Took a minute during today's Army-Navy 2007 Football Classic half-time to jot down a few memories. (Navy is winning, so it's really easy to take the time!)
My own Army-Navy game experiences lasted from 1974-1976; when I was USMA Class of '78, Class President. (Later, I transfered to a civilian university for the remaining year and a half of my Bachelor's Degree.) Unbelievable time to live and study at West Point. Loved every minute of it (almost - Plebe year was haaaard).
Philadelphia was the site of The Game in those years. Lotsa fun, lotsa "high-jinks". As a Cadet I exchanged cufflinks with a Navy Midshipman, people swapped aticles of clothing, USMA/USNA class crests, etc. Fun time. Even pooled Cadet money together, got a Middie drunk and then a bunch of us put him on a one-way train ride from Philly to wherever our meager money ran out!
Can't remember the outcome of the games much in those days...didn't matter. We were still in Viet Nam up to May 5th of '75 and so our instructors (and a many of the soon-to-be graduating upperclassmen) were preparing us for Southeast Asia. It was a wierd time to be in the Army and Navy. War, then peace.
From the time we were sworn into the US Army on July 8th, 1974 the Class of '78 witnessed the Presidency change hands three times. (100 of us were nominated by President Nixon, President Ford took over in August '74 and Carter was elected in Nov. '76). From our Class have come Generals, Candidates for Congress, Mayors, a Sec. of the Army (under Pres. Clinton) and key leaders of the war in Iraq. Businessmen, too (no ladies, as women were not at West Point then.)
One of the first in my class to give his life for the nation was Eddy Manion, he was killed in the early 80's. He died along with his troops during the Grenada Invasion when his troop-transport airplane (a C-140) crashed. Most recently, a classmate of mine who is a BG in Iraq became the first general to be battle-injured. He is now back at the front.
All that to say - I am so glad for those who serve in the Armed Services. I am so glad to be part of The Long Gray Line - selected by my class after I left the Academy, as a non-graduating Member of the Class of '78. I suppose you can take the boy (or girl) out of West Point, but you can never take the West Point out of the middle-aged adult!
Go Army, Beat Navy!
~Den
Nice to hear this history, Dennis. Thanks for sharing it with us!
Posted by: Chad Estes | December 01, 2007 at 04:32 PM
As an ex-sailor, I must say, "Way to go, Squidlies!"
Posted by: Believer | December 03, 2007 at 06:57 PM