Mike Casp. Joseph Bell . Interred in Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, Nashville, TN. Just as it tears my heart out to see my West Point classmates fall in the line of duty. But then we have the US Army Cadet Command: Army ROTC has a total of 273 host programs with more than 1,100 partnership and affiliate schools across the country. West Point Casualties in Post-9/11 Conflicts Historically High As the father of an NCO and a low-ranked airman, it stings a little. That 94 West Pointers have died in wars with such relatively low casualties is somewhat astounding. Currently missing memorials on six class members: David Dulong (G1), Lawrence Edwards (I3),Craig Landrith (E1), Philip Tumblin (I4), Alan Worland (I2), and Steven Carlson (H4) 74 memorials Page of 4 Statistics aside, when you step in front of your unit, having invested the blood, sweat, and tears necessary to earn their trust and confidence– it is one of the most inspiring and humbling experiences I have ever witnessed. (Part I) In the concluding paragraphs of Part I, I noted that my Alma Mater was once again embroiled in a cheating scandal. Instead, you (out of left field) take it as an insult to your relatives, who (in your chosen words) are “peon privates”. Until you look at the baselines. The United States Military Academy (USMA) is an undergraduate college in West Point, New York with the mission of educating and commissioning officers for the United States Army.The Academy was founded in 1802 and is the oldest of the United States' five service academies. I see the point you are trying to make. The Ardennes. Charles Andrew Beaucond, Jr. . If your class website is not listed, or if you have a correction, please update us by writing to: feedback@west-point.org. David K. Riggs   1962Died on 3/8/2021 in Glen Carbon, ILTo be interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. ! Perhaps the sting is not from the article, but from your shame that your family (in your eyes) didn’t choose to “be more”, from your point of view, Hmm? From our class, we have eight buried at West Point, and 11 buried elsewhere. Read: Opinion: West Point, Soon To Be Yet Another Casualty of the Left’s Long March. West Point class most diverse in its history West Point will make history this weekend, graduating the largest number of African American women … We will provide this community any requested support, consistent with this purpose, as quickly and efficiently as possible. But we knew the risks and willingly accept that burden, because the people under us and to the left and right of us, depend on it. “West Point is just a larger portion of the officer corps than it’s been in the course of the 20th Century,” said West Point history professor Dr. Samuel Watson. If somebody hates West Pointers, they’ll say the statistic is due to ‘Pointers making stupid tactical errors or being complacent. West Point graduates account for nearly one in fifty deaths in the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Duty,Honor, Country. Far from declining, ROTC has grown rapidly since 9/11 and is producing far more officers than it has at any time in history. "West Point Goes to War", Newsweek, July 10, 1967. Ninety-four casualties, about 1.8 percent, have been former cadets, an academy spokeswoman said. Way back in June 1843, twenty-one-year-old Ulysses S. Grant graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point and entered the "real world" as an officer in the United States Army. “Whether you win or lose depends on how much risk the junior leaders and people at the point of spear are willing to take.”. Find a Grad. Carter and his classmates originally entered West Point as the Class of 1945, but when America entered World War II the classes were accelerated. We spend a lot of time at the West Point cemetery already, so I was honored and humbled when my class asked me to travel to the other gravesites,” he said. Class of 1956 “Donald Walter Holleder” Don Holleder. Captain John F. … Capt. Since the war in Viet Nam was going on a lot went directly from graduation right into war. Education (Primary)\Online Class Year Attribute\Value: Fallen Graduates Memorial Scholarship Program. USMA 1995. That was not my son’s experience when he graduated from Texas A&M. If you are a member of the current modern military you are considered to be a military professional. 