You'll recognize them at the 65th they look thusly now.

M. Bangarter Surveyer

P. Beczkiewicz W Ellie

Bill Grugin W Betty (nd)

Ken Hite W Margaret

Guy Jester W Bobby

Update on Murt ..After leaving active duty in 1955 Mert was associated with the Allis Chalmers Company from 1955 to 1957; then with McDonnell Douglas Astronautics from 1959 to 1983; with Ford Aerospace from 1985 to 1986 and with Northrop Aviation from 1987 to 1990. Mert and his wife Elfriede make their home in El Toro, California. The July 1991 Assembly notes; "Mert and Elfriede Bangerter are busy with their travels, plus his studies, he is researching the history of the ancient Celtics." And the August/September 1997 Assembly notes further; "Mert & Elfie Bangerter traveled from our 45th reunion to New Hampshire to survey a ring of boulders positioned by prehistoric residents in constructing a calendar. Apparently Mert didn't get enough rock hunting during the summer of 1948."

Update on Pete ... Pete's last military assignment was as Chief of Plans, Office, Deputy Chief of Staff for Personnel, Department of the Army where he served until 1973 when he was decorated with the Legion of Merit for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding service. Pete then retired from the United States Army as a Colonel. From 1974 to 1990 Pete was a chemistry teacher in a Fairfax County school – in particular, Lake Braddock Secondary School, Burke, Virginia. Since his second retirement, Pete and his wife Ellie continue to make their home in Annandale, Virginia. It is through their combined kindness and courtesy that the members of the Class of 1951, United States Military Academy are able to stay in contact with each other. They along with Dean and Nancy Mulder Phil and Irene Cuny, have undertaken to maintain the database that tracks us all. Thanks Pete and Ellie.

Update on Bill Grugin ..Bill's last military assignment was to Headquarters, 24th Division where he served from 1980 to 1981 when he retired from the United States Army as a Colonel. Bill makes his home in Midway, Georgia.

On March 28, 2011, we learned, ""Betty Hale Grugin - SUNBURY -Internationally known watercolor and oil artist, Betty Hale Grugin, passed away peacefully at home on Thursday, March 24, 2011 surrounded by her loving family. Betty was born on September 5, 1930 in Hopkinsville , KY and has lived in Sunbury, a place Betty found truly inspiring, for the past thirty years. She worked numerous part time jobs for brief periods while raising her children. It wasn't until the late seventies that Betty started painting when she had more time and fewer distractions. Betty was an explorer of life and always held the belief that life itself was an art form and that her paintings should speak joyously of the things that her eyes saw and her heart felt. Her worldwide reputation has grown through over 30 one-woman shows including a show afloat aboard the Cunard Countess, which brought rave reviews from Puerto Rico to Venezuela . She held three solo shows in Europe and was selected to exhibit in the Fine Arts Pavilion at the 1982 World's Fair. She worked before television cameras in New York City and Hollywood and was a guest star on a Puerto Rican talk show that featured her art. Her paintings hang in numerous private and corporate collections and several have been selected for permanent museum collections. Betty was sole owner of The Happy Pallette, Inc in Sunbury , GA , co-owner of The Loaded Brush Studio and Gallery in Old City Market in Savannah , GA and co-owner of The Signature Gallery in downtown Savannah , GA. The demand for her art became so great that Betty spent many sleepless nights painting into the wee hours of the morning. In addition to a fabulous art career, Betty enjoyed spending time with her family and friends and had a true love for Midway and the Sunbury area. She is survived by her beloved husband, Col (Ret.) Bill Grugin of Sunbury whom she was married to for 702 months or 58 Ú years; two daughters and sons-in-law, Kimberly Shawn Grugin Webster of Ft. McPherson, GA and husband, LTG William Glenn Webster, commander of 3rd Army in Kuwait and Robin Grugin Zamory and husband, Steve of Jefferson, Maryland; one brother, Billie Hale of Hopkinsville, KY; one sister, Cordonna Rust of Hopkinsville, KY; five grandchildren, Alina Flannery Eves, Diana Michelle Flannery, Marleah Shawn Domergue, Sarah Kristan Johnson and William Benjamin Webster; ten great grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. Visitation will be from 6:00 until 8:00 p.m. on Monday, March 28, 2011 at Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel. Funeral services will be at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, March 29, 2011 at Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel with LTG William Glenn Webster presiding. Interment will take place at a later date in Arlington National Cemetery . In lieu of flowers, remembrances may be made to the Salvation Army, www.salvationarmyusa.org or the American Cancer Society , 6600 Abercorn St. Savannah , GA 31405 . Carter Funeral Home Oglethorpe Chapel www.carteroglethorpe.com " Published in Savannah Morning News on March 27, 2011"

Update on Ken ..In 1975 Ken was named Deputy Inspector General Pacific Air Force and served as such until 1978 when he took his last military assignment with the Division of Military Application where he served until he retired as a Colonel in 1979. Since retirement Ken was in the Real Estate Industry from 1979 to 1990 when he retired for a second time. Ken and his wife Margaret make their home in Lubbock, Texas.

Update on Guy ..Guy's last military assignment was as Commanding Officer of the 130th Engineer Brigade in Germany which he was not able to accept because of his wife’s illness. He retired in 1973. In 1973 Guy accepted a position with LS Alberici Construction Company and in 1992 became President of International Constructors. Guy and his wife Bobby make their home in Ladue, Missouri.

H. Peckham W Mollie

Bill Richardson W Mary

Wally Steiger W Betty

Frank Wilson (nd) W Louise

Update on Howard ..Upon his retirement from active duty in 1977 as a Colonel, he was awarded the Legion of Merit. He and immediately purchased a small travel agency in Indialantic, Florida, soon expanded it, and in the next few years opened two additional agencies. In the mid-1980s, they sold their businesses and Howie became a Florida real estate agent for a short while. In 1986, he and a group of 10 retired officers formed a not-for-profit company to conceive, develop, and operate the Indian River Colony Club, a retirement community for former officers of the uniformed services in Brevard County, Florida. Howie served as Vice President of the company until he resigned in 1991. The endeavor was very successful and today is comprised of nearly 800 homes, a population of about 1,300, an 18 hole golf course, and all the other amenities of a first class country club. Howie and Mollie make their home at the Indian River Colony Club in Melbourne, Florida. The photo shows the Peckhams in Singapore. Cullum 6049 is Howie's father Howard L. Peckham, Class of November 1918.

