Endorse David Hughes
Nomination
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Dave's Nomination, please Add
your endorsement to those already here!
I am a feelance researcher from Wales, UK. I made contact with Dave Hughes online in August 2000, through an internet conference group on internet and public interest issues sponsored by the Benton Foundation. Dave criticized a posting of mine pertaining to internet policy in the UK, and with specific reference to the access and connectivity needs of rural Wales. I listened. I shared the same agenda- advanced intternet services and access for all! This was my first encounter with world broadband wireless pioneer, Dave Hughes. I was drawn into the hurricane. Dave told me of his vision for internet access via low-cost and even free wireless networks, using the local pub as an ISP, in rural Wales. I did my research...and sceptical at first, was convinced. I then connected with Dave's "Trogs" discussion conference online, intended to bridge the divide of military and civilian life. I was even shocked to find that I, a confirmed post-'68 radical, was here engaged in discussion with Westpointers. I learned about Westpoint. I followed Dave's "Anatomy of a Small Revolution Conference", also in "Trogs", and learnt of his amazing civic activism in the Old COlorado City regeneration project. And of course of his secret weapons in the peaceful revolution- the PC and the dial-up modem...and the primmitive days of internet. I then followed the story through of Dave's pioneering wireless ventures - techniology transfer projects, from Montana to Mongolia to San Luis Valley, and currently, his pioneering NSF work in remote and difficult areas, Alaska, Puerto Rico, Wisconsin, revolutionizing field science in the process.
Dave was very generous in his response to my questions. Dave in fact e-mailed me from the Wisconsin lakelands. I, in turn, was seized by Dave's vision for Wales.
I have since developed a project through a public service broadcaster in Wales, S4C, a Welsh language TV station, to use the mentorship of Dave Hughes to realize a broadband wireless project in Wales.
In March 2001 I travelled to Colorado Springs, to the Westside, Old Colorado City, to Dave's neighbourhood, to establish contact and seek his co-operation in our project. Dave is no ordinary person! 4 intensive days of induction taught me many things. I learnt a great deal of Westpoint, of the soldier-scholar ideal in the process. I was so impressed at the Fort Carson experiment, rapping with the radicals of Chicago and the rest...and of course, the Go-Go Girls in the bars on base!
These are my rambling words by way of introduction. Dave has performed a sterling duty in rallying to our cause to bridge the "digital divide" in Wales. If our policy makers are brave enough, they will embrace the Dave Hughes grassroots model for broadband wireless internet as a means of community regeneration. And one of our secret weapons in our cause will be Dave Hughes! - who will demonstrate the phenomenal potential of wireless communications to our senior politicians in the National Assembly of Wales. They will be led by an exemplary Westpoint man, a true soldier-scholar...who in 10 minutes will be guaranteed to have caused yet another of his small, peaceful and enormously beneficial revolutions.
Dave teaches us all to embrace the future, and to make that future happen. Not many men have ever humbled me. But then again, Dave has no time for such praise. "Just do it", he would say. His task accomplished, he would be on to the next project. As Frank Odasz, of the Montana Big Sky Telegraph project said, "Dave Hughes is human bandwidth withoout limitation!". Dave is one proud American-Welshman! who could well have a profound impact on Wales in the new millennium and the new economy. Bancycapel, in rural Carmarthenshire, will have a lot to answer for on this one!
John Wilson <johnresearch@hotmail.com>
Caerffili, Wales - Tuesday, April 10, 2001 at 13:35:10 (CDT)
I don't know if you have to be a graduate of West Point to add to this, or even a certain age, but I do know that what ever honor you would give to Mr. Dave Hughes, he deserves a hundred times over. He has been an enourmous help to me throughout a project that I am working on for the National History Day Competition. After he learned that I was a young student, he put every effort into helping me including several hours of phone conversations with me and my mom, and also much time and consideration in sending me e-mails and suggestions for further research on the subject of spread spectrum. I send him my best wishes and hope he wins this award because I know he deserves it. Erin
Erin Werkmeister <jpwerk@toolcity.net>
Meadville, Pa USA - Wednesday, March 21, 2001 at 22:11:30 (CST)
our F-2 Company. I knew him, of course, but to the best of my knowlege
I had little or no influence on his development as a cadet or officer,
other than whatever influnce the upperclassmen in a company have upon those
who observe them for two years. Nevertheless, I am extremely impressed
and proud of Dave Hughes' accomplishments. He has proven himself to be
a combat soldier and an effective military and civilian leader. He is an
intellectual and a visionary. He is a dedicated community "doer" and a
man who does not allow difficulties to deflect him from accomplishing his
mission. I am pleased to add my endorsement to his nomination to receive
the honor of Distinguished Graduate. Irving B. Schoenberg, Colonel USAF
(Ret), USMA '48
Irving B. Schoenberg 1948 <irvs5@earthlink.net>
Dunwoody, GA USA - Saturday, December 09, 2000 at 00:23:54 (CST)
I have known COL Hughes primarily through his participation in online
discussions among USMA graduates on the West Point Forum. While I have
been as impressed as others with his military accomplishments, both in
combat and in garrison, I find his unending drive and faith in the future
to be those characteristics most fundamental to what he is and to what
he continues to accomplish. He has tapped the same courage he demonstrated
against overwhelming odds in combat and translated it into a force to solve
prickly geopolitical, social, and technical problems when others falter.
Despite his much lauded accomplishments in many fields, he continues to
attempt to improve conditions for the common man and avoids enriching himself
all the while. His actions and underlying motivations are fully rooted
in the USMA motto, "Duty, Honor, Country." COL Hughes, in deeds and thoughts
spanning 50 years, continues to bring much luster to the heritage and ideals
of our Rockbound Highland Home.
