New York City for Modification

2002 officers AZTEC CLUB President Mr. Richard H. Breithaupt, Jr. OF 1847 Vice President Hon. Raymond L. Drake Secretary Hon. William W. Huss, Jr. Treasurer Cdr. C. Lansdowne Hunt, USN (Ret.) Registrar Capt. Thomas J. Turpin, USN (Ret.) Executive Committee Mr. Patrick J. Griffin, III Mr. David L. Whelchel, Jr. ADVISORY COUNCIL Col. William Leland Hires, USA (Ret.) Capt. Samuel Cooper Dawson, USNR (Ret.) Maj. Stirling Stokely Wilson Nicholas Donnell Ward, Esq. Hughlett Money Henderson SPRING TOUR GUIDE Cdr. John Conway Hunt, USNR (Ret.) Capt. Thomas Jefferson Turpin, USN (Ret.) West Point Cdr. C. Lansdowne Hunt, USN (Ret.) Washington’s Headquarters at The Hon. Richard B. Abell Newburgh Chaplain The Rev. Canon Robert G. Carroon Verplanck House at Mt. Gulian may 2, 2002 THE U.S. MILITARY ACADEMY Superintendent from l8l7-l833. He upgraded academic standards, instilled The mission of the U.S. Military Academy is to educate, train, and inspire the military discipline and emphasized honorable conduct. Aware of our young Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of nation's need for engineers, Thayer made civil engineering the foundation character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country; professional of the curriculum. For the first half century, USMA graduates were largely growth throughout a career as an officer in the United States Army; and a lifetime of selfless service to the Nation. Founded on March 16, 1802, the Academy is now celebrating its Bicentennial. But West Point’s role in America’s history dates back even earlier to the Revolutionary War, when both sides realized the strategic importance of the commanding plateau on the west bank of the Hudson River. General George Washington considered West Point to be the most strategic position in America. He personally selected Thaddeus Kosciuszko, one of the heroes of Saratoga, to design the fortifications in 1778. In 1779, General Washington transferred his headquarters to West Point. Continental soldiers built forts, batteries and redoubts and extended a l50-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fortress West Point was never captured by the British, despite Benedict Arnold's treason. Today, several links from that chain are arranged at Trophy Point as a reminder of West Point’s original fortifications. West Point is the oldest continuously occupied military post in America. Several soldiers and legislators, including Washington, Knox, Hamilton and John Adams, desiring to eliminate America's wartime reliance on foreign West Point as it appeared in 1828 engineers and artillerists, urged the creation of an institution devoted to the arts and sciences of warfare. responsible for the construction of the bulk of the nation's initial railway lines, bridges, harbors and roads. In 1802 President Thomas Jefferson signed the legislation establishing the U.S. Military Academy to create an institution devoted to the arts and Although today sciences of warfare. He took this action after ensuring that those attending the cu rriculum the Academy would be representative of a democratic society. This m a i n t a i n s i t s effectively eliminated America’s wartime reliance on foreign engineers and f o c u s o n artillerists. West Point became the nation’s first engineering school and engineering, in served as the model for engineering programs which were eventually recent decades established at other colleges. the program of instruction has Today’s Military Academy is a vastly different institution from the small m a r k e d l y academy legislated into being by Congress in 1802. Originally just 1,800 changed to permit acres, the Academy has grown to more than 16,000 acres. The first cadets to major in graduating class numbered just two men; today’s classes graduate more any one of more than 900 new officers annually, both men and women. than a d ozen f i e l d s . T h i s Colonel Sylvanus Thayer, the “father of the Military Academy,” served as t r a d i t i o n o f The Hudson River from Trophy Point a c a d e m ic a n d military excellence, guided by a unique standard of moral and ethical In World War I, Academy conduct, remains the cornerstone of the West Point experience. g r a d u a t e s a g a i n distinguished themselves on the battlefield. After the w a r , S u p e r i n t e n d e n t Douglas MacArthur sought to diversify the academic curriculum. In recognition of the intense physical d e m an d s o f m odern warfare, MacArthur pushed for major changes in the p h ysic a l fitn e s s a n d i n t r a m u r a l a t h l e t i c Cavalry Training programs. “Every cadet an a t h l e te ” b e c a m e a n important goal. Additionally, the cadet management of the Honor System, long an unofficial