On 30 Apr 2005 Bill Richardson reported ...Mary and I just returned from a three week stay at our place at Fripp Island, SC. We wanted to get away from the snow in McLean, VA, which became a bit chaotic last month. We generally go south down I-95 for a 9-10 hour drive, spend about three weeks at Fripp Island and then return home for about 5-6 weeks in Northern Virginia. Although I still do some defense consulting work for Burdeshaw Associates, Ltd. (BAL) in Bethesda, MD, I can work the schedule to enable us to go back and forth all year long and, when required, travel on a BAL project from either place. I continue to stay involved with West Point matters and get back there 2-3 times a year, now as a member of the AOG Advisory Council. This year, like 2009, I will substitute for Fred Rockwell at the Annual Leaders Conference in August. Our three boys and their families are doing well. Bill Jr. has taken early retirement from his Washington law firm and is now involved with the State of Virginia to change the State's parole system. David is with an investment firm in San Francisco, and Jack still works for Milliken in LaGrange, GA as their air bags business developer. He travels frequently to Mexico, China, and Europe. We try to get all the family together at Fripp Island every two years, with seven grand-children, three of whom are out of college, two in college, and two in high school, plus a daughter-in-law. No great-grandchildren yet. Mary and I are in good health. We continue our separate workout routines. I still play tennis twice a week and hope to keep that up as long as I can. All the very best to each of your from us both. Bill

On February 16, 2011 Bill was selected as a Distinguished Graduate. There are six in the class now.

The citation follows:

For sixty years, General William R. Richardson has served our nation with distinction and brought extraordinary credit to West Point. From his West Point graduation until his military retirement, and throughout a subsequent career in the civilian sector, General Richardson has amassed an exceptional record of achievements guided by the ideals of Duty, Honor Country. His classmates already had a lofty opinion of Bill as they remembered him in the Howitzer: "Determined to make good at whatever he undertook, Rich exemplifies the type of man who will someday reach the top." Commissioned in the Infantry, General Richardson's remarkable military journey began with a troop assignment in the 24th Infantry Division in Japan, followed by combat duty as a platoon leader and battalion staff officer in the 7th Infantry Division in Korea. He returned to Korea in 1965, serving as the G3 Plans Officer, Eighth US Army. Stateside in 1966, General Richardson activated the 3d Battalion, 39th Infantry, 9th Infantry Division, and deployed with his unit to Vietnam, later becoming the G3 for the Division. He returned to combat in Vietnam again in 1971, serving first as Commander of the 198th Infantry Brigade of the Americal Division, and then as the Division Chief of Staff. His brigade was recognized for its effectiveness in the Batangan Peninsula, and Bill was awarded the Purple Heart for a wound he sustained while evacuating his own wounded soldiers. From 1974 to 1977, he was the Commander of the 193d Infantry Brigade in the Panama Canal Zone and the Commander of US Army South. From 1977 to 1979, General Richardson served as the Director of Requirements on the Army Staff where he oversaw the Army's requirements for weapons systems and played a key role in prioritizing those systems for Army programs and budgets. In 1979, he took command of the Combined Arms Center and served as Commandant of the Command and General Staff College at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. While in this assignment, General Richardson restructured the college to meet the demands of a modernized Army, establishing the Center for Army Leadership, developing the AirLand Battle Doctrine, reorganizing the Army's heavy divisions in the Army 86 Studies, and proposing to the Department of the Army the School for Advanced Military Studies (SAMS). General Richardson became the Army's Deputy Chief of Staff for Operations and Plans in 1981 and continued his work in operational planning, training, force developments, and arms control. The pinnacle of his military career was his assignment in February 1983 as the Commanding General of the Army's Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) where his focus was to prepare the Army for war by insuring that Army schools and training centers were dedicated to demanding, realistic training. He restructured the TRADOC school model, instituting small group instruction in all the branch schools and the Command and General Staff College. He founded the Joint Readiness Training Center now located at Fort Polk, Louisiana, and he formed an Installations of Excellence Program for TRADOC. Under his aegis, AirLand Battle Doctrine was revised to more fully cover the operational level of war, and TRADOC designed the light division within an Army reorganization known as the Army of Excellence. General Richardson was instrumental in increasing Army-Air Force cooperation and coordination, leading to joint concepts, doctrine, tactics, techniques, and procedures. General Richardson retired in 1986 with thirty-five years of Army service. General Richardson followed his remarkable military journey with an equally distinguished career in the civilian sector with his work as a defense consultant and his participation in the Council on Foreign Relations, National Infantry Foundation, and Command and General Staff College Foundation. He continues to be sought by the highest military leaders for advice and counsel. General Richardson has led a life of exemplary leadership, dedication, and service to our nation. He is a credit to the West Point tradition of Duty, Honor, Country. Accordingly, the West Point Association of Graduates takes great pride in presenting the 2011 Distinguished Graduate Award to William R. Richardson, Class of 1951. On March 25, 2011 Bill writes, "As for the Richardsons these days, in spite of foot, knee, shoulder, and back problems, Mary and I are still hanging in there. Therapy does wonders, thanks to TRICARE for Life. Mary maintains her exercise routine via the DVD, and I do my sit down bike and treadmill exercises every other day. I still try to get out for tennis twice a week and some golf every so often. Consulting work has dropped off, and that's fine with me. We go back and forth from our McLean, VA home to our other house at Fripp Island, SC, about 4-5 times a year. At both places I do yard work with trees and lawns as my responsibility, while Mary's is for plants and shrubs. The three boys are all working. Bill is now with OMB here in Washington. David remains in the investment banking business in San Francisco. And Jack still works for Milliken in Georgia, where he supervises operations at the company's carpet plants. All seven grand children are working or still in school, and we have one great grand daughter, born in December. I stay involved in West Point matters with trips up there several times a year, either as a member of the West Point AOG Advisory Council or as a member of our 60th Reunion Committee. I hope to see most of you at West Point at the end of next month. Best regards." Bill

On 5-7-11 Bill reports to the class as follows:

MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

FROM: Bill Richardson

DATE: May 9, 2011 SUBJECT: Visit to West Point

I was at West Point April 27 – May 1 for our Class of 1951 60th Reunion and the semi-annual WPAOG Advisory Council Meeting. This memorandum provides information on selected subjects that were pertinent and of interest during that period.

My first visit was on the morning of Friday, April 28 was with COL Tom Kolditz, Professor and Head, Department of Behavioral Sciences and Leadership. I try to visit with Tom each time I go to West Point to inquire about the effectiveness of the current occupant of the Class of 1951 Chair for the Study of Leadership, an endowment sponsored by the Class. Tom told me that Frances Hesselbein has done an outstanding job as the Chair and has instilled a sense of service in the cadets as an important aspect of leadership. Cadets are extremely fond of this “little old lady”, who is dynamic in so many ways. Tom reminded me that a farewell dinner would be held that evening in the Jefferson Library and asked that I be there. I said that I would. Tom then told me that he is looking at two possibilities for the next Chair, namely, GEN Kip Ward, the first CG of Africa Command and soon to retire, and GEN Pete Chiarelli, the current VCSA. I opined that Pete is likely to remain in his position until early 2012.

