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Of the four hundred and seventy five who graduated, three hundred and ninety-four of us took the Oath of Allegiance on the Plain at Trophy Point on July 1, 1947. Thirty-five joined us from the previous class and forty-six joined us in July and August during our Beast Barracks. We formed up for graduation on June 5, 1951; and listened to Secretary of Defense, General of the Army George C. Marshall. Many more took the oath on July 1, 1947, in fact a total of 733 were at one time or other members of USMA ’51. We took a heavy toll during Beast Barracks and during Plebe Year. By graduation, our numbers had dwindled to four hundred and seventy-five. In his address, General Marshall welcomed us to active duty in the Armed Services. Of those four hundred and seventy five, 152 went in the Infantry, 117 went in the Air Force, 88 in the Artillery, 50 in the Corps of Engineers, 35 in the Armor Corps, and 26 in the Signal Corps. Four of our classmates were found disabled on graduation and were not commissioned, although one did serve for two years as a reserve officer during the Korean War. There were three foreign cadets in our class, one of whom went in his country’s military service on graduation. This work is the story of those 475 and of our Class Associates who have been with us during these past 50 years. It deals with the accomplishments of these men, in and out of uniform. We hear voices in our society to the effect that the Service Academies are archaic, that they no longer serve a useful function. These same voices point out that ROTC Programs in academic institutions such as City College of New York have produced generals who have served our country as well as West Point graduates at much less cost. Annapolis English Professor Bruce Flemming recently called for abolishing the Academies. Some reaction follows: The Military Academies, Sized Up To the Editor: Re “The Academies’ March Toward Mediocrity,” by Bruce Fleming (Op-Ed, May 21): The United States Naval Academy imbues midshipmen with the highest ideals of duty, honor and loyalty and provides leaders dedicated to Navy careers. In simple terms, the academy exists to develop leaders who defend this country and uphold its Constitution. What separates this institution from others is its commitment to develop ethical leaders. Every day, whether the academy’s leadership is strong or weak, ethical or unethical, midshipmen are challenged to behave honorably, act selflessly, commit to pursuing personal excellence and practice the disciplined traits of ethical leaders. Because of man’s imperfections and life’s temptations, some midshipmen will fall short of this ideal, but all will have a respect and appreciation of those who succeed. Bottom line: the march toward mediocrity begins with attacking the academy rather than accepting responsibility to uphold its lofty mission. Tom Virgets Annapolis, Md., May 21, 2010 The writer is senior associate athletic director at the Naval Academy. To the Editor: Twenty-three years of teaching at the Naval Academy hardly qualified Bruce Fleming for lumping West Point and the Air Force Academy into his indictment of the Naval Academy for its slide into mediocrity. Each military academy has its own military culture, academic system and standards for varsity sports participation. Everything I know about West Point leads me to believe that it has maintained just as high standards as it had when I graduated from the academy in 1969, and its graduates are every bit as well trained and highly motivated as they were in my day. Lucian K. Truscott IV Franklin, Tenn., May 21, 2010 The writer is the author of two novels about West Point. To the Editor: My son is a midshipman at the Naval Academy. While I am familiar with the issues Bruce Fleming raises — lowered academic standards, preferential treatment for athletes — I assure you that these young people who have volunteered to serve our country during wartime are anything but mediocre. I have come to know many who pursue excellence in all areas of their lives: academic, military and physical. Mr. Fleming refers to the academies as “holdovers from the 19th century” that “produce burned-out midshipmen and cadets.” I believe that these midshipmen and cadets are some of our nation’s best and brightest. Many exemplify the principles that make our country great: loyalty, honor, service, sacrifice and hard work. Don’t write them off because the institutions need reform. They deserve better. Linda Kelly Cranbury, N.J., May 22, 2010 To the Editor: While readers may justifiably disagree about the specifics of Prof. Bruce Fleming’s thoughts on the Naval Academy, we ought to agree that the Naval Academy has on its faculty a man who has