Al Rupp
(2 JUL 1930, 11 JUN 1965)
Al Rupp Eulogies
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Karen and Mike Deming (Al's daughter) (2008)
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Al Rupp Memorial Trophy (NOV 2007)
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A - 2
1st Row: Vincent, Joseph, Stevenson, Fikaris, Prater, Stemle
2nd Row: Freed, Adams, West, Jim Miller, Mason, Jellison
3rd Row: Auger (CO), Spaulding, Reid, Lucas, Rupp, Weissenborn
4th Row: Dax, Senger, Camp, Schauer
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A chloroformed Navy mascot, Billy XII, sleeps soundly on the back floor of a convertible on the way back
to West Point, the Sunday prior to the 1953) Army-Navy game. "Borrowed" by Ben Schemmer '54 and Al
Rupp '55, with the kind assistance of the car's owner, a soldier (unidentified) in the Academy band (NOV 1953)
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Al Rupp '55, the getaway driver, Ben Schemmer '54 and unidentified helper
pose with Bill XII and Mr. Jackson, the Senior Army Mascot, at the Mule Pen. (NOV 1953)
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Al Rupp, Billy XII, Ben Schemmer '54, unidentified helper (NOV 1953)
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Al Rupp, Ben Schemmer '54 and Billy XII in Washington Hall (NOV 1953)
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Alexander Kratz Rupp was born in Bellefonte, PA on (2 JULy 1930). His first ten years were spent in State College where his father taught mathematics at Penn State University. Al had a paper route as a small boy and served it very faithfully, earning and saving his money so he could buy clothes and toys of his own choosing. One day he amazed his parents by coming home with a tuba that was almost as big as he was. It was his school band instrument. He had to practice in the cellar. From the tuba Al went on to play a cornet in the local drum and bugle corps, a group which won a national championship one year. His band uniform at that time was patterned after the West Point cadet's dress uniform. Even at that early age Al's friends were beginning to notice his aggressive initiative. There were times when his parents had to intervene to slow him down, for he was always trying new things, and often beyond his capabilities. Once, while he was still only 11 years old, he wanted to bicycle across the country with a couple of older boys. When World War II began, Al's father was commissioned a captain in the Signal Corps and was stationed in Washington, D C., where the family joined him after a few months. Al went to Central High School in Washington and did well, not only academically, but rose to become captain of the cadet corps in his senior year. Upon graduation the Navy awarded him a Holloway scholarship for study at Harvard. After two years he had some doubts that the system would ever lead him any higher than lieutenant commander, so he left college and took a job running a bulldozer and later, a gasoline-powered shovel. Meanwhile, he attended National Guard drills at summer camp, always keeping in mind the competitive exams for the service academies. He came out high on the 1951) list and entered West Point with the Class of 1955). His experiences with the Navy, at college, and on the construction job had given him a background which now helped him in many ways. He found academics at the Point reasonably easy and had ample time for other activities, particularly cheer leading, for which he earned a minor "A". He was one of the four cheerleaders who one year managed to capture the Navy goat and bring it back to West Point in triumph. Al graduated 63rd in his Class and chose a career in the Air Force. He was unusually keen in his job and in addition to his regular flight training in Texas and Mississippi, worked, on his own time, on both airplane and automobile engines at the local base shops. In Texas his other free time activities included teaching Sunday school classes, studying photography and hunting. He was one of the first in his Class to be assigned to a fighter squadron in Germany. For four years he was stationed near Bitburg. He learned to speak German fluently and was often chosen to address the German crowds that flocked to see the Air Force exhibitions. During this period he fell in love with, courted, and married a German girl, Ruth Michels, a fine woman who bore him two children, a son while they were in Germany and later a daughter, in the States. The young couple traveled widely in Europe during Al's leave time. They skied at St. Thomas in the Tyrol; they climbed the Finsteraarhorn in Switzerland (Ruth was the only woman in a period of some twenty years to make it to the top); and together they learned a good deal about art in Florence. The Air Force Academy proposed to send Al to school at the University of Mayence with a view to his teaching German at the Air Force Academy, but Al aspired to a space career. He did succeed in drawing a stateside assignment at Wright-Patterson AFB and there earned a master's degree in astronautics in 1962). From here he went to Edwards AFB