I next made a 30 minute office call on LTG Dave Huntoon, the Superintendent. I broached three subjects with him. The first was on the Mission Statement. I took the Inaugural Issue of “West Point” and turned to his letter therein. I showed him where he wrote, “West Point’s most important mission is to produce commissioned leaders of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for service to the nation.” I went further in his letter where he said, “ . . .West Point is recognized as a preeminent leader development institution whose graduates – a principal source of commissioned officers for the United States Army – are leaders of character; the foundation for our professional military ethic, and a critical resource of intellectual capital for the nation.”

I told Dave that the two previous Superintendents and I had agreed to highlight service “in the United States Army” and to avoid highlighting “service to the nation”, for the reason I had explained to him last June when we met before he took office, which had been an inducement by some graduates to leave the Active Army after five years of service. At that point, Dave got up and went to his computer and asked me to look over his shoulder. He brought up the charts which he had used the previous evening in an address at the annual Donors Dinner at West Point. He said his pitch that night highlighted the United States Army and the pictures reflected it, the last one showing three soldiers on a hilltop position in Eastern Afghanistan looking towards the Taliban’s location. Dave said that he completely agreed with me on the Mission Statement matter and is always pushing service in the “United States Army” as the reason for cadets attending the Military Academy. Dave said that they work hard at this during the four years a cadet is at West Point and can only hope that commanders in the field do a good job of leading and mentoring their young officers to instill a sense of purpose in their early assignments in the Army. He reiterated that West Point will do its part. I told him that I was pleased to hear him on this key issue regarding retention.

I then brought up my second subject with the use of the March 2011 issue of Armed Forces Journal, with the headlined article, “Building Critical Thinkers,” by GEN Marty Dempsey, the new Chief of Staff. I also showed Dave a recent article in the AUSA Newspaper entitled “Soldiers must be prepared for the challenge of an uncertain future.” I then showed him an extract from FM 7-0, with its graphic portrayal of the “Spectrum of Conflict”, with its five major operational themes, and then the recent change to FM 3-0, which says that the Army must adapt its concepts, doctrine, and processes more frequently than in the past.

I suggested to Dave that in response to Marty Dempsey’s desires and the changes in warfare we have witnessed in OIF and OEF, it might be worthwhile to undertake a curriculum review at West Point. I said that we need to produce not just tactical thinkers but strategic thinkers as well with their understanding of war, while in their early years in a combat zone. I said that our officers now provide more support to indigenous forces than ever before, while acquiring a working knowledge of cultures and languages. I suggested that it might require us to look at more social science subjects and less hard science subjects. I said a curriculum review might be helpful.

Dave then told me that the Dean has already established an outside Curriculum Review Panel run by several college presidents with MG (R) Bob Ivany also on the Panel. I remarked that this was a good move and graduates would be interested in the Panel’s final report.

I then surfaced my third subject with Dave, that of Recruitment and Admissions. I displayed the briefing on Admissions by MG (R) Lee Baxter, dated December 2010, and asked him if he had seen it. He said he had. I said that it certainly pointed out the difference in manpower and dollars between USMA and the USNA and USAFA. He realized that he had to put more resources into Admissions, especially in regard to recruiting from the Active Army and for diversity improvement. I suggested that he give this some attention, to include reviewing the status MALOs. I then gave him a copy of an e-mail from Joe Brillante ’69, which described his approach to recruiting in Washington State. It was exceptional and I expressed the hope that other MALOs might know more about the approach taken by Brillante, so as to see how they can be successful too in getting the right candidates who then make outstanding cadets at West Point. I will check with Admissions on my next visit to West Point to see how they are doing.

Dave told me that he is anxious to see how the advent of the USMA School’s relocation to West Point this year will work out with regard to the number and caliber of admissions from that source. It should show improvement, in my judgment.

The rest of the 28th was spent visiting several cadet projects, as a member of the WPAOG Advisory Council. The Council’s schedule was specifically set for the 28th and 29th to afford us a chance to visit the classrooms and hear the cadets explain their particular projects, for which they would be getting a grade. These were mostly engineering related, although I did sit in on a history project pertaining to the Battle of Antietam. Besides the Advisory Council members observing these cadet projects, there were a number of others who were there for the two days as members of the Superintendent’s Circle for major donors.

That evening I attended the farewell dinner in honor of Frances Hesselbein and had a chance to meet and talk to her. She was extolled by Tom Kolditz and a CEO from a major corporation, who spoke of her renown with other business associates who had drawn on her expertise in leadership and management over the years. I thanked her on behalf of the Class of 1951, which had endowed her Chair there for two years.

On the 29th the Class had scheduled a follow-on breakfast presentation by the Commandant of Cadets, BG (P) Bill Rapp, whom I had earlier invited to speak to us during the 8:00 to 9:00 period at The Hotel Thayer. I also asked him to have one of his tactical officers join him in the presentation to give his point of view of what is taking place today in the life of cadets. Both speakers took about 40 minutes for the presentation and then answered questions for 20 minutes from our Class group, most of whom were graduates and not family members.

Since Bill Rapp’s presentation was well done, I am showing most of the information here for recipients’ interests. Bill started right off with the Mission with the highlights as shown below:

To educate, train, and inspire the Corps of Cadets so that each graduate is a commissioned leader of character committed to the values of Duty, Honor, Country and prepared for a career of professional excellence and service to the Nation as an officer in the United States Army. This was good to see and to hear him address it. His next chart was as follows:

“The nation that makes a great distinction between its scholars and its warriors will have its thinking done by cowards and its fighting done by fools.” -- Thucydides

Bill Rapp then showed the following chart:

GEN Ray Odierno’s Three Imperatives:

1. Creative problem solvers comfortable with ambiguity and volatility
2. Leaders confident in their ability to make moral and ethical decisions under high stress
3. Leaders who understand the big picture and the impact of tactical actions on strategic objectives

This was timely, in view of my views to the Superintendent about a review of the curriculum,which would stress the significance of how war has now changed, and that we need to learn how to handle that even in the pre-commissioning phase of our education. This was his next chart, which addressed the intellectual, military, physical, moral/ethical, social, and human spirit aspect of developing leaders: Developing Leaders of Character Through:

1. Rigorous academic programs
2. Crucible military and physical events
3. Education in the Professional Military Ethic
4. Practical experience in leading during all four years
5. Participation in sport

Bill Rapp then showed the following chart, which represented the changes West Point has made in the components of summer training programs:

Cadet Summer Training

1. Cadet Basic Training (Beast)
     7 weeks
     Enhanced military training
2. Cadet Field Training (Buckner)
     4 weeks in the field
     Leader skills and small unit tactics
3. Cadet Leadership Development Training
     4 weeks in the field
     Intensive leadership experience
4. Cadet Advanced Training
     Robust schooling opportunities
     Operational Army experiences

He next showed some charts of the counterinsurgency (COIN) training cadets undergo, some of it quite realistic, requiring use of a foreign language. Bill Rapp next showed a chart saying that “Every Cadet a Competitive Athlete -- Every Athlete Challenged.” He told us that 60% participate in company athletics, 15% participate in the competitive clubs, and 25% are on corps squads.