17 comments. USMA 1993. David K. Jamison II  1969Died on 3/3/2021 in Christiana, TNInterred in Middle Tennessee Veterans Cemetery, Nashville, TN. I also understand the perspectives of those people who saw something else in the article. All Rights Reserved. Captain Bartt D. Owens, U.S. Army. please let us know. Click For Class Pages. This is our second move during the last year. He was a member of West Point’s Class of 1834 and excelled in language studies, but he was ultimately expelled for conduct reasons. And the answer had better now have been because they weren’t trained or prepared, the planning incompetent, or the resources lacking. For the last sixty years, though, we’ve maintained a large, standing force and all our officers are either career professionals or reservists/guardsmen who spend significant time training for military duty. So 70% of all active duty officers are non-ROTC. The Class of 1943 graduated six months early in January of that year, the original Class of 1944 became the June Class of 1943 and Carter’s class graduated a year early. In memory of the seventy members of the Class of 1942 who gave their lives in World War II. MHQ contributing editor Thomas Fleming, author of West Point: The Men and Times of the U.S. Military Academy, picks the academy’s most notable graduating classes.. 1846 Classmates Square Off. Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, http://prhome.defense.gov/rfm/mpp/ACCESSION%20POLICY/PopRep2010/appendixb/b_30.html, ROTC enrollment is growing rather than declining. USMA 1994. You wrote, “Candidate school and ROTC graduates, on the other hand, may choose either infantry or another career path within the Army.”. The Class graduated 374. President Donald J. Trump gave the commencement address for the U.S. Military Academy's Class of 2020 at West Point, New York, telling … Personalized career advising and resources. Search for grads by name, class year, company and many other criteria West Point is the site of Benedict Arnold’s infamous betrayal. USMA 1994. I knew many of those 94 names personally during my time as a cadet. The South Korean military is sponsoring the trip. Glen arranged for some 20 of us at the Advance Coarse to fly up to West Point to be with Mike when he was interned. It is scheduled for 29 Sep 11 - 2 Oct 11. Special Interest Lists: 64dc - DC Area Classmates 64prostate - Prostate cancer discussion This says little about the article, and a lot about how you feel about your family. Verified Purchase. The Class of '64 has a number of email lists. Fully 80 percent of male USMA graduates, who become second lieutenants upon graduation, must go into combat arms, Watson added. This article is just a factoid. More than 40 percent of current Active Duty Army General Officers were commissioned through ROTC. As far as if that is a increase or decrease over the past, I will take the word of the West Point history professor over the random guy making comments in a blog. * Memorial Article published, West Point Association of Graduates | 698 Mills Road, West Point, NY 10996 | 845.446.1500 | ©2013 westpoint.edu, Privacy Policy | Site Map | Governance | Help. “The gap between the growth in Officer Candidate School and decline of ROTC has been felt by West Pointers. NOW, it is your choice to honor the returning veterans of Iraq & Afghanistan and insure they receive their benefits and the respect they deserve. Howitzers, Cadet Store, Sabers, Transcripts, Plumes, Post numbers, Click a name to see available information and/or leave a testimonial.How This Page Works  ♦  Photo Instructions  ♦  Testimonial Instructions, If you find errors in any of the details such as date of death, interment information, etc. While in Iraq, he was a counter insurgency officer (funny, that wasn’t one of the choices). The decision ultimately resulted in the deaths of 41 class members and the wounding of 84 others - more casualties than suffered by any other West Point class this century. Captain James F. Adamouski, U.S. Army. Mike Crabtree . As of Monday, 5,293 American troops have been killed in action in operations Iraqi Freedom, New Dawn and Enduring Freedom, according to Defense Department data. West Point Class Profile How Do You Compare? Gerald S. Vigee   1954Died on 3/2/2021 in Birmingham, ALInterred in Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo, AL. [4], That is from wikipedia so finding numbers is not hard if you actually look. Stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, in 1976, now-retired Army Maj. Pat Locke had never heard of West Point, but when she learned she could get a … He died when the Black Hawk helicopter he was riding in crashed on April 2, … Kenneth P. Howe   1980Died on 3/8/2021 in Las Vega, NVInterment not reported to WPAOG. The number of soldiers during world war two was extremely high while west point was only slightly smaller than it is today. West Point Home Page To be interred at West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. “West Point is just a larger portion of the officer corps than it’s been in the course of the 20th Century,” said West Point history professor Dr. Samuel Watson. To join one of the lists, click on the list name and fill out and submit a request to subscribe. The Class of 1950, which graduated only two weeks prior to the war's outbreak, suffered some of the heaviest casualties of any 20th century class and became known sourly as "the class the crosses fell on." 5.0 out of 5 stars The 1966 graduating class of West Point