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

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H iOT 3 s e: ' €W!i iH V ■ l vf ' ' J vJ ' v ' l ' t ' ?t ' ! if !fvt V ; l i tjf ' J ' vt ' I - V ir« - T p» - , f r sci ; RidiiKj ' {cademy After a casual inspection of the inscription on the base of the monument we move slowly along Diagonal Walk until the Sally Port of North Barracks be- comes visible through the trees. Due to its comparative newness this apartment house extraordinary is of course, not as rich in tradition as its older sister, but its mute divisions could tell nevertheless a tale of moments sad and glad, of gaiety and mirth, of dour days and dull, ' ' if given voice. Situated in either half of this million dollar dormitory, finished in neither rosewood nor mahogany, were the meeting rooms of the two upper classes, Mahan and Church Halls, the latter a popular retreat in the days of King Arthur, when Friday evening privileges were in order. In this fictional tour, the crusty colonel of to-morrow (ambition is limitless as June approaches) halts within sight of the Gym, scene of his most strenuous undergraduate endeavors whether he willed so or otherwise. This structure sug- gestive of strength in all its lineaments saw him through his awkward efiforts to master the intricacies of Koehler ' s evolutions and later was a silent witness to his crowning moment of grace — waltzing to the closing strains of Army Blue. During the winter months it was the center of extra-curricular activity; particu- larly was it a favorite gathering place on Saturday. The afternoon ' s athletic [»j j yfijjw j|4. Vj;v JT riir Tr r r r E r

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' .■to tr tr ot l t,,V■h W W V tnt tfvV l» !■■ lVv ■ »■a t tl tl■ V ' t trJ ' !»«-.6l|- cA U . Cadet Cf ' fip ' l For a moment we stand and drink it in, unable to drain of its full significance. A myriad too many fantasies flash across the field of recollection to permit of reasonable comprehension. Our Spartan quarters and their inmates are revealed as vividly as if preserved in a tintype. The area of unhappy fame, South Guard House and its Star Chamber, Charley and his shearing assistants, the Armory, the loft of North Wing with the names of the men of ' 80 and before inscribed upon its dusty beams, all return as if some master had stepped into the recesses of our mind and drawn thereon the sights that we knew so well. Emerging from the North Sally Port of South Barracks we are struck by the brilliancy of the French Statue as a noonday sun haloes the soldat of the sister Republic. The white marble pedestal, bearing on opposite faces the relief of Jofifre and Foch and surmounted by the gilded figure of a Napoleonic poilu, presents a charming contrast. It is the replica of a statue to be found on the campus of the French Ecole Polytechnique. Presented just prior to our arrival, it was a wel- come addition to the galaxy of bronzes which adorn our own grounds. Its most memorable association is that of trysting place for gallant cadet and pretty maid immediately upon the conclusion of Sunday chapel service. Tiventy r r TT ri n r r wji- r ;;r jr;jr:5r7fr 7jjr c r5r5r:5r:7r3p- rT;

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