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

Page 590 text:

i%FTER GAINING a nodding acquaintance willi the De- partment of Mathematics on entrance examinations, we marched forth in Septem- liir. to meet once more. Pointers in hand, it took our every effort to peer into the lliird dimension on a l)lackboard obviously flat, a la Euclid. Algebra claimed our attention, too, in preparation for trigonometric functions and the artistic algebraic masterpieces of analytic geometry. The advent of recognition, however, outshone man) ( the remaining wonders of plcbe math. Yearling year Colonel Jones instructors began to remove the wrappings from that powerful mathematic tool with the dire sounding name. The Calculus. After Christmas leave, the intricacies of integration were a trial, but llir know li ' dgc result- ing from repeated problem solutions showed its true worth in later technical courses.

Page 589 text:

Si {;k we first hesitatingly reported ' ' Mori capilaine, le cadet Ihicrot est absent est deja si nale a I ' officier du jour est Point ' s modern language courses have been douhlid in number. (Jerman and Portuguese have been ail li-(l to the already standard I ' remli and Spanish lo meet the increased language needs ill (he service today. Our inslriictiun commeiK cd with French and llien branched into Spanish. (Jerinan. or Portuguese. M ' ter long hours of translalion. «c can sa ihat we now have the liindamentals and a working vocabular in al least two languages. Thus we will be on IrieiidlN speaking lerms in several languages in the lulure, peacet ' iil world. M. Vaulhier retired from llie dcparlmenl last ear. We deem ourselves fortunate to ha e known him. His creed, ours: Devoir. Honneiir. I ' atrie. Colonel Morkis If I him; oik ti;m KI-: in lln- aerie of Washington Hall, eights -eight steps high, the Department of i:)rawing b.-came the Department of Military Topography and (Jraphics and stools «.rc introduced to rest our feet between |noblciii sheets. Meanwhile, two years of ajjplication were rewarded liy a basic knowledge of surve ing. blue print reading, and map and aerial photograph reading. After crew -running | lane taide. transil-stailia. and level problems, we staked out bomb-proof shelters. Progressive practice at the drawing board enabled us to create from a book full of blue prints an assembly drawing recognizable as the .37mm gun. Kxpanded instruction in ma|i and aerial photograph reading based on the con- tour maps we sketched on the grouiul completed this course of such sound pro- fessional alue.

Page 591 text:

fAist Ron: Capt. Ferguson, Lt. Col. Ill, lu ' ii: Lt. Locicks,Capl. Marrian. Maj. Mnotr. a. Ingersoll, Ll. Kiht)ey, Capl. K Ml-.. Kill.;. in! Kou: Ll. Collier. Maj. Robinson. Maj. Miner. Maj. Pvne, Capl. Pollock. Capl. W alsh, Capl. Coleman. Ll. Kiernan. Maj. M.Nair. ■ ' iirf A ' .. V.,]. M.l ler. Maj. Dick. Capl. 11... I. ' ..!. I..u.-,.„ce, Capl. Yalc . Capl. I l.i.h... Mil uain. Ll. Bobalkr. Capl. I).-..... Ma,. .-.i . 1st Ron: 1,1. Col. K.clcr. Ll. C.,1. Ilal- lan, Ll. Col. Booth. Ll. Col. Slrilzin-cr. Ll.Col. Sharrcr. Col. L.nrs. Ll.Col. IVfiL-. 1,1. Col. 1 ' ,I.I. Ll. C.l. S. Iiimmclpfcnni .. 1.1. Col. IL.rl.nan. Ll. Col. K ha.lk. COI.ONKI, .JoNt It took most of us a pood four weeks to master siifllrient ilelails of operation of our ne» «ea|,on. tlie sli.le rule, to I..- alile to trust it lor the true answer to 2.2x2.2. .Not until then ((miIi! we devote our attention eoinpletelv to |ili sies. and conduct our (irst lalioralorv experiments. I ' liis was a stepping stone lor the mechanics ol ' second class ear. The theoretical principles and laws erc studied and ihin illustrated b experi meiits and demonstrations perrornied hoth the instructors and ourselves — will penentage of crn.r n ar in- XNi.lei). From the masteries ollight. soun.i. and dec IricilN to halaiici ' il and unhalanced forces, an understanding of what makes ma chillis lick was inculcated uliieh cannot fail to lu indisp ' nsahh in our moderi mechanized warfare.