the guts to criticize the place publicly — and this speaks well of the academy. Great institutions welcome criticism from the inside — and the more robust, the better. My grandfather, who graduated from the academy in 1928, was a varsity athlete in two sports: football and baseball. But he rarely spoke about sports, preferring to stress the importance of the development of intellect in the making of a naval officer. I’m certain he would have enjoyed Professor Fleming’s essay — and would have been proud of the academy for employing a man who stands by his academic ideals in public. J. T. Scanlan Cambridge, Mass., May 21, 2010 The writer teaches literature at Providence College. Today, we also see Newspaper headlines such as, “Outspoken Marine Running for Chiefs of Staff Job.” All of this, as serious change in the military mission is contemplated. Three alternatives are being considered, the first is to keep to current plans and invest in new weapons and equipment at a moderate rate, the second is the RMA or the “Revolution in Military Affairs,” which is an accelerated integration of computer-age technologies into weapons systems and military command and control networks, and the third is to strike a balance between the first two. This volume, as we tell OURStory, is also a response to such arguments. It is not a rebuttal, it is rather a factual statement of the record of one class, my class, the class of 1951 from the United States Military Academy, and what it has contributed in this arena as well as in many others. The American people must be the judges as to whether West Point as an institution should receive our continued support. This is not an attempt to evaluate West Point in terms of a cost/benefit analysis. The worth of any system of education and training can be measured only by the performance of its graduates, and a common yardstick must measure that performance. For us, in the class of 1951 the common yardstick is service to the nation. When we took the oath of allegiance, each of us dedicated ourselves to a lifetime of service to our country. On graduation, we knew that from then on, our worth would be tested by our personal contribution to the nation’s security, and as it has been for the Long Grey Line before us, that evident testing has come largely on the field of battle. However, national security is served not only in war, it is served as well in peace. The intervals of peace, which all of us cherish, must of necessity be intervals of preparation against, as well as for, war. How well have the men of the Class of 1951 performed as members of the Armed Forces, and as civilians, serving our country in peace and war? The answer to the question is in this record. Judgment of that record is in the hands of the American people; who are ultimately responsible for the development and the continued existence of the United States Military Academy at West Point. I emphasize, though, this is the record of only one class, Black ’51. Many of us contracted another life long obligation soon after graduation, we married our childhood sweethearts, others soon after, met our life-long partners-to-be and were married. This is also the story of these ladies on whom we have leaned on and who have shared our successes as well as our failures in life. Beginning with the most dramatic of our accomplishments; the walk on the moon by Buzz Aldrin, who was accompanied on this dramatic venture of man in this century by Neil Armstrong, and who uttered the immortal words, “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” As the military commander of this mission, and the pilot of the moon lander, Buzz should have uttered those words but is was Armstrong who did. There were other dramatic successes. Sam Dickens was responsible for the location of Soviet space debris, and having it analyzed, at a point in history when Ivan was still our enemy. It was essential to insure that the Soviets did or did not have nuclear or nerve gas weapons orbiting the earth which could rain on us on the command of a Soviet signal. The analysis was done at Wright-Patterson AFB and it is doubtful that Sam himself knows for sure what the labs verified. Another of our classmates, along with Admiral Arleigh Burke, established the Center for Strategic Studies (CSS) which he has headed at various times. The Center, at Georgetown University is a Think Tank dedicated to keeping our country’s leaders appraised of, and on the leading edge, of strategic thought. Dave Abshire, our classmate, co-founder, has also served as our Ambassador to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, and as advisor to three Presidents. In addition, in strict military terms, one of our classmates, Edward C. “Shy” Meyer, served as Chief of