in California, for duty in the Aerospace Research Pilot Program, graduating in 1963). In two transcontinental automobile trips, Al's family enjoyed with him the roadside camping. They pulled a small trailer behind their 1955) car, and it was truly amazing to see how much comfort and pleasure they found in the limited capacity of the little box on wheels. Al was unusually thoughtful of his relatives and friends. He wrote to his parents faithfully every week; he helped his youngest sister through the University of Chicago with a modest allotment, and he gave his mother a miniature of his West Point ring and his insignia as a senior pilot. Friends sometimes remarked that Al lived two lives: his own, and another for his twin brother who drowned in early childhood. From Edwards, the young Rupps returned to Wright-Patterson, where Al worked with the test mission program of the Aeronautical Systems Division. He was scheduled to attend the Staff School in Norfolk in August 1965). He had planned to take a leisurely camping trip with his family after completing Staff School--through Nova Scotia and northeastern Canada--and before leaving for an assignment in Vietnam. But that was not to be. On Friday, 11 June 1965), he crashed and burned to death on a routine flight out of Wright-Patterson. He was buried in Arlington National Cemetery. Al was a hard-working, conscientious officer. His promotions to captain and to major were both "below the primary zone of consideration," so that his parents, his family and his friends had every reason to be proud of him, and to feel that "the stars in his eyes" was no idle dream. Al was awarded a commendation ribbon for a paper he prepared on traffic control in Germany and a recommended posthumous award was still to be made as this article was being written. Dr Charles A. Rupp, Lt. Col. USAR, Father Assembly, Winter 1966) I found Al to be a quiet guy. Somehow, despite being in two different runt companies, me in M-1 and Al in A-2, we formed a bonding friendship. His parents were overseas our Yearling Christmas and he and his sister, Melicent, didn't have any place to go. They spent it with the Turners in Springfield, MO. My parents were quite impressed with his manners and his engaging companionship with my two younger brothers. Al kept in touch with my parents until his death. Alas, his sister is gone, too. I miss them both. Tom Turner June 21, 2000) Al was in A-2, I in C-2, so we saw a lot of each other all four years. He was rather quiet, a real gentleman, but seemed to be at or near the forefront in many things,- especially when it came to the care and feeding of the Navy goat! He was one of the sharpest of the class in AF pilot training at good old Greenville, MS. His early departure from this world has deprived us all. Be at peace, old friend. WCMcC Walt McCrillis November 26, 2001) Date: Thu, (22 NOV 2007) 09:00:48,0500 From:,w "wwelter@cox.net" To: Business Net "usma55bus@west-point.org" Subject: usma55bus: Stemle Sends....... Al Rupp Memorial Trophy I know this is the class net and not the football net, but I thought there would be a number of you who might be interested in what is going on. Tom Turner had provided the “Tippi Trophy” to the winner of the college pool in honor of his deceased doggie, but all the plates on the plaque have been filled and it was time to get a new plaque. As the new “Pool Meister”, it fell my lot to name the new plaque. In searching my memory for a classmate who exhibited “The Army Spirit”, Al Rupp came to mind. I remember Al as a fun loving free spirit with a total zest for life. Had it not been for his tragic aircraft accident I have no doubt that Al would have made it to the moon as an astronaut. For those of you who might not have known Al, he was a cheerleader and one of the crew who stole the Navy goat and brought it back to West Point. In memory of my A-2 company mate and ex-roomie, the new plaque is called the “AL RUPP MEMORIAL TROPHY”. Dick Stemle November 2007) Date sent: Mon, (13 OCT 2008) 20:24:37,0400 To: usma55bus@west-point.org From: -w "wwelter@cox.net" Subject: usma1955-c1: Note From AL Rupp's Daughter Dick Stemle wrote: Dear Karen, My name is Dick Stemle and for one year at the Academy your dad and I were roommates. It is good to hear from you and I will pass along a little information about my memories about Al. To begin with, he was one of the most intelligent persons I have ever meet. I really can't remember seeing him study. He would scan the material and it would be locked away for future reference. He was also a fun loving individual and seemed to always have a smile on his face. I don't know if you have heard the details of the "Goat Napping" adventure your dad participated in. If you haven't, let me know and I will fill in the details you maybe missing. In my opinion, Al could have achieved any goal he established for himself. I believe he would have made it to the moon had it not been for his accident. Your dad went into the Air Force after graduation and I went into the Army and we did not cross paths after graduation. I was happy to hear he had married and had