Strength & Drive, The Class of 1965, led by Denny Coll, sponsored the Chicago Founders Day on 7 March 2015. The event was held at the historic Medinah Country Club for the third time in the last ten years. The theme of the evening was the "50-year Affiliation Program" and members of the Class of 2015 were in attendance.

The Guest of Honor and main speaker was Paul "Buddy" Bucha, '65, Medal of Honor awardee, who gave a rousing, inspirational speech on leadership. Also in attendance was Robert Jones, '65, former Vietnam POW.

The evening featured a silent auction as well as participation of the Color Guard from Marmion Academy and music by the 144th National Guard Band.

With Founders Day behind us, a new board has been elected. Officers will be selected at the board meeting on Wednesday, April 8, at 5pm. Our new president, Joe Mislinski, '78, will provide an update on Society goals and activities for the coming year, in our April newsletter.

It was another wonderful Founder’s Day celebration. While the Superintendent arrived later than we planned, it was still one of the best celebrations we’ve had in some time. How can I tell? The photos tell the tale. See for yourself: West Point Society of East Tennessee Facebook page

While you’re there, feel free to tag folks you know and help fill in any blanks. Also, be sure to like our Facebook page so you can receive the latest and greatest news about what’s happening with the Society.

Again, thank you for joining us this year. I can’t wait to see you all again as we celebrate our “rockbound highland home.”

Beat Navy!

Sincerely,
Ian

’01, H3/D4

The West Point Society of the Philippines (WPSP) celebrated Founders Day with a well-attended dinner in Manila on March 21, 2015. US Ambassador Philip Goldberg graced the occasion as keynote speaker. He highlighted the importance of US-RP relations which include the continuing allied support through the US service academies over the years since 1910. Former President Fidel V. Ramos '50, accompanied by Mrs Amelita Ramos and daughter Angel, also attended and spoke as oldest grad present. It was great that Ray Jefferson was able to come as well to speak to the local grads about the upcoming All Asia Summit and confirm Gen Ramos' attendance to it as a speaker. Buddy Cunanan, a son of the late LTGEN Thelmo Cunanan '61, reported to the group about the desire of young West Point grads from the state of Georgia to form a society with the support of the WPSP. Buddy is currently Georgia's honorary consul to the Philippines. Outgoing WPSP president Jun Sanchez presented updates and his valedictory address to the society following his successful four-year stewardship. Finally, the new officers were inducted into office by BGEN Florencio Magsino (Ret) '51. They are: Col Dennis Acop '83 (PA,Ret)- president, P/Chief Superintendent Napoleon Taas '84 - 1st VP, Fred Mison '87 - 2nd VP, LTC Eugene Cabusao '97 - secretary, CPT Mark Posadas '04 - treasurer, and LTC Julius Tomines '92 - auditor. Taas, Cabusao, Posadas, and Tomines are all active-duty officers. Mison is currently serving as Commissioner of the Bureau of Immigration. GEN Narciso Abaya (Ret) '71, Ed Abesamis '65, and Col Teodorico Sanchez Jr '80 (PA, Ret) as ex-officio member are advisers to the society.

March 19th, was our seventh annual Long Island Founder's Day celebration at Russo's on the Bay in Howard Beach, NY. Our gathering began with an extended cocktail hour, actually 1 1/2 hours, overlooking the water, an ideal setting for lively conversation that filled the air and with delicious food and drinks being enjoyed also. We moved into the main dining room to begin the formalities of the evening: invocation by Father Racundo, remarks and introductions by Gary Dolan ('69), our Master of Ceremonies for the evening, reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, traditional toasts given by several of our WP alumni and enthusiastically echoed by all, and the POW MIA presentation given by Pat & Sam Gill (Justin '10 deployed to Kuwait). Our attention then turned to the West Point video filled with pictures of our WP cadets from many years ago to the present. Gary introduced our oldest WP grad in attendance, General Luciano Salamone ('56), who again regaled us with wonderful stories about his West Point days, a very different era than today. Gary called up the parents of our youngest grad attending, Kathy & Fred Waldorf (Ryan '12), to introduce their son, Lieutenant Ryan Waldorf. We all loved hearing Ryan's speech and what it means to him to be a West Pointer.