Staff of the United States Army. Roscoe Robinson became the first black four star general to come out of West Point. Roscoe’s story provides interesting contrast to recently revealed history on the fate of Henry O. Flipper, USMA Class of 1877, the first black to graduate from West Point, who was court-martialed on trumped-up charges after graduation. Those were the days of rampant Jim Crowism in the US Army, as well as at West Point. Perhaps the memoirs of some other classmates of the deceased Robinson, four black (two now also deceased) and one, the only Chicano in the class of 1951 would help to throw some light on the good, the bad, and the ugly of life at West Point and beyond; in the days before desegregation did in fact take place. (Yes, that was the extent of diversity extant in the Class of 1951; 5 blacks, l Chicano, 2 Puerto Ricans, 1 Japanese-American and 1 Filipino. The three other Hispanic names found in the Register of Graduates are those of foreign cadets, the sons of Central American Presidents of our time. I should point out that it was through the untiring efforts of a white Georgia history teacher, Ray MacColl, that Henry O. Flipper’s record was finally reversed in 1976.) In addition, we made our contributions along religious lines as well. Kermit Johnson resigned his Lieutenant’s commission to attend the Princeton Theological Seminary and then returned to the US Army and became Chief of Chaplains with rank as Major General. (Add second Chaplain classmate here) Dick Wasson died doing the Lord’s work as he looked after the physical as well as the spiritual welfare of his troops behind the lines in Korea. Upon retirement, Billy Joe Ellis is an ordained Deacon in the Catholic Church. In the service to humanity, Pete Foss was most responsible for absolving the My Lai Massacre in Vietnam. Moreover, along political lines, Bob Isaac served 18 years as Mayor of Colorado Springs, from 1978 to 1996, and was President of the National Mayors Association. When he resigned as Mayor, the city named its newly constructed courthouse in his honor. And in the hard ball of politics, Andy Chacon led the floor fight at the New Mexico Democratic State Convention for JFK delegates against the LBJ forces in 1960. He served as State Chairman of the New Mexico Public Welfare Board, an unpaid position, with policy responsibility for assistance to the Aged, the Blind, the Disabled, and Aid to Families with Dependent Children and the poor. Ironically, towards the end of the LBJ administration Andy served on a White House assignment under LBJ as well as on two others during the Nixon administration. Roy Herte served as Manager of the City of Salinas and Frank Fischl as Mayor of his hometown; Allentown, PA; and as Public Utility Commissioner for the State of Pennsylvania. Clint Granger served as Deputy Assistant to the President as senior staff in the White House, as well as Director of the Planning Staff for the National Security Council, serving two presidents (Nixon and Ford). And in the performing arts, we have had our fifteen moments of glory. George Shibata played a supporting role in the movie, “Pork Chop Hill” which portrayed the heroic stand of Joe Clemons’ company in Korea and starred Gregory Peck in the hero’s role. Pete Prehn has had several appearances in movies, and Bob Macklin has found his niche as ‘51’s “Thespian.” And in 2010, Buzz Aldrin, at 80, danced with the stars!!! These are some of the most obvious examples of the leadership provided to the country by members of the West Point class of 1951. However, let us look at the details. Let me now share some statistics that are sobering. It has been said that the class of 1915 is the West Point class upon which the stars fell on; well, it has to be the class of 1951 where the stars fell from. Only 35 of the 467 graduates (four of our classmates were not commissioned on graduation because of physical disabilities, and four were foreign cadets, two of whom made general in their country’s service) who went on military duty on June 6, 1951, attained general rank. Of those, Flo Magsino, a foreign cadet, attained general rank in the Philippine Army and Mike Malea-Gil in the Argentine Army. Three others left active duty early and attained general rank as members of the active reserves. In reality only 30 of us attained general rank in regular active duty with either the United States Army or the United States Air Force. The era during which we served, along with the unpopularity of both the Korean Conflict and the Vietnam War, perhaps explains this. I will not try to analyze why this is so. Let me, however, provide a statistical picture of the Class of 1951. We served an average of 18.8 years and attained the average rank of Lieutenant