children. In summary, your dad was a terrific person and my life was made better by knowing him. Dick Stemle ------------------------------------------------------------------- Al's daughter (Karen Deming) replied: Dear Dick, Thank you for your swift reply, and I'd love to hear of any stories you'd care to share. I don't know why it took me so long to reach out and try to contact people who knew him, but I'm very glad I finally did. Now to fill you in about me and my family. My mother remarried 10 years after he died to a wonderful man, and they have been together for 30 years. I had one brother, Alex, who in many ways must have been like my father, very ambitious and intelligent. He graduated from the Air force Academy in the early 1980)'s married and had a daughter Teddy. Unfortunately, while training at The Fighter Weapons School in Nevada, he too had a tragic accident and died when his F16 crashed in 1987). When I got married, my Aunt Susan's present to me was a treasure trove of all my fathers letters, news clippings, 4 years of the Howitzers, his West Point Coat, and many, other personal items. The letters though are the best, as they cover well over a decade of his life. As an ex roommate I'm sure you knew he wrote his parents weekly, and my grandmother kept every letter. I often thought they would make a great book. Then, six months after I was married, fate struck another blow and Mike and I were in a car accident that caused me to have a Spinal Cord Injury. But life goes on, and with the love and support of my husband and family, I made it through a pretty tough time. Now, Mike and I have a small business making beach wheelchairs (we live in Pensacola, FL) for people with mobility problems. If you want, you can visit our web site at Deming Designs, Inc. Wow, that's my life in 3 paragraphs. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. Karen Date sent: Thu, (16 OCT 2008) 10:14:00,050(0 CDT) From: Dan "ludwig55@verizon.net" Subject: usma55bus: Al Rupp To: usma55bus@west-point.org Classmates: Recently, Jack Campbell posted a note from Al Rupp's daughter, Karen, inidcating that she has never known much about her father. I followed up on that because Chuck Roades and I have been trying to locate Al's widow for several years without success. Karen's response to me is pasted below. Hopefully, some of our Air Force files were with Al during flight training and his assignments until 1965) and can provide Karen and Al's granddaughter with some information. Dan ------------------------------------------------------------------- Dear Dan, How nice of you to send me an email. I'd be happy to fill you in about me and my family. My mother remarried several years after my father he died to a wonderful man, and they have been together for 30 years. I had one brother, Alex, who in many ways must have been like my father, very ambitious and intelligent. He graduated from the Air force Academy in the early 1980)'s married and had a daughter Teddy. Unfortunately, while training at The Fighter Weapons School in Nevada, he too had a tragic accident and died when his F16 crashed in 1987). When I got married, my Aunt Susan's (my fathers other sister) present to me was a treasure trove of all my fathers letters, news clippings, 4 years of the Howitzers, his West Point Coat, and many, other personal items. The letters though are the best, as they cover well over a decade of his life. Apparently, he wrote his parents weekly, and my grandmother kept every letter. I often thought they would make a great book. Six months after I was married, fate struck another blow and Mike and I were in a car accident that caused me to have a Spinal Cord Injury. But life goes on, and with the love and support of my husband and family, I made it through another pretty tough time. Now, Mike and I have a small business making beach wheelchairs (we live in Pensacola, FL) for people with mobility problems. If you want, you can visit our web site at Deming Designs, Inc. . While we don't have any kids, we do have 3 dogs and 1 cat, all of which are spoiled rotten . I don't know why it took me so long to reach out and try to contact people who knew my father, but I'm very glad I finally did. Perhaps it is because when I was growing up no one really talked about my Dad. I think it was because my mother's grief was so deep, everyone was extremely careful not to open any old wounds. In fact, it wasn't until my Aunt brought me all those mementos that gained any real knowledge about his life, or who he was as a man. This (MAY also explain why you never received any response from your efforts to make contact. However, now that I have established contact, any information about my father would be welcomed. Also feel free to send my information to anyone who might wish to call or email me. I will also forward this information to Teddy, as I am sure she would be interested in learning more about her grandfather. Thanks again for your interest and email, and I hope to hear back from you soon. Sincerely, Karen Deming Deming Designs, Inc 850-478-5765 |
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