Karson Snyder '85 <snyderk@west-point.org>
Atlanta, GA USA - Wednesday, December 06, 2000 at 21:10:39 (CST)
I'm sure that Dave Hughes has no recall of this former plebe. However,
I remember him vividly. For me he was a walking symbol of what a West Point
Army officer should be: He dressed the part, he looked the part, and his
every action bespoke his living the part. He was (I'm sure he still is)
a down to earth human being who cared for people (he always found time
to discuss a problem and assist you in finding solutions), while at the
same time he was an intellectual whose command of the English language
was obvious (he was, after all, an English P), and he was a real honest
to God hero who had proven himself in combat. Little known facts about
myself (In the past 40 years, I haven't found any particularly good reasons
to enlighten anyone.) must be revealed in order to relate my "fond memories"
of Dave Hughes. If you will recall, Black Stars were the symbols of successfully
surviving turnout exams; the stars were worn on the B-robe as symbol of
surviving the impossible. When I wore my B-robe, I could have been a General
of the Armies--however, all five black stars don't fit on one shoulder.
Two of those stars are from Plebe English.
My first real remembrance of Dave Hughes comes from the sitting across
the desk from him and watching him review my academic file-I had been turned
out in Plebe English. He looked up after a couple of minutes and asked,
"Do you want to pass?" I'm not sure how my affirmative response was phrased,
however, I remember him saying, "Okay, soldier this is what we are going
to do." (There was an emphasis on the "we"). That comment was the start
of the most intensive English language program you can imagine. Five writing
assignments every day for seven days were his requirements. I have no idea
to this day how I did them. I would write them and then he and I would
sit down in his office and grade them. The first ones had red marks on
every line. By the end of the third day, I was ready to throw in the towel.
You must remember as a plebe that there seemed to be zero free time, and
by the end of the third day's tutoring session I was frustrated with pages
of my "best" being torn apart and covered with red ink. My mood must
have shown clearly to Hughes, or perhaps he knew or anticipated my feelings
of inadequacy, for he sat back and told me that at first he didn't think
I had a chance, but now, if I kept up the effort, he thought my chances
were good. The only exact memory of that evening came in connection with
some comment of mine concerning how hopeless it seemed. His comment was
to the effect: "Most battles have moments where it seems hopeless; the
winner is the one who gives his best no matter how hopeless it seems."
(I wrote that down and carried it with me for many years.)
By the end of the fifth day of this accelerated English course, there
were only a dozen red marks, and for some reason sentences, paragraphs,
and ideas had become easier to write. It was taking me less time, and the
results were significantly better. The night before the turnout exam, after
Hughes had reviewed the longest assignment, his comments were, "You are
ready soldier; tomorrow, take your time, check your spelling, and use small
concise words. Good luck." I am writing this as a fond memory so it is
obvious to all that I passed the exam.
The results of the exam were not immediately available and it wasn't
until I found my name on the math class formation list that I knew for
a fact that I would be around for the next semester. A Sunday, prior to
the start of the next semester, we were sitting in the room eating ice
cream when someone yelled attention in the barracks. Standing like plebes
(dumbbells seems appropriate) Dave Hughes walked into the room. He sat
us at ease and sat behind one of the desks and asked if he could join us.
I have two lasting impressions of that visit: The first impression is of
him scooping out ice cream from one of all of our containers into a glass
and eating it with a pencil. The second impression was that he cared. The
purpose of his visit was to congratulate me on passing. In doing so, he
commented that I must have done extremely well since by his calculations
on the first day, I needed to almost max the exam to avoid turnout. Years
later, during a harried day with competing demands of my department, class
schedule, and family activities for which I needed time to prepare, I was
writing a concise review of a General's draft to the Chief of Staff's GO's
weekly or monthly review. I stopped in the middle of that draft to reread
the General's note. The uncanny and unique ability to express complex ideas
in writing that I was being asked to use were actually the result of Dave
Hughes, with competing demands and real priorities, spending more than
twenty hours of his harried days during one week to focused on helping
one plebe; one plebe out of 600-a plebe who even with his help would have
to accomplish the near impossible by maxing an English turnout exam. The
lasting impact of Dave Hughes on my life and me as a person would be difficult
to measure. Perhaps the best way to indicate the continuing effect would
be to say this: After writing four published books, several published articles,
and after having my ability to present complex ideas in writing noted as
one of my unique skills on twenty-five years of officer efficiency reports,
I am concerned that if Dave Hughes were to read this, he would take out
his red pen. Court Prisk USMA 1959
Court Prisk '59 <yokocurt@sinfo.net>
USA - Thursday, October 19, 2000 at 08:16:01 (CDT)
I knew Dave Hughes as a classmate and have intersected with him
occasssionally throughout both during and after our military careers. He
has distinguished himself in both. His combat record speaks for itself.
His pioneering work in the realm of cyber technology has been handled in
such a way that it has continuously reflected credit on West Point. It
has been particularly significant in view of the impact of this field on
the economy and quality of life of our nation today, due in no insignificant
way to the contributions made by Dave. It is a priveledge to endorse his
nomination.
Ray Michael Dowe, Jr., 1950 <mdowe@islinc.com>
San Diego, CA USA - Monday, October 02, 2000 at 16:04:17 (CDT)
I have known Dave Hughes for a number of years now through his participation
in the West Point Connection (WP-ORG) at http://www.west-point.org. His
energies, efforts, and contributions in the area of electronic communications
are unsurpassed. I wholeheartedly support this action. Dempsey Darrow Courage
and Drive '75 Advisor/Moderator WP-ORG
Dempsey Darrow 1975 <outrider@west-point.org>
Austin, TX USA - Saturday, September 30, 2000 at 11:36:45 (CDT)
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