had more deaths then any other year. I think some more numbers would have shed more light on this topic with fewer concerns on your intended meaning. Note the quote from the USMA history professor about “citizen-soldiers” and “military professionals”. Bob Dickinson. It is also referred to as West Point (the name of the military base that the Academy is a part of). It produces approximately 60 percent of the Second Lieutenants who join the active Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard. @Tony W: It should also be noted that the corps of cadets increased dramatically in the mid-1960s. when the force shrank and the size of a wets point graduating class has grown, the number of west point deaths per total soldier deaths will statistically increase. That sets the bar tremendously high– but we cleared it every day”. I know it is not intended, but the piece smacks of “important people are dying in the wars too, not just peon Privates”. The first move was to usma.com (a commercial web hosting site) in AUG 2020 when WP-ORG experienced a massive ransomware attack and … West Point 41: The Class That Went to War and Shaped America is an uplifting story of ordinary young men in extraordinary times, in extraordinary places, who graduated directly into the teeth of battle and displayed unwavering leadership, honor, duty, and determination. Class Eulogies Born Died ; ANDREWS, Edward Leo : 0 : September 9, 1944 : February 3, 2021 : CRESCI, Robert Jonathan : 2 : November 19, 1943 : December 22, 2020 : CASILLO, Vincent Lawrence : 1 : April 24, 1943 : December 11, 2020 : STRIEGEL, Richard Ross : 0 : February 8, 1944 : December 10, 2020 : MOLL, Jeremiah Christman : 0 : August 13, 1944 That data is from the Naval History and Heritage Command. These 59 cadets graduated just weeks after the Mexican-American War began, and most headed south to get a taste of the country’s first large-scale combat. Class of 1959. Candidate school and ROTC graduates, on the other hand, may choose either infantry or another career path within the Army. Interred in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Seville, OH. Read: Opinion: West Point, Soon To Be Yet Another Casualty of the Left’s Long March. Apparently, you can’t be a military professional unless you are a rink knocker. To get an idea of how competitive your file is, use this profile to compare against your high school record. Do you have any numbers on that? I can’t find any data on the percentage of officers that come from the academies vs. ROTC. Walter H. Johnson   1951Died on 1/7/2021 in Saint Louis, MOCremated. It pretty much talked about their classmates and what they had done since graduation. Mostly, this a function of the changing nature of conflict and shape of the force. Any Officer worth is salt, regardless of commissioning source, understands that he is not above the danger and is willing to subject himself to the same hardships and risks as his men. @JKB: No. Turk Griffith. I know many more of the 5,293 names. West Point Cheating Scandal Worst in Decades, Dad Tweets About Rude Gate Agent, Family Booted From Plane as Security Threat, Two Federal Courts Block Trump’s Muslim Travel Ban Again. Interred in Alabama National Cemetery, Montevallo, AL. On Saturday Quinn and 80 other members of the class traveled across the Pacific to dedicate a memorial to their fallen comrades. In 2010, ROTC graduates constituted 38.5 percent of newly commissioned U.S. Army officers, 1.8 percent of newly commissioned U.S. Marine Corps officers, 16.7 percent of newly commissioned U.S. Navy officers, and 38.1 percent of newly commissioned U.S. Air Force officers, for a combined 30 percent of all active duty officers in the Department of Defense commissioned that year. “COIN is a small-unit fight — not big units,” said [retired Army Colonel Conrad] Crane, who graduated from West Point in 1974. Although the “decline of ROTC” part is so laughably wrong, I doubt he’s right about the mix as well. During my time as a platoon leader my NCOs and soldiers worked extremely hard for me and it would tear my heart out to see any of them killed or maimed. I thank your kin for their service, too, and I don’t hold their NCO or “low rank” status against them. Ralph Robert Wensinger. Other historians credit a decreasing ROTC presence within the officer corps for the rising percentage of combat casualties represented by former cadets. Oh, it’s more than that. Before he played in the NFL, Chris Cagle was part of West Point’s Class of 1930. He said the program had 30,721 cadets a year ago and 28,489 the year before. He’s referencing the fact that we used to build armies almost from scratch when wars started, with even the officers having been civilians prior to the war. Many ROTC cadets to not go into the active military with most of the combat arms slots going to West Point. Anything else would be coincidental.”