He finished by showing some pictures of the planned USMA Prep School, which were impressive. Phase I occupancy is May 28, 2011 and Phase II is May 28 2012.

While the Class took a bus tour of the post and facilities, I joined the WPAOG Advisory Council meeting that was ongoing. The key players are: Jodie Glore ’69, Chairman; Herman Bulls ‘78,Vice Chairman; Bob McClure, President and CEO; 13 members of the Board of Directors; 18 Advisors at Large; 18 Class Advisors; and 18 Society Advisors. As a Class Advisor for the Class of 1951, my term ends December 31, 2011. The Advisory Council met from 8:00 to 12:00. In view of my presence at the morning Class Reunion activities, I missed the Chairman’s Remarks, the presentation by the new Athletic Director, the President’s Report, and the Communications and Marketing Report. I was able to hear the Finance Update and the Campaign Update. I have copies of the Presidents Report, the Communications and Marketing Report, the Finance Update, and the Campaign Update, and will provide them to Andy Remson, for the EXCOMs information and reference.

From some of the charts in the briefings, I noted that the communications goal of the WPAOG is to reach as many grads as possible with the information they want and how they want to receive it. Since the world has changed from the 1970s with its IBM memory typewriter, in the 1980s with desktop publishing, through the 1990s with the static and dynamic web, into the 2000s with the social web and now the mobile web, the WPAOG has changed too. In the past, the Assembly magazine reached less than 10,000 grads. The new West Point magazine reaches all through digital magazine online. As for Class Notes, they reached less than 10,000 grads through Assembly, whereas in the future they will reach all grads online. In the past, TAPS was published twice a year for subscribers to Assembly. In the future, it will be published for purchase annually in May, but will be free to next-of-kin. In the past, The Register was published for sale annually. In the future it will be published for sale every five years. The WPAOG plans for providing an electronic newsletter, First Call, on a monthly basis but it will be on a bi-weekly basis in July 2011. They plan some moves in the website area, trying to stay current with both today’s and tomorrow’s grads. This includes Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Android and others. The President, Bob McClure, plans to provide printed Class Notes by mail of all classes for $20 per quarter, and/or for $80 a year.

The Finance Report showed results favorable to the Budget. Total assets and net assets grew by about $34M or 17%. There was significant growth in endowments, including the “Long Gray Line” endowment, exceeding the corpus by $5.6M.

That afternoon the Class of 1951 assembled after lunch in the Eisenhower Hall auditorium to hear the Superintendent. His slide presentation on what West Point is doing today and his Q&A session were the best I have heard from any Superintendent over the years. He gives every indication that he is clearly the best man for that job right now. He handled a question from a wife in the audience as to whether he would treat a female cadet as a woman first and a cadet second or vice versa. The issue revolved around hair, dresses versus trousers, and the like. After debating a bit with her, he finished the dialogue by saying he would treat her as a cadet first. There then followed a significant round of applause for Dave Huntoon.

The following morning (Saturday) the Class held another presentation after breakfast, this time, with the Dean, BG Tim Trainor, presenting. I had asked him to have a First Class cadet also speak to us, but he chose to bring on two sets of cadets to explain what they had done in their presentations during Project Day in the classroom the preceding day. After the Dean’s presentation on the curriculum, he turned it over to the cadets.

The most interesting presentation was from the three cadets that been involved in developing a prosthetic device that enabled someone to basically run with the device attached to his body. It was an impressive piece of work by the cadets. Following the Dean’s address, the Class moved to the Cadet Chapel for a memorial service, with our classmate, the former Chief of Chaplains, Kermit Johnson handling the service. His remarks were truly exceptional. This was followed by a cadet parade on the Plain, lunch in Washington Hall, visits to Post activities in the afternoon, and a final dinner party at The Hotel Thayer.

Distribution: Special

On 3-24-12 Bill reports, "Classmates, This is my input for my March 25 birthday: The Richardsons are doing fine these days. Mary and I are in good shape and work to keep ourselves healthy with proper diet and exercise. That's hard for one who loves ice cream and chocolates. We continue to live in two places all year-round -- McLean, VA (2/3) and Fripp Island, SC (1/3). Since I no longer do much consulting for Burdeshaw Associates in Bethesda, MD, I have time for yard work, which I continue to enjoy. Tennis and golf are also weekly staples. I finished my three year stint on the WPAOG Advisory Council, but our EXCOM wanted me to keep involved with West Point; Hence, I am now the Class Representative to the WPAOG, and thus will get up to West Point 2-3 times a year. I also am on the Advisory Board for the National Infantry Museum Foundation at Fort Benning, GA and get there 3-4 times a year. I am the President of the Senior Advisory Committee for the Command & General Staff College Foundation at Fort Leavenworth, KS, which calls for several meetings a year there. All three of our boys and their wives are fine, as are the seven grandchildren and one great-grandchild. All the very best to each of you from Mary and me." Bill



MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD FROM: Bill Richardson DATE: December 24, 2012 SUBJECT: Visit to West Point On December 3, 2012, Dr. Lewis (Bob) Sorley ’56 and I visited West Point to meet with the principals to discuss several subjects. We made the trip, primarily, to talk about recruitment and retention problems pertaining to the Military Academy. Our associate in this area of interest is GEN (R) Ed Burba ’59, who was not able to make the trip. In addition, I wanted to discuss certain Class of 1951 matters with the WPAOG and the Head of the Behavioral Science & Leadership (BS&L) Department. Simon Center Our first visit was with LTC (R) David Jones ‘85 and CPT Matt Knox ‘04 from the Simon Center for the Professional Military Ethic (SCPME). David told us their principal purpose is to develop leaders of character, and the Simon Center helps the staff and faculty to do this by pulling the various entities involved together. They see leader development as foremost and talk with cadets about this, helping them form the right attitudes and behaviors, overcoming character flaws, examining such occurrences as Abu Ghraib and the Petraeus Affair, and acquiring their learning values. David said that West Point now uses a “leader development” model as opposed to the past “attrition based model” with cadets. The Academy works hard to retain cadets, and typically by the end of their four years 79% of a class have stayed and 21% have left. Matt Knox then spoke briefly about his role as the Special Assistant for Honor in what he termed a character development position. We then inquired about the other ethics organization established by GEN (R) George Casey when he was the Chief of Staff. This is a TRADOC organization located at West Point and called the Center for Army Professional Ethics. They do much the same work as the SCPME. I asked David what their major efforts were and what problems they could mention to us. David said that their work relates to an “integrated curriculum.” He then gave us two folded handouts. One was on “The Cadet Honor Code”, and it states at the outset that “A Cadet will not lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate those that do.” The mission of the Military Academy includes a clause “to develop the character of every Cadet.” Character is built by the application of the Honor Code, which enables every cadet to practice a morality that will aid in ethical decision-making and lifestyle as his or her career develops. The pamphlet also offers three rules of thumb as a guide to honorable living. If the answer is “yes” to any of the following questions, then it is likely the act performed or contemplated is dishonorable: (1) Does this action attempt to deceive anyone or allow anyone to be deceived? (2) Does this action gain or allow the gain of a privilege or advantage to which I, or someone else, would not otherwise be entitled? (3) Would I be dissatisfied by the outcome if I were on the receiving end of this action? The Honor Investigative Process is then shown on the back page of the foldout. It goes from a Case Inception to Investigation (12 days), to Case Review (8days) with the Commandant’s referral to the Cadet Honor Board, then to an Honor Investigative Hearing, which is Cadet run and led (6 days); followed by a Hearing Review with Chain of Command recommendations and the Commandant’s interviews and recommendations (12 days); all leading to the Superintendent’s decision. We were provided a second foldout pamphlet entitled “The Cadet Respect Program.” LTG (R) Bob Foley ’63 began the Respect Program when he was the Commandant of Cadets in 1992-94. The Respect Creed states that “Cadets will treat others and themselves with dignity and worth and expect the same from those around them.” Its tenets are as follows: (1) Treat others as they would like to be treated; (2) Professionalism is rooted in having respect for ALL other people at ALL times; and (3) Maximize the contributions of each individual rather then seeing those difference as hindrances. David pointed out that the cadet’s baseline is honor and respect. They get cadets to look to the future as an officer and lead the discussion on anything that encompasses a good discussion of leadership -- the what and how. They use case studies in working with the cadets. Some of the efforts are called “Dean’s Days” and/or “Com’s Days”, totaling 46 one hour-classes. These are in the form of dialogues rather than lectures. They also teach a Capstone Course in the First Class Year called “MX 400”, which is always seminar- based, and in which they can delve deeply into a discussion. This is not just concerned with general officer deportment but considers all levels of leadership. He said they consider the case of the Petraeus-Broadwell relationship. They have cadets take the lead in these discussions, and they do ask the hard questions to get to some lessons learned. David told us that once a week the Brigade Tactical Officer (BTO) and Tactical NCOs, have a good interaction with cadets. The discussion is designed to develop a dialogue within a small group and to make cadets think about honor and respect within a unit. Bob asked how their work has affected the retention of cadets in the Corps. David responded that the Simon Center sees a requirement to influence the Commandant on Honor and Respect matters. He told us the Commandant really listens, and referred to how once a week the BTO and Tac NCOs form good Tac Teams that interact with cadets. They have also developed a course in how to develop others once they are in a unit. Bob asked, if there were no requirement to serve in the Army, what cadets would do. They replied that many cadets would leave. They said that 10-20% would apply to leave during a four year period at West Point. That figure increased after “9/11”. David suggested that, for five years after graduation, West Point is the graduate’s focal point, and that if graduates have the experience of being a company commander, that experience causes many to stay for a career in the Army. David said that during 1994-98 many graduates chose to go to graduate school when the Army was downsizing. This could happen again under current circumstances, and the Additional Service Options (ADSO) would have an impact on the cadet’s choice. Bob pursued this line of thought on the interviewing of candidates. He felt it was important to pose the right questions, such as, “Why do you want to go to West Point?” With college admissions so tough today, and with parental influence a major factor in a candidate's decision, David felt that the key is to focus on the eighth year of service, the point by which a graduate focuses on a possible date for leaving the Army. David also pointed out that if a young officer does not get to Afghanistan, it is not good for him professionally. (This, of course, will soon no longer be the case as we phase out of that theater of operations.) Both told us that it is not now considered career-enhancing to be on the faculty at West Point, primarily, because it takes five years away from potential troop duty, counting two years for a graduate degree and three years on the faculty. (But they also maintained that, despite the perceived professional disadvantage of accepting such an assignment, the current quality of the staff and faculty is very high. This may warrant some further investigation.) I explained to Matt the importance of ILE in one’s professional development, plus the opportunities for a C&GSC graduate. I also explained the value of a teaching role in one of the Army’s branch schools and how effective one becomes in the field after a tour as a small group instructor in one’s branch school. We then returned to a discussion on Honor. David said that they try to explain the Honor Code and System in the simplest way to cadets and use examples to portray the impact which the Code has on an officer during his later performance in the Army. West Point Association of Graduates Our next meeting was at the West Point Association of Graduates (WPAOG), where we met with COL (R) Bob McClure ’76, President and CEO, and John Calabro ’68, Senior Vice President and COO. I told them that I needed some clarification on the Class of 1951’s two endowed programs, the Chair for the Study of Leadership and the Distinguished Lecture Series. I told them that we never hear anything about these two programs and what is taking place with them at West Point. I did say that in prior years COL Tom Kolditz, Head of the Behavioral Science and Leadership Department, was very good at keeping me, and the Class, informed of ongoing activities of the lecturers, but that has not been the case with the present Head, COL Bernie Banks. I told them I would see Bernie later in the day and would take that issue up with him. Bob promptly called in Judy Collins, Director of Financial Services, and asked her to dig the information out and get it to me before the end of the day. She did that and what follows is her response regarding the two endowments: Principal Total Cl ’51 Chair for the Study of Leadership $ 2,080.317 $ 2,757,677 Cl ’51 Distinguished Lecture Series $ 500,000 $ 628,919 She noted that both were set up with Class gifts in 2001 ($1,678,192 for the Chair and $500,000 for the Lecture Series). The Leadership Chair Endowment has received three additional large lump sum gifts from the Class Gift Fund in 2002 ($150,000), 2006 ($200,000), and 2011 ($85,000). I brought up a second subject with Bob and John, namely, the support of young graduates through the West Point Societies. I said that it bothers me that these societies conduct job fairs which foster the introduction to young graduates of business personnel looking for their employment in their companies. I said that does not help the Army, because it ends up in many cases with officers leaving the Army between their 8-10 years of service. Bob said he understood the concern of mine and others, who have raised this issue with them. He said they do not encourage any attendees to leave the Army but simply provide the service for businesses, who pay the WPAOG for setting up these job fairs. This revenue for the WPAOG is a substantial amount ($250,000 a year) and helps defray costs of the WPAOG. I told Bob that I would attend one of these job fairs sponsored by the WPSDC to see for myself how it operates. There seems to be a clear conflict of interest here, with the WPAOG sponsoring events that, whatever they may say about them, are designed to induce graduates to leave the Army and go into civilian businesses. They admittedly do this to further their own financial interests. We need to look into this more in the future. Superintendent Our third meeting was with the Superintendent, LTG David Huntoon ’73. Dave proceeded to talk to us on several subjects. The first was on the Cadet Honor Code, as shown on a chart he displayed for us. They introduce this to the new cadets the first day they are there and relate it to the profession of arms. He said that they actively watch the new cadets for any possible infraction or misunderstanding. Bob provided a copy of his book, Honor Bright to Dave. Next, Dave showed us a chart of the Classes of 2015 and 2016 as follows: Class of 2015  13,954 