
We had a sense of military adventure last Sunday, so we drove 50 miles to the United States Military Academy (USMA) at West Point. It has been almost 4 years since our last visit. During our first visit, we didn't get the chance to go inside the "restricted" area since we arrived quite late. This time, we paid for a tour and were admitted through the heavily guarded Thayer* Gate.
Video recording is prohibited and since we were in the bus, we couldn't really take good photos too. Maybe that's the idea. It's understandable that they don't want a bunch of civilians or would be terrorist in civilian disguise running around sensitive areas of the USMA unchecked. Sir, Yes Sir!
After passing by the American Soldier Statue, we got off at Cadet Chapel; a non-denominational chapel for Protestants. There are also other houses of worship e.g. Jewish Chapel, Catholic Chapel and the Old Cadet Chapel.
*Thayer, S. = father of West Point; longest serving Superintendent of the USMA - 16 years.
This is the heart of many musical & religious events at USMA. Cadet Chapel is the house of the world's second largest pipe organ. Being a former church organist albeit mediocre, this is an awesome discovery. No half-baked organist here, for sure.



The organ has over 23,000 pipes. Currently, it's ranked number two because the one in Convention Hall, Atlantic City isn't working. Number one still belongs to the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia's Lord & Taylor Departmental Store. Yes, it's in a mall. Not a church.


There was a military tattoo going on that day. Our tour guide, Penny had to wrestle with the crowd & music chatter. Poor her!


TROPHY POINT
It's called trophy point simply because the military salvaged their enemies' cannons upon victory. While headhunters collected heads in the past, the army collected cannons as their show and tell. Not so ghastly and certainly made more sense. They could always recycle the cannons while expanding their arsenal.

BATTLE MONUMENT

So, to ensure that Americans don't fight and kill each other again, several inverted cannons were affixed into the ground. Never again? Perhaps, civilian right to bear arms should be banned to avoid senseless killings these days.

Here ends the tour. We're leaving the restricted area of West Point. One last panoramic view of the barracks.
Fun facts from Penny:
Gen. MacArthur's mother checked herself into a West Point hotel for 4 years while he was studying there. She would check and see if MacArthur's room light was still on at night. If his room lights were on after 12 midnight she would complained that the Academy worked him too hard. If he went to bed earlier, she would complain that her son wasn't conscientious enough. MacArthur a Mommy's boy? Or, Mrs. MacArthur the meddling Momma?
Cadets would leave trinkets in their caps they wear for graduation. At the end of the ceremony, graduates traditionally throw their caps up in the air and leave them in the field for children to keep as souvenir. After all, they've graduated and don't wear cadet caps anymore.
WEST POINT MUSEUM
West Point Museum documents every arm conflict both domestic and overseas the Country fought in as well as the astronomical achievements of its graduates e.g. "Buzz" Aldrin & Michael Collins in space. We didn't see the current wars being added, though. The Museum has 4 floors:
1. Sub-basement - a "Large Weapons" Gallery and an "unexcavated area" (whatever that means!)
2. Basement - "Small Weapons" Gallery
3. 1st. floor - "History of Warfare" Gallery & "West Point" Gallery
4. 2nd. floor - "American Wars" Gallery and "History of the U.S. Army" Gallery
Yup, "boom-boom and peng-peng" fanatics could definitely knock themselves out examining all the exhibits in there.




And the list of arsenals go on and on. A tad tedious after a while. You get what I mean.
Finally, the USMA has an impressive list of graduates. Click here to see it. Edgar Allen Poe, also a USMA graduate, never entered the military field. Surprised? If he died in battle, there might have been no Poe poems.
Post thoughts:
Looking at some of the buildings and the barracks at West Point reminded Adrian & I of Hogwarts. I think it all started when Penny mentioned that some 4,000 cadets all dine at the same time in less than 25 minutes at Cadet Mess Hall. 10 persons to a bench-table with the most junior ranked member a.k.a. the pee-on, serving home-style family meals to the rest of the folks.
Finally, the USMA has an impressive list of graduates. Click here to see it. Edgar Allen Poe, also a USMA graduate, never entered the military field. Surprised? If he died in battle, there might have been no Poe poems.
Post thoughts:
Looking at some of the buildings and the barracks at West Point reminded Adrian & I of Hogwarts. I think it all started when Penny mentioned that some 4,000 cadets all dine at the same time in less than 25 minutes at Cadet Mess Hall. 10 persons to a bench-table with the most junior ranked member a.k.a. the pee-on, serving home-style family meals to the rest of the folks.
4 comments:
I hope one day my son will go to West point academy :)-. It will be our family pride ! At nearly 4yrs old, he wanted so very much to be an astronaut :)-
hey Jamy: in that case, you have to start "grooming" him so that he demonstrates outstanding leadership qualities in extra-curricular activities. the tour guide said that you need to have a recommendation letter from a Senator or President or Vice-President of the United States to enter the Academy. upon graduation serve for 5 years in the military with 2 active tours of duty.
Yes, we are aware of that :)- :"the tour guide said that you need to have a recommendation letter from a Senator or President or Vice-President of the United States to enter the Academy"
In fact, in his dad martenral linerage, there were a few senators :)-.; I don't think that is any problem :). According to his grandfather geonology studies, their linerages went as far as the 1st president of US, it is recorded in the family tree chart. It is quite an emotion for me when I prepare my naturalization review questions.
One part of me wanted to homeschool him till his undergrade degree, the other part, I wanted to him to go a prestige Millatry or Marine academy. He is bossy alright.
He is 3 but he is oleri on 5yrs old curriculum, and he is playing paino with a 5yrs old curriculum. Smart is an understandment for this kids. His grandpa wanted me to test him for genius, I refuse.
But, his dad want him to go to BobJones (the ultra conversative Christian college), I am not too keen on that.
U see I was born with congentital heart disease ; deep in my heart, I wish he could be my cardiologist when I am old, ha ha ha :) but then I wanted him to be a successful entrepreneur cos my dad is a very successful biz man. A successful entreprenuer who own an oil company :)- Ha ha ha, here I am having very wisful thinking, ha ha ha, for only having 1 son :)-.
Jamy
serenity-myjersey.blogspot.com; You saved my day again.
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