology that put a man on the moon. Most of them busted the exam, but dang if this old fart didn’t max that sucker! Many thanks to our Alma Mater.
What West Point Means To Me – Bruce Wheeler
What has being a member of the West Point class of 1969 meant to me? My moral compass continues to be aligned with The Cadet Prayer.
The friendships from cadet days and subsequently through assignments, mini-reunions and other activities and experiences have been rich and treasured. Cycling, skiing, safaris, as well as the cruises, a cup of coffee or wine with classmates has led me to appreciate the depth and breadth of shared life experiences with our class family. When I stood at Trophy Point on July 1, 1965 and subsequently at parades and in the reviewing stand, the memories leave me humbled and thankful for being a part of such a great class and institution.
What West Point Means To Me – Dick Wallace
To assess the impact of West Point on me, I conclude that the guiding influence was from the classmates with whom I had the most association. A-2 mates and those that I served with over my career. Always present was the deep-seated motivation to honor, or to in no way discredit my Class or West Point. All in all, that motivation made me a better person. I treasure and honor those relationships formed at West Point.
As a soldier, I was privileged to associate with the best citizens our nation produces – soldiers and families – who for long or short periods of their lives, strove to transcend focus on self and lived for the greater cause of service to our nation. For the most part, my West Point classmates and I lived in a time when the threat to the nation was real. We endeavored always to bring our West Point values to all aspects of our lives.
I have, for some time now, been enjoying the “fruits of liberty” sowed by our national abundance, character, creativity and productivity. My optimism for the future is fueled by the knowledge that there are still young Americans who endeavor to join the ranks of “The Long Gray Line” and follow the path from West Point wherever it may lead.
What West Point Means To Me – Pete Drower
West Point has meant three things for me – commitment, confidence and connections.
I was very young when I first talked about attending the academy. West Point was where people went in order to serve and to protect the country. As a cadet I felt that I had entered not just a profession but that I had also taken up a vocation – a vocation which required that you put country before self and that you give your best effort at all times.
The Army’s ethos was captured in West Point and its motto of Duty, Honor, Country. Even in civilian life these ideals formed my code of behavior. Whether I was working in Saudi Arabia or standing in front of a high school class in New Jersey I knew that I represented the academy and the country and needed to be sure that my performance reflected in a positive manner.
If West Point drove home the commitment to its values, it also gave me the confidence that I could meet the challenge. The cadet experience, stretching from befuddled plebe thru Buckner and on into “post-grad” Airborne and Ranger, showed me that I could reach inside to find what was needed to attain success. The experience also showed that teamwork was vital in any successful organization. I learned that in a tight situation teamwork could make the difference- “Cooperate and Graduate” was more than a slogan!
The time at West Point meant that I was more than an individual, I was part of all of the experiences our class shared at the academy and in the service. West Point formed a connection with my classmates and with the larger group of West Point graduates. The class identity has given me a sense of belonging to something larger than myself and a sense of pride. I am one part of a network of comrades. What I do reflects either positively or negatively not only on myself but on my class, on the academy and on the Army. Regardless of where our individual lives have taken us we have a desire to renew old friendships and acquaintances. It is more than a social connection, it is a shared identity.
What West Point Means To Me – Ray Dupere
Not counting obvious things like the birth of my kids, there have been three events in my life that I count as being both profound and life-changing. In chronological order the first was attending and graduating from West Point. The second was meeting my wife, Avril, which happened at a mixer during my Firstie Year at West Point (which story was told in “My West Point Love Story” on The Days Forward website).
And the third was coming to know Jesus Christ as my Savior which happened because of the witness of a roommate I had at West Point and my wife (which story was told in “From Crossed Rifles to the Cross” also on The Days Forward site). So, in one way or another, West Point has obviously been a hugely significant part of my life. And quite honestly, I doubt that my life would have taken the course it has if not for West Point. I’m sure that with almost every one of the civilian jobs I’ve had, the fact that I graduated from West Point was a major reason why I got the job. In some cases, I doubt I would have even been considered if not for West Point. In addition, people are constantly impressed when they hear that I graduated from West Point. I don’t think that is necessarily because I’m so unimpressive that they’re shocked to hear that even I was able to go there. Rather, I think that for everyday people who do not have a lot of exposure to West Point, they are routinely surprised and impressed when they come across someone who is a graduate. And of course, the education and training we received there were simply the best. While others were earning their college degrees with 120 credit hours, we were earning our diploma with about 180 credit hours. And we didn’t just take science courses, we took courses in all the various scientific disciplines. We graduated with a far greater knowledge base than your average college graduate then or now. In closing though, I think one final point needs to be made. When you attend and graduate from West Point you leave with this sense that you can do anything. Not a Superman kind of feeling, but rather the idea that whatever challenge might be thrown at you, somehow, some way, you will be able to handle it. If you can get through West Point, you can do anything!