. “The gap between the growth in Officer Candidate School and decline of ROTC has been felt by West Pointers. @Tony W: My dad retired as a First Sergeant and was a Sergeant and Staff Sergeant in Vietnam. Make a Donation In Memory of a Graduate. Class of 1962. The West Point cadet killed in a overturned vehicle training accident at the U.S. Military Academy was identified Friday. “Those other wars were fought by mass armies with many officers who were citizen-soldiers, not military professionals,” said USMA history professor Dr. Clifford Rogers in an email. Write a Memorial Article. If you like West Pointers, you could say that the statistic is due to ‘Pointers leading from the front, which is a dangerous endeavor. MAIN CLASS LISTS: usma1964 - Class information usma1964-forum - Class discussion usma64-infocentral. All Original Content Copyright © 2003-2019 by OTB. The wars he is referring to were when you could buy your commissions from the government and go “play” soldier in your free time, such as with the Civil War and even up to WWII to a certain extent. What percentage of the Officer Corps is made up of West Point Graduates? I can think of no greater privilege then having known people of that resolve, loyalty and dedication. Union Cemetery, Keno, KY. Robert M. Grow   1950Died on 2/28/2021 in Carmel, CACremated. Class Roster; In Memoriam; Books and Articles About our Class: The Long Gray Line: The American Journey of West Point's Class of 1966 by Rick Atkinson, 1989. -------------------------------------------------- John Marion Baker . Anything else would be coincidental.”. Also, one year of statistics don’t establish a trend. Frank Reasoner. John T. Baker Jr.  1961Died on 4/14/2019 in Burnside, KYInterred in Mt. I expect that would be a surprise to your NCO and his ilk or the many “amateur” officers who came in via ROTC or OCS, not to mention those who came up the hard way. The bottom line is, the loss of any American servicemember, at any rank, is the loss of a national family member. More than half of the Army leadership during the war was composed of West Point graduates. She held the second-highest rank in her senior class, and, as Brigade Command Sergeant Major, was the highest-ranking minority woman in the history of West Point. West Point Graduate Be Thou At Peace & Memorial Articles. (Part II) Many of the accused perpetrators were (and still are) members in good standing of the West Point Football team whose recent triumphs over Navy and Air Force resulted in winning the Commander In Chief’s Trophy, now somewhat tarnished by this incident. Major Jason E. George, U.S. Army. To be interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. How does this compare to the % of KIA Officers from other commissioning sources in these wars? Officers from both USMA and ROTC can go into most any accession branch, but by statute most West Point officers have to go into the combat arms. The extracurricular activities in the profile are not an exhaustive list. Cadet Christopher J. Morgan, 22, of West … Then, what % of West point graduates account for Officer KIAs post 9/11? Cremated. The only major conflict on the other side of the ledger is the Mexican War, which ended in 1848 after claiming former cadets at a proportional rate 56 percent higher than during the war on terrorism. As soon as it became clear to Arnold … And once again, the actual cheating isn’t … To be interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. Order TAPS online. @James Joyner: I think something to consider with this data is the size of west point compared to the size of the fighting force. All of the ROTC cadets could select three service options. Carl A. Rankin   1955Died on 3/5/2021 in West Lake, OHInterred in Ohio Western Reserve National Cemetery, Seville, OH. @JKB: As defined by us at West Point a military professional is anyone that is in the modern military. Some quick questions off the top of my head: Ultimately, 7 percent of Wheeler's classmates were killed in combat - a figure Atkinson claims "was almost identical with that of the academy's World War … The profile is a composite picture of a recently admitted class. We're going to party like its 1991! 5% of my Class of ’66 was killed or wounded in the 2 years following graduation. Army Times (“West Point Combat Casualties Are High In Post-9/11 Era“): West Point graduates have accounted for a higher percentage of U.S. military combat deaths in the post-9/11 war on terrorism than in all but one major American conflict since the academy’s founding in 1802. @Stormy Dragon: Many ROTC cadets to not go into the active military with most of the combat arms slots going to West Point. In so doing, NATO forces will inevitably engage in high-intensity combined arms maneuver warfare, with commanders at all levels employing types and quantities of combat power that will seem shocking to a public and political class that has become used to the far more restrained combat operations associated with