applicants  1,263 admitted  14 Internationals  17 Prior Service Class of 2016  15,168 applicants  1,193 admitted  15 Internationals  108 Prior Service Dave was particularly pleased with the increased prior service applicants admitted, because these represent enlisted leadership experience. Their objective is to reach 185 prior enlisted admissions per class. He added that they plan to stay at 4,400 as the required/authorized figure, although the Naval and Air Force Academies are reducing their requirements a bit. He said that West Pointers now constitute 19 % of the Army’s incoming officers. This figure may rise. He then showed a chart of the new cadet barracks planned for a site where they will replace Central Apartments and a depiction of the planned new Visitors Center that will overlook the Hudson River from a site at New South Post. That Visitor Center and its Museum will tell the story of the Military Academy. With a couple of charts the Superintendent told us of expanding exchange programs, including those with Russia and India. He felt that these exchanges, to also include China, with which he said they have a good understanding, will be invaluable for the Army. He said the U. S. needs to be connected to these major countries, even those which are neutral. He said that national security matters are now significant for cadets in their curriculum. Dave told us that Admissions advises candidates that they come to West Point to get ready to lead Soldiers. He said that they set the conditions, and the Army experience later makes the difference with each graduate. (This ignores the important issue of the intentions of those who apply for admission, a matter we will pursue.) Bob asked Dave how the cadets were dealing with the non-toleration clause in the Honor Code. Dave admitted that this was hard to get across to new cadets, but it must be done and continually stressed. He agreed that requiring a candidate to write out why he/she wants to come to West Point could be helpful in the selection process. When he was through talking, I handed Dave a CLOSE HOLD two page talking paper entitled “Recruitment and Retention” and read it word for word. It contained a statement of the problem, which read: “West Point graduates are leaving the Army after 5-10 years of active duty in unacceptable numbers.” This is followed by a paragraph on the “Current Situation”, one on “Considerations”, and one stated “Assessment.” I told Dave that this paper was prepared by the three of us, with most of it from Ed Burba, who had spent much time in recruitment matters and on selection committees, as well as talking to many candidates, cadets, and young graduates. I told Dave that we did not plan to discuss the paper with him at this point. The three of us want to caucus sometime soon and lay out our views on exactly what the Military Academy should do concerning the matters brought out in the talking paper, then come back to him later with suggested actions. He agreed with this approach. I told Dave that this paper will be held to just four copies, his and our three. As I left, I gave him a copy of John Carley’s paper “Final Thoughts on the United States Military Academy”, plus John’s email on “Curriculum Reform” concerning options for the paper’s submission. I told Dave that we did not forward the paper to the Army leadership as John had once considered doing. Commandant We next met with the Commandant of Cadets, BG Ted Martin ’83. He departs early next month for assignment to the National Training Center. We asked Ted for his thoughts as he concludes his assignment at West Point. Ted felt that there ought to be more of a strategic view for cadets in their four years, and the Academic Board could make that happen. This would entail more studies in foreign languages and in understanding different cultures that would be encountered once out in troop units or in a combat zone. They could be more directive on academics with cadets, especially with the scientific, technological, engineering, and math orient (STEM) subjects. With the possible shift of our national security focus to the Pacific, they should be looking into more subjects regarding China and more cadets taking Mandarin Chinese. In short, cadets need to be given the larger view of the world in these times. In addition, cadets need to understand better how the Army runs before they graduate. Ted told us that he was disappointed with the physical fitness of candidates when they arrive at West Point. About 18% of the new cadets come inadequately prepared physically. This is much different than was the case in 1979 when he entered West Point. He said that the period of tactical training during the second summer is now six weeks instead of the earlier eight weeks, but what takes place is a far more demanding period in combat-related training. We asked him about better recruiting programs and their impact on better candidate selection. He thought that candidates were well prepared academically, but they seem to be unprepared for the rigors of cadet life. They need to better prepare themselves for cadet life. The current process is too liberal on candidates. And parents will attempt to influence the examining doctors to ensure their sons/daughters get through the pre-admission physical evaluation. I raised the concern that the officers questioning candidates and grading them are too often USAR Military Academy Liaison Officers (MALOs), who themselves left the Army after five years and thus neither understand what the real Army is all about nor have a commitment to long-term service in it. And they may not be able to tell in an interview whether the candidate wants a career or just a free education and after five years will “flee.” I suggested that his tactical officers should be the ones handling the interviews, and he thought that was a good suggestion. Or, he said, the Army at large could be detailed to send qualified company or field grade active duty serving graduates to conduct the interviews and thus be better able to determine whether a candidate should be accepted or not. We raised the possibility that cadets might be subject to an affirmation after two years, with the cadet deciding whether he/she wants to continue his/her education and serve as a career officer. Ted felt that a cadet could change from a poor physical specimen to a toughened one if he/she really wants to serve. The cadet could also opt out, or the Military Academy could decide the cadet would not be fit overall to be a career officer. Ted felt that there were several things that could be done to ultimately find cadets who would stay in the Army for a career. Ted’s final comment was not a West Point matter but an Army matter. He felt that during the period of the two wars, the Advanced Non-Commissioned Officer Courses run by TRADOC have not been what they used to be and need to be made more demanding and professional. I explained that the wars drove the Army to drop standards in many areas, and agreed that this is surely one that needs rebuilding. I will pass this on to TRADOC. Director of Admissions Our next meeting was with the Director of Admissions, COL Deborah McDonald ’85. I was unable to meet with her when I attended the Annual Leaders Conference in mid-August due a major funeral at West Point, which she attended. Hence, when I returned home, I wrote her an email with ten questions and asked her to reply. She now apologized for not responding, but had brought the email along. I suggested we could go over the questions while we were there. Before we got to the questions, she told us she was pleased that this year they had done well with in-service recruiting, which the Supe had mentioned earlier. She also told us that Title 10 allows 23-year-olds and older to enter the Military Academy if they had active combat service They had five soldiers enter at age 26 this year, due to wartime commitments. They were able to get authority to enter these enlisted personnel. Deborah told us that this year they were currently just shy of 14,000 applicants and expect to be close to 16,000 by February for the Class of 2017. They plan to accept 1,200 for next year. They use a 45-day window of declaration, so that candidates can look at other schools and then make up their minds. They need to stay within the mandated number directed by the Congress, but she said that the Academic Board is quite capable of attriting those not good enough to graduate and thus stay within the legal limit. At this point I asked her to address the questions I had sent her. I asked if the words “to the Nation” were removed from the mission statement, would that reduce the number of candidates who were just seeking a free education? She said that in recent years they have noticed candidates that were looking for a free education. The cadet and then the graduate has a lot to go through before he/she can leave after four years at West Point and five in the Army. Since “9/11”, parents have been pulling back on cadets attending West Point. She truly believed that those who attended wanted to be there and also knew they would likely go to war after graduation. She felt that most wanted to see action, and that is why they came. She said that with the economy the way it is, this makes candidates seek a chance to go to West Point. She said this might cause them to look deeper for scholarship candidates with exceptional grades in high school. My next question was why not change the percentages of candidate evaluations from 60% academic, 30% leadership, and 10% physical to 50% academic, 40% leadership, and 10% physical? I mentioned that the Supe had earlier told us that his primary purpose is developing leaders. Deborah seemed sympathetic with this proposal, which I had made to her some time ago on a previous visit. She felt there would be some resistance from the Academic Board, but I reminded her that the Supe must run West Point like a chain of command and accept recommendations from the Academic Board, with the Supe always making the final decision. She had no objections to this change. We must include this in our action plan later for presentation to the Superintendent. Bob then questioned her on the presidential appointments, and she thought that they were the best form for looking at Army brats who want appointments. I then asked why she uses young graduates, who got out after five years and are now serving in the USAR as captains, as MALOs for the evaluation of candidates. She said that ten years ago they had 400 MALOs to draw from, but now are down to 85. The USAR had called many to duty during OIF and OEF. There are fewer in the IRR now because of the wars. She said they do also use some field force volunteers who do this work . I suggested that the use of USMA tactical officers would be ideal for this duty, which was the norm when I was evaluated at Fort McPherson in 1947. She said that they could use field grade graduates who are in the force as MALOs, and we told her this needs to be adopted. We must put this in our action plan, because these older graduates know the Army and how to discern better what a candidate wants from the West Point education -- a career in the Army or a stepping stone to Main Street or Wall Street. Deborah talked