The Waterbury Democrat., 1944-08-24

Dwight EisenhOwers graduation from the Abilene High School was great event"
 His family sat in the audience and looked upon him with pride as he received his diploma. He was start ing out on a career, no one knew where.
 Ike himself didn't know. He worked around Abilene for more than year. helping his father and doing various jobs as a fireman and nefrigerative engineer-and all the time he was planning"
 Finally he decided. He was intri- gued by the biographies Of great military leaders. His decision took his family by complete surprise.
 I'm going to enter the service of my country" he announced.
 The Eisenhower family were re- ligiously opposed to var. Dwight. however, insisted he knew what he was about, and no amount of per- suasion could change his mind
 Two pals had reached their de- cisiOn together. Ike and his friend. Everett Hazl2tt, were going to An- napolis and enter the Navy. Haziett passed his entrance examinations, but it was discovered that Ike, 20 years old, was a few months over age, He bid his friend. Hazlett, g0odby and went into a secret ses- sion with himself,
 Again Ike came out with a de- eisl0n. he would go to West Point and serve in the army, Immedi- ately he los. himself in all the d0eu- ments and official information he could obtain about the United States Military Academy. Ascertain ing the qualifications required, he began to study day and night. Fin- ally he felt assured he was equipped for his first battle with the exam nations,
 Appointment to West Point re- quired political confirmation, like enlisted two family friends. Editor Harger. of the Abilene Refleet0T Chronicle, who knew eVeryb0d" and Ed Heath, postmaster of lene. Other influential citizens lined up. Ike now had his
 fighting squad ready for action,
 United States Senator Joseph ] BristoW was power in state and national affairs a leader on the floor of the Senate, And on Oct. lI. 1910, Dwight David Eisenhower received from the War Department an apv pOintment to West Point,
 Young Dwight passed his examipT ations with 1ying eoloTs against eight competitors, and on a June day in 1911 surrounded by friends at the railroad station ln Abilene he stepped on the train Ito go east"
 When Dwight Eisenhower, a rugT ged bronEed youth out of the west, stood before the portals Of West Point on the l4th day Of June ln 1911, he gazed tD admiration at the stately structures standing like eitadels on the T0ekbound hills 0yer- looking the grandeur of the Hudv son River, The boy from the plains had come to the highlands,
 Five feet D, Weighlng l70 pounds, 40 years and eight months of age, he was entering the greatest insfiE tuition of its kind in the world, the United States Military Academy,
 West Point, like Ike himself, was in Q state of transition It was pres paTlng for the future, The mag niheept cadet chapel was being erected, an outstanding example Of modern Gothic architecture, 4 huge new gymnasium, where Ike was to make a notable record, was under construction, The largest riding ball iD the world was being built from granite auaFTied on the reservation here Ike, h0rseman from the vest was to give daredevil exhibitions 0i q lad at home in the saddle, Survey ing before him the Gothic structures 0f imposing beauty, he walked into the administration building,
 "Elsenh0WeY from Kansas," hf reported eFyptteally,
 The appraisal of a cadet hegini with the moment Of his rude plunge into the West Point system, Ma tuFe had saved Q blast 0f record breaking heat 10 welcome Ike WheT he arrived Rt West Point ln Iell Through the three br0lling week. ] that preceded the transfer Of fh'