tradition, was formalized with the creation of the Cadet Cadet Chapel Above Washington Hall Honor Committee. It is said at West Point that “much of the history we teach was made by Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley, Arnold, Clark, Patton, Stilwell and people we taught.” The Academy has produced famous leaders throughout Wainwright were among an impressive array of Academy graduates who met its illustrious past. After gaining experience and national recognition during the challenge of leadership in the Second World War. The postwar period the Mexican and Indian wars, West Point graduates dominated the highest again saw sweeping revisions to the West Point curriculum resulting from ranks on both sides during the Civil War. Academy graduates, headed by the dramatic developments in science and technology, the increasing need generals such as Grant, Lee, Sherman and Jackson, set high standards of to understand other cultures and the rising level of general education in the military leadership for both the North and South. Army. More recently, 34 of the 38 World War I corps and division commanders In 1964, President Johnson signed legislation increasing the strength of the were graduates. World War II would see 59 out of 164 graduates reach Corps of Cadets from 2,529 to 4,417 (more recently reduced to 4,000). To brigadier general or higher, to include Eisenhower, MacArthur, Bradley and keep up with the growth of the Corps, a major expansion of facilities began Patton. In more recent conflicts — MacArthur and Ridgeway in Korea, shortly thereafter. Westmoreland and Abrams in Vietnam, and Schwarzkopf in Desert Storm — West Pointers were in command. Academy graduates have also excelled in Since it’s founding two centuries ago, the Military Academy fulfills the same air and space exploration, and countless others went on from military mission as it always has to educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets. service to be leaders in medicine, law, business, religion and sciences. It accomplishes this mission by developing cadets in three essential areas: intellectual, physical and military. These developmental paths are balanced The development of other technical schools in the post-Civil War period and fully integrated into the daily life of each young man and woman at the allowed West Point to broaden its curriculum beyond a strict civil Academy. engineering focus. Following the creation of Army post-graduate command and staff schools, the Military Academy came to be viewed as the first step Intellectual growth is fostered through an academic curriculum consisting in a continuing Army education. of a core program of 30 courses providing a fundamental knowledge of the arts and sciences. The core program builds the foundation for electives that permits the cadets to explore in greater depth a field of study or an optional major. The four-year course leads to a Bachelor of Science degree and a Integrity is reflected in the Cadet Honor Code which states: “A cadet shall commission as a second lieutenant in the Army. not lie, cheat steal, or tolerate those who do.” Respect denotes that cadets treat others with the same respect and dignity they themselves would expect. At West Point, it is not enough to train leaders - they must be leaders of character. Admission is keenly competitive and is open to young men and women from each state and socio-economic level. Prospective cadets must receive a nomination by a member of Congress or from the Department of the Army. Candidates are evaluated on their academic, physical and leadership potential, indicating all-around individuals. The life of a cadet is demanding, but leisure time does permit such activities as golf or skiing, sailing or ice skating. Intramural clubs include a cadet radio station, orienteering and Big Brother-Big Sister. A wide variety of religious activities are available to cadets from virtually all religious backgrounds. With the expansion of knowledge and the changing needs of the Army and the nation, life at West Point has changed to keep pace. Ever aware of its rich heritage, the U.S. Military Academy is developing leaders for tomorrow, and its focus remains the national needs of the 21st century. Washington Monument at West Point In concert with the increasing role of minorities and women in society and Physical development is achieved through a rigorous athletic and physical the military over the past three decades, greater numbers of minorities and education program. Each cadet participates at the intercollegiate, club or the first women were brought to the Military Academy and the Corps of intramural level each semester. This readies the cadet for the physical Cadets.

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