After living in New York for 16 years, I am a die-hard Yankees fan. Living in Texas while my father was deployed to Viet Nam, I became a Cowboys fan (I even have a soft spot for Roger Staubach!). Having attended Duke for grad school, I am a die-hard Blue Devils basketball fan. Still, when the Yankees, Cowboys & Blue Devils lose, I NEVER feel the way I did yesterday when Army lost to Navy. Why is that?

This is not going to be a Monday morning quarterback dissection of the mistakes we made and things we failed to do (like score) that caused us to lose the game. I have been most upset these last 8 years by how we lose. We haven’t even been competitive lately. Now, I do see improvement with the Ellerson era and I have high hopes for the future based on what I have seen from Plebe quarterback trent Steelman. That highlights my point. It is amazing to me how much this matters and the team, the Corps and the administration needs to know this. Navy is proof that an institution in the exact same situation (recruiting, etc – wise) can produce teams of excellence year in and year out ( see Navy vs Ohio State this year). Army Football can and must return to that level. No excuse, Sir needs to be said and heard more often. It means that much to me.

Everything pales in comparison to the lasting imprint West Point makes on all of us. Bugle Notes was created from motivation that was born out of that imprint. Perhaps it’s telling that I could care less how cliche it sounds when I remark on how my only true friendships and bonds come from my 4 years at USMA. It’s why yesterday sat like an uncomfortable lump in my gut and why we have no choice but to right ourselves.

Beat Navy. What does it mean to you?

Here’s a link to an AP news article titled: “Some lawmakers send few to academies,” by Brian Witte:

 http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091120/ap_on_re_us/us_military_academies_minorities

The article discusses that most of the Reps with low nomination totals are from urban districts with high minority percentages.  Some of the worst offenders, however, are also leaders in the anti-war efforts, although a direct correlation is not necessarily made between their politics and low nomination count.  But it also discusses how some Reps who support the system still have difficulties in drawing candidates to nominate because of a perceived poor opinion of serving in the military by minorites and others in their districts/states.  I do have one problem with the the article and its title.  A Rep or Senator can only have 5 seats filled at each academy at one time, even though they can nominate up to 10 candidates for 1 seat.  They could nominate any amount from 15 to 150 candidates over 4 years, but could still fill all 15 seats with just 15 nominees.  Therefore, they would still be sending the same amount to the academies as others, just nominating less.  The bigger problem is if seats available to Reps and Senators are going unfilled, which is not addressed in the article.  It would be more interesting to know who these people are.

Attribution: This list was created by LTC Jay Olejniczak ‘61. It was originally printed by our friends over at WP AOG. Jay adds: With special thanks to Larry Davis ’71, for suggesting the topic initially, and to John Downing ‘45, Gerald Richardson ’56, Howard Haupt ’57, Dick Mollicone ‘57, Bob Scully ’65, Gus Lee x-’68, Eric Jensen ‘71, Bruce Ritter ’72, Bob Jarrell ’73, Ken Westlund ’81

Read, laugh, smirk and enjoy. Add yours at the end and always remember to Beat Navy!

1. You attended the Army-Navy football game on the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The last game played in November was in 1983, although several games were played in early December previously, including 1982.
2. You water skied on Lake Popolopen. The Class of 1978 was the last, due to water pollution concerns (outboard motors prohibited).
3. Your Cullum Number has only four digits (the youngest grad with that distinction is in the Class of 1934).
4. You attended movies at the gym. In the mid-sixties, the movies began showing in Thayer Hall.
5. You stored your car in Thayer Hall. Until the renovations began in the late fifties, first classmen were allowed to secure their personally owned vehicles in the old riding hall.
6. You rode horses in Thayer Hall. The end of World War II saw the end of riding horses in the old riding hall, with the Class of 1948 receiving the last mandatory training with horses. The Class of 1950 apparently still had limited training available.

(more…)

I had the eerie experience, en route from Texas to New Hampshire last month, of driving around West Point very early on the morning of 30 May – the day after graduation.

The sky was overcast, streetlights were still lit, and the only signs of life on post were me and the gate guards. In dozens of visits over period of six decades, I have never seen the place so lifeless.

I visited classmates graves at the post cemetery and drove around the Plain to see for myself what had been done with the Patton Monument.

I was very pleased with the placement of the Patton Monument. I was distressed by the condition of the markers in the cemetery.

I’m a lousy photographer but took a few pictures that might be of interest at:

West Point at Dawn pictures on Flickr

Fred Bothwell ‘62

The Sunday (April 20, 2009) Washington Post Outlook article by Thomas Ricks recommends closing down the the federal service academies will not only trim the federal budget, but will improve leadership in the US.

Ricks offers the standard position of cost to begin his argument. “[S]ervice academies [are] more than twice as expensive as taking in graduates of civilian schools ($300,000 per West Point product vs. $130,000 for ROTC student).” He fails, predictably, to note the value of the education in terms of national service both in and out of uniform.

Given his writing credentials, Ricks article lacks rigor and fact. It relies heavily on anecdotal comments such as comparing a West Point education with that one offered at a community college. If I am not mistaken West Point repeatedly ranks in the top 10 of all colleges and universities. All one has to look at are the Forbes and US News and World Report Rankings.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603483.html

Ricks will discuss this article at 1300 hours EST. on Monday 20 April at www.washingtonpost.com/liveonline. Let’s all join the conversation and share some facts with him.

Thomas E. Ricks is a special military correspondent for The Washington Post and senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security. He is also the author of the New York Times bestseller Fiasco: The American Military Adventure in Iraq. His most recent book, The Gamble, covers the Iraq war between 2006-2008. Ricks is a graduate of Yale University.

