The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1944-11-24
CHAPTER II

there. IOr tnerG were SOliiS CASAs
hundred of us soldiers trying in COM
petition for about fourteen vacan-
cies. AS luck would have it that
year, these fourteen were cut to
eight. Once again West Point
seemed a long way off. / got down
to business then; would shut my
self in my room and almost memo
rize the lessons, especially every old
West Point examination as far back
as 1920. The study bore fruit. !
kept at the top of the class and in
March took the dreaded examina-
ton.
One day, some weeks after the
annual competition for entrance
from the Regular Army, was walk
ing guard duty. I was called from
Post Number One, around the
guard-house; I had just heard the
familiar call, Number One = two
prisoners" and had replied, turn
'em in" The General had sent for
me. AS I stood before him my
heart felt as though 1t would beat
out through my blouse. He smiled
and spoke.
''Son, you have won in the West
Point competitive examination and
I want to tell you you're starting
out on the same road I started out
on a long time ago. It's the great
est school in the world-but learn
some common sense too. I'm send
ing you on furlough until you report
for duty at the Military Academy.
Congratulations"
The world was never so sweet. /
gained two inches in the chest that
day.
Thus, in July Of 1928, I walked
through the sally port with my suit
case and began the routine that is
familiar to nearly everyone. 4 had
heard of the strict discipline OF West
Point and the difficulty of studies
for one handicapped by Southern
accent. My year of hard work had
made me hate books again, but /
resolved that after the work had
gone to I most certainly would not
be kicked out or found" as we
say in Kaydet slang. I remember
my fathers ambition for me. He
was of course proud Of my appoint
ment, and used to wonder why /
didn't rank about number one in
my class. During my Plebe year,
which was easy because ! had just
about learned the first years work
at the prep school, he used to write
and tell me that while it wasn't too
disgraceful to be number fifty in a
class of over three hundred, he
couldn't see why I didn't study a
little more and get up into the first
twenty. Well, as the first year went
by and got into the more difficult
studies, went lower and lower in a
class that dwindled finally to some
two hundred and sixty. During the
last year, when I was very far
down, Daddy would write:
"You just stay there, Son, just
stay there"
I still heard the planes flying over
and try as I would, could concen-
trate on nothing but the Air Corps.
In 1880 ! wrote an essay on fly
ing, and it almost got me kicked
out. You see, in Military History
you have to write monograph on
the strategy employed in one of the
major battles Of the world. ! had al
ways liked military history and had
been in the first section of that sub
ject. Cat the Academy each stu
dent is in section commensurate
with his scholastic standing.) My
presence in that group permitted me
to choose my battle. / had had a
grandfather killed at Bull Run, and
I therefore selected the first Battle
Of Manassas.
There was, as usual, many slip.
Before was able to write the story
we were permitted to travel to the
West Coast to play Stanford in foot
ball. Coming back under the cha
grin of defeat, ! did not bother to
open my books, believing that even
West Point would not expect stu
dent to recite within one hour Of
his return from California. But I
reckoned without the rightly of the
Academy. Our train arrived across
the Hudson at Garrison at 6:55, and
we marched into History at 7:55. /
was Immediately assigned to recite
on the battle Of Valmy. ! did not
know what war it was in, and there
fore knew nothing concerning it. To
say that and get zero, however,
would be fatal and in fact could
mean disciplinary action. there
fore resorted to the time-worn West
Point tactics of evasion-known as
''bugling."
Going to the blackboard with an
air Of confidence, stood at atten-
ton with pointer in hand and be-
gan, ''Sir, my duty for today is to
explain the battle of Valmy. Napo-
leon declared after this engagement
that the forces of an army must
be concentrated for battle /. :"