After dinner was served, Gary introduced our keynote speaker, Captain Benjamin Hartig ('06). We all enjoyed Ben's speech demonstrating how West Point prepares its graduates to succeed, whatever it takes, and is continuing on that mission. As a woman, I especially loved Ben's sweet words about his wife, Lindsay ('06).

Our evening ended with presenting a gift to Ben for accepting our invitation to speak at our FD and giving appreciating certificates to our silent auction donors, Cathy & Steve Gordon (Danielle '15) and Barbara & Bob Selleck (dear friends of Gary). Certificates were also given to Gary who is moving to North Carolina and might not be able to MC our FD next year and Music Flex www.musicflex.com (Mike Nappi) who updates our WP video, originally produced by Stephen Connolly (uncle of Gerard '11), with new pictures each year. Successful silent bidders were told what they won, and all the WP graduates in attendance then sang the Alma Mater. As we all lingered saying our heartfelt goodbyes, many said they would be returning next year and look forward to it from year to year. Please be a part of the party next year!

The results of our silent auction will be emailed once all sources of funds are collected. This year's recipient is again the Army Ranger Lead The Way Fund www.leadthewayfund.org which will be donated in the memory Gary Dolan's ('69) wife Linda and Bruce & Dottie Medaris's daughter Ginny. Thank you to everyone who generously gave to make this a success. Our Rangers and their families are especially grateful.

GO ARMY!
Laurel McMahon (Michael '08)

The West Point Society - Florida West Coast held its Founders Day gala March 27th at the Palma Ceia Golf & Country Club in Tampa. Over 200 grads and guests gathered for priceless camaraderie in celebrating the founding of our alma mater. GEN Joseph Votel '80, SOCOM Commander, was our keynote speaker, and was a big hit with the crowd, as were the youngest and oldest grad speakers. Hope Donnelly '86, passed the presidential gavel to Greg Pitts '83, and is the society's new membership chair.

Photo: GEN & Mrs Joseph Votel with Hope Donnelly

The West Point Society of Fort Leonard Wood and Mid-Missouri held a Founder’s Day Dinner at Fort Leonard Wood on March 21, 2015. The guest speaker was COL Fred Meyer (USMA ’84), Deputy Department Head of the Department of Civil and Mechanical Engineering. The Oldest Grad was LTC (ret) James Fiscus ’55, and the Youngest Grad was 2LT Ed Lindsey ’14. BG Anthony Funkhouser ’85 was the host. MG Leslie Smith, Recent commanding General of Fort Leonard Wood and the Maneuver Support Center of Excellence also attended. Two cadet candidates and their families attended.

On Sunday, April 12 at its annual Firstie Dinner, attended by 26 Firsties and their families, the West Point Parents Club of New Jersey (WPPCNJ) presented a check for $27,639.33 to the Class of 2015 Gift Fund. This generous gift represents the profits made from WPPCNJ’s annual Challenge Coin fundraiser, which has just completed its fourth successful year. Many thanks to the WPPCNJ for its outstanding support for West Point and the Class of 2015! See More!

