Our Treasure Trove

McDonough  – Our Treasure Trove

May the West Point Class of 1969 and their families join together in a “tip of the hat” to Bill Rice’s son (Christopher, also a grad), his widow (Suzanne), daughter (Meredith) and their very talented web designer upon the tenth anniversary of their wonderful gift to us of “The Days Forward.”

This remarkable publication has enriched the legacy of our Class and deepened the bonds between us, serving as both a record and an outpouring of our lives.  

The trove of treasured articles has given us joy, poignancy, and reflection, as well as a greater appreciation of the richness of our collective time on earth.  It has offered each of us an opportunity to reminisce, to express insights of what we came across on our individual journeys and how we dealt with them, what West Point meant and still means to us, and our love and respect for one another.  In many cases, it has given release to things we had held inside for years.  Often, it brought us back into contact with old friends and soldiers we once served with, many of whom search the site and, with careful screening and our permission, get back in touch.

Make no mistake, “The Days Forward” constitutes a record of our experiences that will last for generations.  In the near term, the present total of more than three hundred stories published on it will be digitized at the Honor Library in the Simon Center at West Point, available for review by cadets and other visitors.  With them will also be selected books, articles, studies, official reports and other publications authored by members of our Class.   Already present are hard copies of the 1969 Howitzer and our Legacy Book.  As they are completed, so too will be added the Memorial articles of our fallen comrades, which by design and with your help will eventually include all of us. In the end, it may be possible that no West Point class will have a more thorough (and preserved) collection of its personal history, both in and out of uniform, than the Class of 1969.

“The Days Forward” is a big part of this record.  You, members of the Class of 1969, are encouraged to offer your own stories to it.