briefly about the products she is seeing these days. She said that the average high school student does not often meet the standards they are looking for. For example, 50% fail the APFT. That accords with what the Commandant was saying about the new cadets he sees. The next question in my earlier message was, “Why not require every candidate to write a paper as to why he/she wants a career in the Active Army?” She said that an earlier requirement was to write an essay in order to judge the writing ability of the candidate. We all agreed this does not answer the question of “why?” We need something that tells us what it takes to be an officer in the Regular Army. Bob and I said that West Point needs to get the candidate to answer the “why” question. Deborah says that they get a lot of supporting letters with a candidate’s application, such as from the clergy, scoutmasters, teachers, etc. Deborah mentioned a Shirley Sobel, who works for COL Miller, the G-3, who heads the Office of Institutional Research at West Point. They run surveys four years later after a cadet’s entrance, and the answers to their questions are always negative. We need to look at some of these surveys to see what we can glean about the process and the candidates. She also told us that the Admissions Office does not focus in on the retention question directly as a factor for consideration. In her opinion, the Army has to answer the issue of retention, not West Point. She said that if a survey is used, they could use this information to deny acceptance if the answers are not indicative of a positive commitment to long-term service. Our time ran out before she could answer the remainder of my earlier written questions. We need to spend more time with the Director of Admissions and then give our feedback to the Superintendent. Here is where the key recruitment and retention issues lie. I know this office is undermanned and underfunded. There is work to be done here Dean We next met with BG Tim Trainor ’83, the Dean of the Academic Board. Tim proceeded to tell us about an ongoing review of the curriculum, the first in ten years. He saw a need for such a study due to the change in the operational environment affecting the Army. He said that ten academic program goals were set in stone 25 years ago, and these drive the curriculum. Some of these goals need changing to look to the future out to 2020. He said that they are calling on respected educators from outside the Army to be of assistance in this review, along with selected graduates. Various disciplines are being evaluated. The results are due to him by the end of December. He expects that there will be some restructuring of the curriculum when the report is submitted in order to meet the new academic program goals. Tim offered that he did not foresee a substantial change upcoming. Tim sees plenty of need for strategic thinking on the part of cadets. He cited the MX 400 course for the First Class as an example. It can be readily adapted to any changes they see are needed for the First Class prior to their graduation. I asked him about the faculty composition, because in my last visit with the Superintendent in the spring, the latter told me that he is trying to get more military back into the staff and faculty. Tim said that the ratio is 75 % military and 25% civilian. The civilians, he said, are very important to them, because they bring a much needed diversity that helps the faculty in its own periodic assessment and assists with research in cadet education. Most civilians develop when they join the West Point faculty, and they definitely help keep the curriculum robust. In addition, they are quite valuable in the “project work” which cadets are now required to undertake in their First Class year. He also told us that the West Point graduate has a very good background in math, science, and engineering (MSE) with 80% of the curriculum as opposed to ROTC, which is mainly social science oriented. Tim said that 50% of each graduating class takes an MSE major. I asked him if the high numbers of majors were ones reflecting the needs of the Army and he said that they were. Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis Bob Sorley dropped off at this point to see others at West Point, and I called on the Office of Economic and Manpower Analysis (OEMA) to see what the latest is with their work. This is the office that created the ADSO offerings a few years ago to help reduce the number of young graduates leaving the Army. The three options, all of which generate additional years of active duty, are branch selection, first unit of assignment selection, and a graduate schooling option. My visit was with LTC Dave Lyle ‘94 and LTC (R) Michael Colarusso. During the short time we had, Dave just talked about the retention issue. He told me that the Class of 2006 is better by 20% than previous classes at this point (6 years) in their career. This use of the ADSOs is better than they had anticipated. He sees the trends are up with officers staying in longer. He sees that when officers get company command, they tend to stay on. And when many take the graduate school option, this works out to an additional six years total. He said that he has indicated to HQ DA that a commitment strategy is to seek company command for those who deserve it and then to find a good position that suits their prior experience and desires. Once they get close to the eight year mark and look good on the record, the MEL 4 (C&GSC) assignment is one the Army needs to put in front of the officer to let him know that he is above average. The personnel managers should get the officer to see that he/she has a good record and can likely get selected for a Senior Service College appointment. That intellectual rigor has the potential of moving the officer on up the chain. Dave is convinced that the Army can now better discriminate with its officers, thus putting some teeth in its officer professional development program. Before I left, Dave gave me a working draft of some 120 pages entitled “Senior Officer Talent Management”. He is due to present this to HQ DA in the near term. Department of Behavioral Science and Leadership My final visit was with COL Bernie Banks ’87, Professor and Head of the Department of Behavioral Science and Leadership. Bernie is the one who handles the Class of 1951 Leadership Chair. The occupant of that Chair for the current two year stint is Mr. Jim Collins. Classmates will recall that Jim Collins is recognized as one of the world's top leadership experts. He is a frequent speaker and author on business and leadership. Having invested almost a decade of research into the topic, Jim Collins has authored a number of books, including the classics Built to Last and Good to Great. His works have been features in Fortune, the Wall Street Journal, Business Week and other publications. Bernie told me that Jim Collins had a recent seminar with selected students and it was very well received. He makes a good impression on cadets. He told me INC Magazine is coming out soon with a very good spread on Jim. Bernie said that Collins noted that his own thinking has been enhanced by the West Point experience. He sees a new framework on how to be an effective leader. According to Bernie, Jim Collins understands that the “service” component which West Point provides to cadets is invaluable, even if it is a challenge. Bernie said that the small group type seminar of 20 cadets with Jim Collins is very effective. He is scheduled to provide the keynote address for an upcoming leadership conference. His views on leadership for cadets, to include their serving as role models when later as commanders, is quite useful. In addition, the questions he asks in seminars make cadets think deeply about what leadership is and how it can be properly exercised. Bernie then mentioned that they are looking for the next person to be the Leadership Chair and mentioned the possibility of former Secretary of Defense Bob Gates or the former Vice Chief of Staff, GEN (R) Pete Chiarelli, as candidates. I offered the point of view of the Class that a couple of years ago there was concern that a retired military has not been recently selected. The first and only one was GEN (R) Ric Shinseki. I asked Bernie to give that fact some consideration and gave him my opinion that GEN Chiarelli would make a good chair, especially with all his work on the personnel problems of the recent wars. He said he would look into it. Before I left, I told Bernie that the Class was not getting much information about Chair activities, much as we used to get from his predecessor, COL Tom Kolditz. I asked him to send me an email when he has something to report, so that I can get it to the Class. I told him the Class would like to know how their Class funds are being used regarding the Chair on Leadership. He said he would keep us informed. I did not bring up the Class of 1951 Lecture Series with Bernie, as I had with the WPAOG, when I asked if they could inform me of what is happening with this program sponsored by the Class. When I returned home, I received an email from the WPAOG notifying me that Bernie Banks was also the West Point sponsor for the Class of 1951 Lecture Series. I called Bernie right away and told him that I wanted to be kept apprised of this program and its activities, just like he does with the Leadership Chair. He said he would do that henceforth. I told Bernie that whatever he sends me is forwarded to the President of the Class, Andy Remson, for distribution to the Class. Assessment All the senior people with whom we talked (Superintendent, Commandant, Dean, Director of Admissions, WPAOG President and CEO) seemed generally satisfied with the state of affairs in their respective areas of responsibility. While they acknowledged, when asked, that the Army has a problem with the retention of West Point graduates, they did not appear to view that as particularly a West Point problem. We believe it is a West Point and an Army problem. What we did, and contemplate doing, was what Ed Rowny referenced in a recent communication when he spoke of ten years of such visits/conversations with senior West Point officials and very little to show for them in terms of positive results. This suggests that we need to strategize what we hope to accomplish and how we expect to be able to accomplish it (thus achieving more return on the investment of time and energy our efforts will entail). Given the built-in turbulence of the West Point leadership, we might do well to develop something like a three-year plan. The current Commandant will depart next month, and the current Superintendent and Dean are both two and a half years into specified five year tenures. Thus we can anticipate working with the new Commandant and the current Superintendent no longer than to the summer of 2015. If we have gotten positive results by then, we can expect to have to start all over again with their successors. One important aspect of a strategy for change involves whether to attempt to stimulate desired changes by interacting with other responsible officials in the Army hierarchy, such as the Chief of Staff. We should discuss this matter when the three of us are able to meet early next year.