Photo: From left to right: Meg Richards, WPPCNJ President; Bob Mosera and Joel Boroff, WPPCNJ Challenge Coin Project Co-Chairs; Megan Dill, Assistant Director of Annual Giving and WPAOG Parent Relations; Cadet Will Goodwin, Class of 2015 President

The West Point Society of Hawaii held their annual Founders Day bash on 1 April 2014 at the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki on the Island of Oahu. About 270 alumni and friends of West Point gathered (on a Wednesday night- how ‘bout that!). The Society was honored to have LTG Robert Caslen, Class of 1975 (USMAs 59th Superintendent!) and his spouse, Mrs. Shelly Caslen, as their Guests of Honor. They also heard from their oldest grad, BG(R) Ben Cassiday, USAF, class of Jun ’43 and their youngest grad 2LT Gabrielle Tally, Class of 2014 recently assigned as a the Asst. G-1, 94th AAMDC at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam. Gabby gave a wonderful talk that put her West Point experience in very special light. Also joining them as their special guests were three young men and women joining the Class of 2019 this summer. The President of their Society, Chuck Cardinal, ’75 along with GEN Vince Brooks ’80 presented the Supe with a $5000 check for the Supe’s Fund.

The WPS of the Villages (The Villages is located in sunny central Florida mid-way between the Gulf and Atlantic coasts) gets together every month or so. Last week they enjoyed a barbecue at the Steinwald's. The Steinwald’s surprised everyone with a toast and gift for the Merges' in recognition of their original effort (with the Steinwald's) to get the chapter going and their continued efforts to keep it going.

Photo Left: Dan Steinwald (in the red shirt) standing next to his pool while he acknowledges the special contribution made by Jerry and Peg to the society.

The West Point Society of the Mid-South (Memphis) gathered to celebrate Founders Day on March 28, 2015 at Windyke Country Club. Seventy five gray hogs including graduates, spouses, candidates, parents, Military Academy Liaison officer and guests enjoyed the good humor, fellowship, and time to remember from where they came. The theme this year was to 'remember from whence we came'. Their venue replicated the Mess Hall, with appropriate tables and seating arrangements, and they followed the script that was used at this year’s Mess Hall Founders Day. Their senior graduate and long time leader Luke Wright (June 1943) and his wife Miney graced the celebration with their presence, long time service, and tremendous stories – and Luke properly toasts the Ladies TWICE!. Jazmine Stephens ’07 was the youngest graduate. Gray Hansen, soon-to-be Class of 2019 presented a wonderful invocation. Table assignments included positions for Table Commandant, Cold Beverage Corporal and Cake Cutter. Fred Shambach ’82 was selected as Outstanding Cold Beverage Corporal and Al Brown ’75 was the Outstanding Table Commandant – although COL Jeff Anderson ’89 vehemently objected! Ron Scott ’72 performed no tasks at all and his wife made him recite THE DAYS! Jim Turner ’59 was again the “Humor Captain” and his performance merited a new five year assignment. As is custom now, and freed from the constraints of a guest speaker, their society broke ranks again and Jill Reilly ’86, and Jazmine Stephens, with great assistance from Chris Reilly ’86 and LT Jordan Reilly ’13 led table competition for West Point Jeopardy! Categories were: Cadet Knowledge, West Point AO, USMA Sports Trivia, The Corps Has, Notable USMA Grads, and This & That.

Competition was slow at first until Jill Reilly admonished Jeff Anderson for an answer that was not in the form of a question – and game was on! Once Final Jeopardy was completed, a corps- wide tie was announced and the cake cutting contest ensued. Of the ten cakes presented for the competition, none were deemed properly cut and the senior graduate declared all to “Eat Cake”. Once all cake evidence was properly addressed, Fred Shambach, and designated glee club choir director, led the singing of the Alma Mater. Past society Presidents in attendance included Luke Wright ’66, Terry Stull ’66, Ron Scott ’72, Al Brown ’75, Richard Carter ’73 and Paul Ham ’73.

The West Point Society of Southern Arizona treated the cadets of the West Point Parachute Club to a picnic lunch when the club traveled to Eloy, AZ for a competition during USMA’s Christmas leave. Colonel Frank Hartline ’66 (Retired), WPS-Southern Arizona President, particularly enjoyed meeting Parachute Club Team Personnel Officer Cadet Joshua Petrovic ’16, as his class is Petrovic’s 50-Year Affiliation Class.