In honor of Founder’s Day, I wanted to share a little “song” I “wrote”  and delivered as the youngest grad some 13 years post graduation.  This was my feint attempt to rhyme our four years of experiences.

I acknowledge that I borrowed the melody of “We Didn’t Start the Fire” written and produced by Billy Joel and included on the Storm Front CD.  Mike Pratt quickly noted that my musical count was inaccurate–Joel used an 13 count, McAleer only a 10 count

Michie Stadium, R day, Say Good-bye
Is this the catcher in the rye?
Red sash, about face, neck back , lock heels,
Do we ever get to eat a meal?

WB Four, Report to WB nine
Kiwi, Brasso, now I need a spit shine.
How’s the cow? Start the days…
Will I ever make it out of this maze?

Ping out, pop off, poop deck
What the heck?
Yes sir, no sir, sir I do not understand.
Miss, you need to act like a man!

In ranks, present arms, parade rest,
when are we going to get to the mess?
PT , cold C’s, hot A’s
How many more days….until May?

Thayer Day, Star Day, Minute Call
There is no more water in the mess hall!
Cattle call, Cullum Hall
Cadet, get up against my wall!

Moving out to 4th class development time
I knew the squad leader was no friend of mine.
The national anthem-mister the second verse
oh no I have gotten the curse
Sir, In the New York Times, it was reported that
Plebes rank no higher comm’s cat

DPE taught us  flexibility in gymspactics
testing the durability of our “Gym A” elastics
Rock swimming and boxing were two favorite classes
although we were always on our asses

“Bob and Travel”, speck and dump,  and all nighters
Were designed to make us better fighters

Spirit week and missions to steal the goat
All intended to beat those guys in the big boat
Gave us reprieve from those  Bugle Notes
Yet in the parade will still carried damn rain coats

Go Army, Beat Navy
Oh no, more slum and gravy

Stay awake, stay alive, take boards, stagger desks
or you’ll find yourself in one big mess
Quill will, punishment tours, and area birds
These cadets were no academic nerds

With the arrival of June Week and Recognition parade
we thought we had it all made,
We could gaze around the mess hall
About to do our last minute call

Next came the best summer of our lives
Prone position, low crawl, land nav
All this fun could give you hives
Jut how much fun can we have?
Camp Buckner, Heartbreak Hill
a full summer with no drill

Slide for life and fun runs
When can we fire those big guns?
Kill rabbits, kill chickens all during infantry week
with little food and less sleep this is not for the meek.

OC, AO, TOC  and the TAC
Is it now, time for some rack!
M-16’s, 203’s, 105’s
Is this some kind of Army Jive?

Gamma Goats were sure to please
each time we asked
Do the Soviets have any of these?

It all ended with Camp Illumination
Time to return for reorganization
Another beer at Barth Hall would surely end my state of sober
But now I was ready o find out just how much  plebes were getting over

CCQ,  plebe chaser, corporal of the messhall
Yeraling duties are such a ball

Econ, Poly Sci, Drugs and problem stats
Looks like I’m probably headed for STAP

Spring was spent on pebble beach
filling out those crazy dream sheets

Our third summer was spent a far
finding our what it was to wear the bar.
Returning to our rock bound highland homes
came our welcome to the Profession of Arms

Mil Art,  Cow English and Leadersleep
Will I make it to the end of the week
Mechanics, fluids and solids, what could be worse?
How about a full semester of juice?

Many of us thought we had the course licked
but soon found ourselves turning to the Curve Dick
On the weekends those not in our cots
could be found dashing to Pellies parking lot

The academic year was filled with WPR’s and design projects
Designed to advance our knowledge with some foreign logic
Firstie year was in sight
with the arrival of 500th night

Ring weekend, coffee call, grant hall
We thought we had it all
We focused on counting the days
while attempting to save our GPA’s

Five and fly, 2.0 and go
Sorry, that push-up is a no

Graduation was in sight
once we reached 100th night
Straw polls, branch selection all dependent on class rank
Looks like you’ll be going in the tank

Our motto became delegate and graduate,
while others looked to find a mate.

A thrill was equipment turn in
anticipation of what we were to begin

Buying uniforms, we spent a lot of dough
but it was necessary for that hat to throw.
We bid farewell to Kaydet Gray
About to start on our new way

We would have all been remissed
If we had heard class dismissed!

And now it is time to turn it over to the supe
I think I have recalled most of that cadet poop!

If any cadets read this request, please forward it to others who might be interested in the issue of where the Patton statue should be installed this spring.  We’d like to include cadet opinions in our survey results.  So far, 70+ grads have expressed the opinion that Patton’s statue should be as close as possible to it’s original location near the library, where it can be seen by all cadets on a daily basis.  Opinions differ on whether the figure should face the library or the Plain. Please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=5RRC36UCsc6RSiiELijbxg_3d_3d or http://tinyurl.com/c2ol2r to complete an unofficial survey of Cadets and graduates by an old grad to provide unsolicited input to the Museum Historical and Memorialization Committee re the new location for the Patton statue.

Thanks,

Fred Bothwell ‘62

G-1

Armor

Please visit http://www.surveymonkey.com/s.aspx?sm=5RRC36UCsc6RSiiELijbxg_3d_3d or http://tinyurl.com/c2ol2r to complete an unofficial survey of Cadets and graduates by an old grad to provide unsolicited input to the Museum Historical and Memorialization Committee re the new location for the Patton statue.

Fred Bothwell ‘62
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