| Virtual Marchers |
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| Written by Kim McDermott | |
| Wednesday, 17 October 2007 | |
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Classmates- Please see the note below which summarizes a very successful program that the Class of 1968 is running to get donations to their class gift fund. Classmates basically pledge a gift to become a "virtual marcher." The cost to participate in the Grad Marchback is about $120; not sure if they have a minimum donation to be a virtual marcher. The trick is to get our classmates marching! We have close to 30 classmates in the immediate area - meaning no travel to even get here for it! This summer, Keith Greaux (B2) and I were the only ones who marched. It really was fun - not to mention, a hell of a lot easier than the first time we did it! Just be forewarned - I'll be back in the spring to look for virtual marchers! And like Dutch said...someday (on or about July 1, 2033)we'll be the 50 year class. Kim
Kim McDermott '87 Rabble! The last virtual marcher contributions have made their way through the vagaries of the U.S. Postal Service and the ionosphere, allowing me to provide a final tally on this year's virtual march. The blood, toil, tears and sweat of this year's actual marchers and the generosity of this year's virtual marchers have added $106,800.00 to our Class Gift Fund - and over the course of the past 8 years, those classmates who have participated in the virtual hikes have cumulatively added over a quarter million dollars in support of our Class Gift. Sincere thanks to everyone who participated - and everyone who cheered from the virtual sidelines. I earnestly hope that the emails associated with the virtual marches provided you some moments of amusement - and conjured some fond memories - and some poignant memories. I know they have for me. It seemed at times, from my vantage as moderator of these virtual events, that I was privileged to witness a reknitting of some portions of our class tapestry that had been unraveled a bit by time - a closing of ranks and a reestablishment of strong friendships - even stronger at the mend. This seemed particularly so during the past two years when we dedicated the "virtual marches" to the memories of the classmates we lost in Vietnam - and to all the classmates on whom time has taken the ultimate toll since our graduation. We did, in a sense, "grip hands" once again with our departed classmates - in support of the Class of 1968 Rotunda - which will tangibly mark the place of our class in the Long Grey Line at our alma mater for the years of a century yet to be told - or longer. For those classmates who haven't yet done so, but may be interested at some point in joining the annual old grad march back with the New Cadet class, I suspect that some of us from '68 will continue to make the annual trek. It is an uplifting and restorative experience to hike shoulder-to-shoulder with today's cadets and see your past self, perhaps, reflected in them. I can heartily recommend it - and I can assure you that making the march is one hell of a lot easier without a ruck, rifle and steel pot. The coven of those classmates who continue to make the virtual march will always be glad to welcome you - for a pre-march carb-up session and mini-reunion - and as good company on the trail as "new" old grad marchers. Keep the possibility in mind - especially when the USMA Class of 2018 enters as New Cadets less than seven years from now - they will be our "50 Year Affiliation Class" under an AOG program that has come into being since our own graduation - with a number of events bonding affiliation classes across generations of the Long Grey Line. But I digress. Those are events for the future - and the purpose of this note is to wrap up an eminently successful event of the recent past - this year's "virtual march" - by recognizing those classmates who came together to actually march the miles of another dusty trail - and those classmates who came along "virtually" through their contributions in support of our class gift - and in memory of our departed classmates - with whom we "gripped hands" once more albeit "from the shadows". So here they are, in no particular order: The actual marchers:
Tony Ambrose The virtual marchers:
Tony Ambrose And our departed classmates - - brought along by our virtual marchers:
Don Colglazier
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| Last Updated ( Tuesday, 04 December 2007 ) |
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