On Friday, August 28, 2015, the West Point Society of the Pikes Peak Region (City of Colorado Springs) will host the “Fall Semester Exchange Cadet Oath of Affirmation Ceremony” for seven members of the Class of 2017 who are spending their fall semester at the U.S. Air Force Academy. Representatives from the Class of 1967, the cadets’ 50-Year Affiliation Class, will be on hand to present the new cows with their Affirmation Coins, which traditionally symbolize the commitment to the Profession of Arms they will have just professed.

The Douglas MacArthur Central Arkansas West Point Society created Duty, Honor, Country awards for JROTC students exemplifying those important ideals. The Duty, Honor, Country Awards wish to recognize outstanding JROTC students who exemplify the ideals of Duty, Honor, and Country. In April 2015, one student from the ninth, tenth, and eleventh grades was selected by the JROTC instructors from Little Rock Catholic and Pine Bluff Watson Chapel High Schools for receipt of the award and scholarship. Criteria for the award was as follows:

Duty - one student from the ninth grade that has shown exemplary responsibility as a cadet, a student, and as a person. The recipient of this award is a person who’s actions have demonstrated General MacArthur’s ideals of Duty in the following ways - “not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge...reach into the future yet never neglect the past.”

Honor - one student from the tenth grade that has shown exemplary honor as a cadet, a student, and as a person. The recipient of this award is a person who’s actions have demonstrated General MacArthur’s ideals of Honor in the following ways - “proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for actions, not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge. . . a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, of an appetite for adventure over love of ease. ”

Country - one student from the eleventh grade that has shown exemplary duty and honor as a cadet, a student, and as a person. The recipient of this award is someone who best exemplifies all of the ideals discussed by General MacArthur and who has also shown a desire to become a future custodian of the nation’s defense through military service.

Photo: Society Vice President LTC Joe Volpe ’88, presenting the recipients with their certificates at Little Rock Catholic High School at the Change of Command Ceremony on April 23, 2015. Society President Stan Warrick ’77, made presentations at Watson Chapel High School.

West Point Society of Tallahassee did some really great work at the Henry O. Flipper grave site in nearby Thomasville (GA). Henry O. Flipper Class of 1877, was First African American Graduate of West Point. Flipper attended Atlanta University as a freshman, Representative James C. Freeman appointed him to attend West Point, where four other African American cadets were already attending. The group had a challenging time at the Academ, but Flipper persevered, and became the first of the group to graduate, earning a commission as a second lieutenant in the U.S. Army cavalry. He was assigned to the 10th Cavalry Regiment, one of the four all-African American Buffalo Soldier regiments in the Army, and became the first African American officer to command regular troops in the U.S. Army.

The day started off great hanging the US, Army, and RANGER flags on the balcony! Happy Armed Forces Day to everyone who served and to those that waited, too. They did some very good, hard, meaningful work and the difference in this year's efforts to the overall look of the site it more than the last 11 years combined. Thanks to the City of Thomasville and Ms. Kha McDonald, Senior Assistant City Manager. Thomasville and WPST combined to purchase the new gravel. Kha, additional thanks for coordinating the close positioning of the stone, it was perfect!

West Point candidates, Jacob and Rhodes joined in the effort, their services were very appreciated, giving up a big chunk or their Saturday, showing the "right stuff". From arrival a few minutes before 10, until departure about 11:15, it was nonstop. Everyone pitched in. There was even a former Marine that was passing by and decided to join in and help! The day was topped off with a nice lunch that most of the group attended afterward at the Plaza Restaurant. They made a difference and I really believe that if you listen closely enough, you can hear a gentle 'thank you' on the breeze. Well done. Click here to see photos of the event.

Chadwick Maxey '04 at a presentation dinner for future New Cadet Nicholas Gasparri

On Saturday, 16 May, at the Round Pond Recreational Area, the West Point Society Mid-Hudson Region hosted its annual picnic for incoming cadets for the new class of 2019. All-in-all, about 65 people, including old grads, were present for this traditional event.