On March 23, 2013 Bill writes, "Following is my input for my March 25 birthday: The Richardsons are doing fine. Mary and I continue to enjoy good health, but we have to work at it with proper diet and exercise. We continue our pattern of spending about six weeks in McLean, VA and then drive to Fripp Island, SC to spend two weeks there at our second home. There are always things to do at both places. I remain the Class Representative to the WPAOG and the Military Academy and get to West Point at least twice a year. I also remain on the Advisory Board for the National Infantry Museum and Foundation at Fort Benning, GA and visit there 2-3 times a year. I am also the President of the Senior Advisory Council for the C&GSC Foundation and visit Fort Leavenworth, KS several times a year. As for the boys, Bill Jr., now works for the General Counsel of the Federal Communications Commission in Washington, DC. He and his wife Kathy live in Arlington, VA. David is now a Director of Business Development at the Haas School of Business, University of California at Berkeley. He and his wife Shelley live in Mill Valley, CA. Jack is now the Vice President for Manufacturing for ML Industries, a firm in Mexico City that makes air bags for vehicles. He and his wife Cheryl live in Newnan, GA, but he spends a good bit of time in Mexico City. All members of the three families are doing fine. All the very best to each of you from Mary and me." Bill

Update on Wally ..After his retirement Wally served as Executive Director of the United Way from 1978 to 1984 and then as Manager of SG Com from 1985 to 1990. Wally and his wife Norma made their home in Tucson, Arizona. After Normas’s and Duane’s death Betty is now Mrs. Steiger. The Assembly noted in 1997 a report by Wally that '51 was represented at the Tucson Founder's Day dinner by Betty Tague, Lane Holman, Cecil & Pat Nist, Jim & Dolores Phillips, and Wally & Norma Steiger.

Update on Frank ..From 1976 to 1978 Bud served as Professor of Military Science at the University of Connecticut on completion of which he accepted his last military assignment as a member of the Military Committee with North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Bud retired as a Colonel in 1981 on completion of this assignment and was decorated with the Joint Service Commendation Medal on completion of this his last duty. Bud and Louise made their home in Ashland, Oregon. She passed away in 1986.