Colonel. However, considering only those 381 who survived the Korean War, the average years of service is 22.4 years and the average rank is still Lieutenant Colonel. Considering only those 287 who stayed in the service after returning from the Korean conflict and through most of the Vietnam War, that is, those who served at least twenty years, the average years of service is 25.8 and the average rank is Colonel. Considering only those who served at least 30 years gives and average of 31.5 years of service and the average rank of Brigadier General. We earned 5 DSC’s. Since they seem to be more scarce than stars, let me remind the reader, that the Distinguished Service Cross is awarded for heroism and valor, involving extraordinary risk of life in connection with military operations against an enemy. It is second only to the Medal of Honor. Joseph Gordon Clemons, George Massie Gividen, John Allen Hemphill, Richard Rougier McCullough, and George Peter Psihas, all our classmates, were decorated with the Distinguished Service Cross. We also earned 6 Defense Distinguished Service Medals. News to me, but after looking at the recipients of the DDSM, it has to be reserved for Generals. Roscoe Robinson, Elmer Dean Pendleton, John Allen Hemphill, Stanley Milward Umstead, Richard Marshall Wells, and Edward Charles Meyer, each were awarded this medal. All are at least Major Generals and most were awarded the DDSM on leaving the service. We earned 40 Distinguished Service Medals, 75 Silver Stars, 13 Defense Superior Service Medals, 369 Legion(s) of Merit, 115 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 351 Bronze Star Medals, 101 Purple Hearts, 194 Meritorious Service Medals, 1,110 Air Medals, 60 Joint Service Commendation Medals, 306 Commendation Medals and/or Commendation Ribbons, and 141 Combat Infantryman Badges. The recipients of the Purple Heart deserve special mention, particularly those who made the supreme sacrifice. Thirteen of our classmates were killed in action, nine during the Korean Conflict and four during the Vietnam War. It is to these men, our Heroes, that this commemorative book is dedicated. They are; Kenneth Volkert Riley, Jr.; John Richard Wasson; William Chauncey Barott; Fredrick Jordan Hampton; Maynard Benjamin Johnson; Edward John Mueller; Richard Rougier McCullough; Roland Eugene Cooper; William Lloyd Richardson; Samuel Ayer Lutterloh; Robert Frank Nieman, Dain Milliman and Louis John Stork. On the educational front, we did much better; 276 of us obtained advanced degrees. Thirteen of us are or have been attorneys, two of us obtained MD degrees, 13 of us obtained PhD’s, 47 obtained MBA degrees, 35 MS degrees in Engineering, 11 MS degrees in Aeronautical Engineering, 10 MS degrees in Mechanical Engineering, 9 MS degrees in Electrical Engineering, and sundry other degrees including some far out ones. No doubt, we and/or our progeny have been busy otherwise as well. I have no numbers but I hear that some of us have substantial extended families, some with sixteen grandchildren, some with great-grandchildren! Now in retirement, many of us continue, like the energizer bunny, driven by the work ethic, busy as ever and we keep going and going….. Dave Abshire serves as Chairman of the Board of International Broadcasting as well as on others. “Shy” Meyer serves as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Association of Graduates of West Point; Billy Joe Ellis serves as Permanent Deacon of St. Jude’s parish of Sumter, SC where he has served since obtaining an MA degree from Notre Dame as a Catecheticallnst in 1988. Roy Herte was City Manager of Salinas, California. Sandy Weyand served as Superintendent at Valley Forge Military Institute, Pennsylvania; Bud Bacon served at Castle Heights Military Academy in Tennessee; John F. Hook at Wentworth Military Academy in Missouri, and John R. Hook served as Chairman of the Business and Economics Department at Mount St. Mary’s College in Maryland. Fred Henney served as Professor of English at Thomas Nelson Community College from 1985 to 2000. John Daigh and Joe Foss served as a Department Heads with a community college in Maine and Pete Prehn was the Dean, Finance and Administration at Rappahannock Community College in Va. Last but not least, the January 1991 Assembly noted, "Bill Owens was inducted into the Georgia Egg Commission's Hall of Fame. A prominent member of the Georgia egg industry for many years, Bill is only the 4th person ever to receive the award." Black '51 has seven Distinguished Graduates; Buzz Aldrin, Joe Clemons, Shy Myer, Bill Richardson, Roscoe Robinson, Dave Abshire, and Bob Yerks. (Two star men, three middle ground men, and two goats!!!) Beat Navy! Air Force Too!
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