Nine members of the West Point Class of 2019 and their parents were hosted at a picnic at the Bonneville Cabin at Round Pond Recreation Area. The incoming cadets were from the society's area of operations which includes northern NJ and the southern NY Hudson Valley region. Despite some early clouds and a few sprinkles, the weather turned out just fine for a wonderful picnic of hot dogs, burgers, salads, desserts, etc. John Kilkenny '61 did the cooking and briefed the parents on what to expect over the next four years because of their unique positions of living so close to West Point. They were assured that their cadets with their classmates would be using their homes as forward operating bases during time away from USMA. While the parents were being briefed on how their lives would change, current cadets addressed the incoming cadets on what to expect on R-Day and the remaining months of plebe year.

Mrs. Mary Ibsen, the current president of the Parents Club of West Point, addressed the new cadet parents on the benefits of joining the club. Everyone had a wonderful time and departed with lots of information and a hardy welcome to The Long Gray Line and the West Point Family.

The West Point Society of New England selected its 6th annual winner of the Sylvanus Thayer Leadership award, presenting the honor last week to Jasmine Lau of the Braintree High School Class of 2016. The Thayer Award is given annually to a Braintree High School student who has demonstrated leadership traits and encourages them to continue their pursuit of both academic and leadership excellence. It celebrates the legacy of General Sylvanus Thayer, namesake for several of Braintree’s iconic institutions and an engineer whose projects helped shape Massachusetts, and who is also remembered as the “father” of the United States Military Academy.

Lau was among 6 juniors nominated for the award by Braintree High School’s staff and faculty. The nominated students each submitted a written application, then faced an interview panel consisting of past West Point graduates who now serve in various capacities around Massachusetts. Some of the accomplishments that helped earn Jasmine the award include participation in the Teen Advisory Group program, volunteer service with the Museum of Science and with Interfaith Social Services, selection to the National Honor Society, her upcoming role as captain of the BHS cross country team, and an academic record placing her first in her class. Read More

Two weeks! On 16 June the Mayor and Council of the City of El Paso are scheduled to proclaim "West Point Day" in honor of our local young men and women who have been selected to attend West Point and the Prep School. The day's events will include:

Proclamation by the Mayor: This will be at the regular City Council meeting. The City Hall Building is located in downtown El Paso at 300 N. Campbell El Paso, Texas 79901. Council is called to order at 8am; The proclamation sometime between 8:30am and 9am. Grads are welcome to attend.

Luncheon in honor of selectees: Please join them in meeting and sending off the future members of the long gray line! They will join together for a luncheon at the Golden Tee Restaurant, Underwood Golf Course, Fort Bliss, 11:30am - 1pm. The club will be offering four prix fixe lunch options for $10, and you will get to meet the cadets-to-be. Please note that this luncheon will be in lieu of the regular monthly Society get-together. El Paso's famous "Star on the Mountain" will be lit that evening in the name of the selectees.

The West Point Society of the Carolinas gathered in uptown Charlotte at Champions Sports Bar to cheer Army on to victory. There was over 30 graduates and family members in attendance. They enjoyed several hours of camaraderie and storytelling as they watched the game. They are looking forward to an Army victory and more society members at next year's game! Click here to see more photos.

The West Point Society of the Carolinas gathered in Concord, NC at The Speedway Club to celebrate this year's Founders Day. There were three cadet candidates in attendance to share in the festivities and over 80 graduates and spouses as well. They were honored to host COL Scott Halstead as their guest speaker who delivered outstanding remarks as well as supported their Leadership Conference the day prior. The were further graced with the 82nd Airborne Chorus who provided special entertainment for the attendees during dinner. It sounds like a great event took place and they are all looking forward to more great events to come!! Click here to see photos.