Publisher's Synopsis
Excerpt from 1885-1911, in Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of Graduation of the Class of '86, U. S. M.A: West Point, June, 1911
The announcement in the circular sent out by your committee, saying that I would write a letter of greeting to be read at the class reunion, imposes upon me a very pleasant obligation. It gives me an opportunity as Class President to write you collectively, and to say many things that I would like to say if I were writing to each individual. Above all, however, I am thus permitted to feel myself a real part of the reunion. This letter shall be a heartfelt and sincere word of greeting from the opposite side of the world. I shall try to imagine myself among you around the banquet table, or per haps again in the old tower room, first ?oor, first division, or familiarly even in the usual place. With this greeting I send also a word of explanation and regret for my absence, a few lines of reminiscence, and pages of affection and friend ship, all recorded at random.
It is unfortunate indeed for me that higher authority has concluded that I should not leave my post just at this time. This is a great disappointment to me. There is nothing that could equal the pleasure of meeting once more with old '86 companions of my youth, the friendship for whom is, above all others, the dearest and most lasting. To be again for a few hours, as in the olden days at West Point, with those who stood shoulder to shoulder with me, and I with them, through our four years, would be worth great sacrifice. The thought makes me long for cadet days again. I would gladly go back into thecorps (although, of course, it has gone entirely to the dogs since we were cadets), and gladly (in spite of this) go through the whole course from beginning to end to be with you all as we were then. Life meant so much to us - probably more than it ever has since - when the soul was filled to the utmost with ambition and the world was full of promise.
The proudest days of my life, with one exception, have come to me in connection with West Point, - days that stand out clear and distinct from all others. The first of these was the dav I won my appointment at Trenton, 1aiissouri, in a competi tive examination with seventeen competitors. An old friend of the family happened to be in Trenton that day and, passing on the opposite side of the street, called to me and said, John, I hear you passed with ?ying colors. In all seriousness, feeling the great importance of my success, I naively replied in loud voice, Yes, I did, feeling assured that no one had ever quite passed such a fine examination as I had. The next red-letter day was when I was elected President of the Class of '86. I didn't know much about class presidents until the evening of our meeting to effect a class organization. To realize that a body of men for whom I had such an affectionate regard should honor me in this way was about all that my equilibrium would stand. Another important day was when I made a cold max in Phil at June examination, under dear old Pete, with Arthur Murray as instructor. This was the only max I ever made in anything. I fairly ?oated out of the library and back to bar racks. The climax of days came when the makes were read out on graduation day in June, 1885. Little Eddy Gayle smiled when I reported five minutes later with a pair of cap tain's chevrons pinned on my sleeves. No honor can ever come to equal that. I look upon it in the very same light today as I did then. Some way these days stand out and the recollection of them has always been to me a great spur and stimulus.
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