United States Military Academy West Point - Howitzer Yearbook (West Point, NY)

Page 10 text:

TH E 1912 tlOWlTZER ltd' day when with mingled feel- ings of joy and sadness he watches the stern gray walls fade from view, she labors to create in him a spirit true and high, and so firmly in- grained that it shall abide with him to the end of life. It has been said that no matter how great a man may become in the eyes of the V world he will ever remain a 4' little boy to his mother. All through the years of his childhood she gives ungrudgingly to him of love and care. She watches over and guides him till the time shall come when, a man in years, but still her boy, she sends him forth to battle for the right. The greater part of her work is done. She may sit then with folded hands and watch his future career with maternal solicitude. She prays for him when temptations shall come, shares his sorrow, suffers with him in the days of adversity and her face brightens with joy at his triumph. His every transgression is a thorn in her side, his every triumph is an added jewel in her crown. So it is with the Foster hlother of the Corps. Like a Spartan mother she rules her sons sternly, not with mercy, but with justice, which may be the highest proof of love. To every son she gives without stint all that she has to offer. She opens to him her treasure hoard of wisdom gathered in a century of heroic endeavor. She lays before him the example of other sons, to be comiected with whom, be it in ever so little, is an honor and a privilege. She appeals by- tradition- and exalted ideals to all that is best in his nature. Then she sends him forth to justify her worth in the eyes of men. Through all the years of his service she follows him, reaping honor and glory from his deeds or being wounded to the heart at 10

Page 9 text:

THE I9IZ my i I-IOWITZER -'-'V i .E A ! H. . Hfll Ilgl gillil y .ex -2 K E! Bk. f' vp-N V1 r - I ' K ik, . Apylgzm UIX to day is what eq ip duty was in the days i l of Caesar and before. Honor to4day conveys to the mind of man the same idea as on the day the word was first coined: The exact shade of meaning attached may be different from that rof the Crusaders or the mail-clad chivalry of medimval Europe, but in their day Honor meant something greater in value than life, something enno- bling,uplifting, and so it does f - to-day. The love of Country . is a fire which was lighted in the era in which man and man bandeditogether that they might be more evenly matched in the struggle for existence with the merciless forces of Nature. Around these three words the life of the Academy is centered. They are words which are more closely linked in the mind of ' a soldier perhaps than in that of any other profes- sional man. He cannot escape from them if he would. VVhen the last sad note of Taps', has passed into silence, wistfully as if it were loath to die, whether the stars above look down on him in garrison or in the crowded camp, if he stop to think of the day,s work and to judge fairly he will know if his honor has been kept unsullied and his duty well done. If these things be true then it must follow that he has served his country with the best he had. Most likely, however, he will not think of these things. Either he will have done them or left them un- done according to the spirit that he took to his work. Herein lies the true value of VVest Point. From the day when, untrained and raw, from divers paths of civil life, the young man awkwardly salutes and reports for duty, to the -f- 9 ',

Page 11 text:

1 Y' Y I 'Q - .. V rs' assi- 0 H Eiavggxl :lit- 1' ' 11 E 1 9 I2 --y 1101111112111 'r-' . 'q'1 1 p1 f -' , ' . . . , NIJ' ',1bj.1g1?k .. 111s forgettul11ess of 11er care. As tl1e ' 1. ' '-. 1 ' 1: w , , . '-fl2..'-, Q V f h.Wgi q?1i .'i'14 fig?7'f lnghest tribute man can pay to his A' 2'-1-'11 1 1' '. 1 '-1'5 - ' - - - 1 l vw Q ., ,g11:: l, -11-if'f1,g,7E4+,. 1. I' mother IS to lav 111s aclnevements at 11er . -1 . ,171 ,, 'R .- 1 if-L 1 'fd'-. ',-- .11 24- , 1 6' feet, so t11e best acknowledgement of me -rbi' gratitude a graduate ea11 make to t11e 1 ls- . 1- IY '71 'fif.1'Yx 41 i - - . . swag: 7-gt.: gi, 1Xcade1ny is to do 1118 duty as he learned .1 g5:Q1T5:g23g,'5'1'9'p,9'P 12 it l1ere. If, having 110110 t11at, honor or ' 35:5 fame shall co1ne to 111111, l1e will feel tl1at 1 ' -1:11, . y 1 -fel. to h1s Ahna Mater belongs the glory. HE Corps is at once one of tl1e '- . ' -KS ,lf ,. , -'V IX Q' .' 5-fifsi . iv Q Q? most de111ocrat1e and most conserv- t41 f:11iw?'4-'-ffi , Reis -91:4 ative bodies 111 t11e world. T l1e causes wl1ic11 l'J1'l11g t11is about are many and varied. In tl1e first place, its lllCllll'JG1'S co111e from every State in tl1e UHiO11, bri11ging'wit11 them the ideas and customs of their birthplaces. O11 arrival llG1'G G?lCll 011075 whole conception of t11e social systemvof life is s11attered and l1e is lost O11 a sea' of eo11flicti11g eniotions. He lC?,L1'US that l1is own personal record has been swept away a11d, so far as tl1e Corps is concerned, he l1as no pastg t11at hc has absolutely a clean sl1eet 011 which to write 11is worth, that his destiny lies i11 his own hands, a11d that Wl1CtllC1' or 11ot l1e shall leave behind 111111 a clean record of hardships patiently bor11e and duty well do11e rests solely with himself. The hard 'lesson t11at l1e himself 111ust ever be subservient to the good of t11e w11ole is early broug11t 1101110 to him. Slowly but steadily from out t11e chaos and confusion l1e evolves a new creed of life. He feels the intangible forces of the past lightly at Hrst, but ever growing stronger. Daily grows t11e current in his life, deep, resistless, flowing through a11 unknown land, carry- ing him 011 and 011 till 0110 day l1e awakens to t11e fact t11at he has fou11d himself a part of t11e Corps, , - 4 --1 L !!-1155 w1 ' ' 1 that unl-:nown to 111111- g . 'fj , ae:'1: 'r, 1 - A ,.1 . , . self l1e l'l2LS entered '31,,i?,'-' 1 . 5E:,3'f5Z+11f1 -,fa - 1 1 . ?,,5.,M'.gs1'i , 'f:1.1g111' 1 -1 .29 1, into tl1e l1fe of a body 1,53-,-. ' rip 3, rzfi fi 1-121. . . . . V V I -, 5,21 A1 'wr' -:L .15 'jr j.- - Lf- -1 '-1 5 which IS Greater tlltlll Q-1F1!'1A '5t f 1' A- .115-JQSQ.,-Y ,, 5 - wif , 1 fs' if .-fhfiftffff :fy g fa - 1 11 ' - 'vin f - ,Ul,1-45- -1 1 ' ' ' --., -...sitji-1:1.,'1, f' 1 '1'tf1F W Q.. y fvffhif . , , 1 , -,V his ow11 a11d, yet, of 1g,7s:'Qi5gzq'g5:fj1,-,L41?-1111 1 . ' -ps-'11 1 - ' - 1 'V55'31?f -'1J'?',f'f'f'f ff? lf f .- 'X:1 1-Q11 1- f ' 'icff' 1 .1 171 ,fl -f 'ae which his l1fe forms a EH: 1-. f-:f1f-ffgryff-J 'ii-4-E,:115,E , J 11- ,i ' 1 2-5' f.L 2ff27,jg.?5:'N1' f,Zjfir1-. M ' ' Part- HG aWH1kG11S to 31,1241 iaith. , . , ' 1 . , '.f11'Q-f1',,i,...s:'j1f11,151 1 11, , ' L- -1 1 ?52'.g,j'-: g'1j,f':'y... -'f-f .. 1 ,Q a sense of t11e responsi- 11, wg - - - 1' ailing--1'1f 1 My ,e 1 ii J :12-,f'.a-f,sf:-,3-- blllfy Wlmh has 100211 ' if - V' - i It .1 1.' .r. - , '4.f p1im i' 'FQ thrust upon bmi, 3 fe' 1 -1 sponsibilitv to the 31. ' 1 A ' - . f x : evil -' 'wr' .V , ' 'e1':,-'wiz-can-11.-H 11 . 1