counter-insurgency. Every last one of us honors our loss and all of this Service we willingly have given to our Republic, despite the hatred, vicious abuse and public humiliation to which we were subjected in the subsequent years, right up to the career officers’ retirements. A total of 157 alumni perished in the conflict. As such, it serves as an effective Rorschach test. It is up to you to find the numbers that dispute this and if it is true, it wont be hard to do. Not all fields are required below. The cadet-death ratio in the Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts is nearly seven times greater than in the War of 1812, in which 0.3 percent of the total combat deaths were West Point grads; 42 times greater than among Union forces during the Civil War; nearly 11 times greater than in World War II; nearly four times greater than during the Korean War; more than three times greater than in the Vietnam War; and nearly three times greater than during the Persian Gulf War, where the percentage was 0.7 percent. Class Rosters. “It’s our 50th reunion next year, and every five years, West Point does a memorial service for the graduates who died. Search for grads by name, class year, company and many other criteria, Stay up to date with all West Point news and stay connected with fellow grads, login required, available to graduates & widows, online communities,separate login required. Reviewed in the United States on December 1, 2020. @Steve: I didn’t write that; the Stars and Stripes reporter I was quoting did. Purpose: Provide information for the MOST AWESOME 20TH REUNION OF ALL TIME. So maybe Dr. Watson, who is after all a history professor and not a recruiter, is just a bit to rah rah for his current institution and doesn’t actually know what he’s talking about. Of those who survived the rigorous four years at West Point in the class of 1843, Grant graduated 21st out of 39 cadets. but again, I don’t have facts so I’m not going to make those bold statements. That is leadership in its most pure form. (Wikipedia) Chris Cagle. According to the news, ROTC enrollment is growing rather than declining: Roughly 32,000 cadets are currently enrolled in the Reserve Officer Training Corps on the university level — a modest, yet notable, increase from previous years, says Lt. Col. Michael Indovina, chief public affairs officer with the U.S. Army Cadet Command. William H. Holcombe Jr.  1945Died on 11/3/2020 in Charlotte, NCInterment not reported to WPAOG. “So the West Point presence was more ‘diluted.’ ”. That is something that almost every cadet, and especially the ones who volunteered to go combat arms, should have embodied since day 1. The good news is there is a logical numbers explanation for the increase versus it being due to the new, kinder, gentler, sensitive USMA. Ed Krukowski . James F. Adamouski, a 1995 graduate, was the first West Point casualty in Iraq. To be interred in West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. Do you have any numbers on this? . West Point Classes 1890 to Present Select a class year: 2010 2000 1990 1980 1970 1960 1950 1940 1930 1920 1910 1900 2009 1999 1989 1979 1969 1959 1949 1939 1929 1919 1909 1899 2008 1998 1988 1978 1968 1958 1948 1938 1928 1918 … Even from your own source suggests that ROTC (21.5% of comissions) provides far more officers than the academies (17.2% of comissions). Henry Compton Benitez . Nathan Fick in his book “One Bullet Away: the Making of a Marine Officer” said it best: “I had to be willing to sit down with someone’s family, father, or spouse and tell them honestly why their father, son, or husband had died working for me and why I thought it had been worth it. My son wrote down, “Armor, Infantry, and Engineering.” The Army selected “Field Artillery.” It seems like the Army makes the real choices. Cremated. It is a tremendous responsibility that neither my peers or I take lightly. I’m guessing here but I think your “many” is probably less than 20% and your “most” is probably less than half of the total combat arms slots of commissioned officers per year. For all 80 of our departed 1973 class members [as of August 5, 2019]. To be interred at West Point Cemetery, West Point, NY at a later date. West-Point.Org (WP-ORG), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides an online communications infrastructure that enable graduates, parents, and friends of the military academy to maintain and strengthen the associations that bind us together. Bob Fuellhart . He played for … Donald E. Smith   1955Died on 3/11/2021 in Vero Beach, FLCremated. Here is the link for the raw data http://prhome.defense.gov/rfm/mpp/ACCESSION%20POLICY/PopRep2010/appendixb/b_30.html. The war on terrorism has been characterized by counterinsurgency, a warfare tactic that has put more pressure on junior officers in general, Crane said. Class of 1942 World War II Deaths. I just see this as an interesting factoid about changing nature of service.