Quick
Notes On Current Club Events and Information
Additional Perspective on Events in Iraq and other War On Terrorism & Military Issues
The "Defend America" military web site addresses some of the less well publicized news from Iraq involving the troops -- check it out -- http://www.defendamerica.mil/
Plan Now for Next Mom & Pop Luncheon
The next luncheon is on Jan 17, 2004 at 1130 AM. Go to the Scheduled Events page for map. RSVP to duffer16@aol.com.
Annual Holiday Reception
The holiday reception will be held at the Crowne Plaza -- see Scheduled Events for details and directions.
Parents Club Attendance at the USF Game
USF - Army Football at Army, Sep 27. The Browns will be tailgating at Delafield along with the Swansons and Scruggs. The West Point Parents Club coordinator (Dolores Salvatore) provides the required special parking passes to get into the Parents tailgating area. Larry Brown will request additional passes for anyone else who desires one. The Raskies and Simmons are possibly attending also. Any others planning to attend should contact Larry.
Also for the USF game, the West Point Parents Club coordinator will provide passes for the Review (parade) the morning of the game. Those passes will get us seats in the reserved stands for the Review. Larry will be requesting 12 (Browns 2, Swansons 4, Raskies 2, Scruggs 2, Simmons 2). Please let Larry know ASAP if more are needed.
Update on Krewe of Venus Debutante Ball Escorts
At the Picnic, two representatives of the Krewe of Venus addressed the group. So far we have eight volunteers to be escorts (Matt and Micah Green, Nate Brown, Tye Reedy, Jimmy McCormick, Ross Maybee, Scotty Johnson and Earnest Smith). We may need one more. They have requested we provide them pictures of the cadets in uniform so they can include them in the program. More details to follow.
Annual Reception for Potential Cadets on 20 September
Each year, Congressman Jim Davis hosts a reception at the MacDill Officers Club (map on Scheduled Events Page) where all the academies present their best to educate high school students on the opportunities at their respective institutions. Please alert all young people from grades 9-11 who may be interested in attending one of the academies to this excellent opportunity to learn about each, including the Coast Guard and Maritime Academies.
The August Newsletter Has Been Posted to the Web Site
If you misplaced your hard copy of the newsletter or did not receive it due to perhaps a mail problem, you can refer to it by clicking the newsletter link on the home page or clicking here.
Fall Picnic Date Changed
The Church was not available on the 20th necessitating a change to the 6th. Need to order chicken, so please RSVP as soon as possible to Larry and Jan Brown, duffer16@aol.com. This is usually a great event with lots of excellent stories about the new cadets and from parents who visited West Point for A-Day. Bring a covered dish and utensils -- chicken and drinks will be provided.
Cadet Escorts Needed
Our club has
been asked by Bob Weiss (USMA Class of 1971) of the Krewe of Venus to provide
escorts for their annual Debutante Ball which will be held on Friday evening,
November 28 (day after Thanksgiving) in Tampa. The evening will be formal (dress
gray uniform) and will include dinner and dancing (no charge for our cadets).
The debutantes will range in age from 18-24 years. They hope that we will be
able to provide approximately 15 young men (sorry ladies!).
I know that Thanksgiving week may seem a long way off right now, but we need to
get them a tentative headcount very soon so that they will know if they need to
ask anyone else. They really want to only have West Point cadets as escorts this
year but if we can't provide enough, they will be forced to ask for volunteers
from the other academies. So please let Larry Brown, duffer16@aol.com,
know ASAP if your cadet is interested and available. We realize that plans can
change but we were hoping we could at least find out now how many cadets are
interested in supporting this event.
How Happy Are the Cadets? And, Are They Being Trained as Leaders?
Check out the book reviews at the following URLs. Of
the 35 schools this guy has written about, he found Cadets to be the happiest.
http://www.nytimes.com/2003/07/13/books/review/13BROOKST.html and
http://writ.news.findlaw.com/books/reviews/20030627_williamson.html .
(You will have to join, at no cost, the NY Times site to read the first one.)
RSVP Now for Next Mom & Pop Luncheon
The next luncheon is on July 19, 2003 at 1130 AM. Go to the Scheduled Events page for map. RSVP to duffer16@aol.com.
'07 Parents -- Sign Up for the Plebe Parent Listserver
Go to the Other Links page and click on the entry for subscribing to the Plebe Parent Listserver to receive email posts from other '07 parents on their questions, answers, experiences, etc.
Provide Suggestions For Web Site
Not much fun to go back to a site that doesn't have new information. Please provide suggestions to make your web site more interesting -- especially new parents, what have you learned that others need to know about. Simply send an email with you comments, ideas, info to be posted, or an article or letter you have written to wppchull@aol.com. If there are some interesting articles or letters with your experiences, we will establish a new page similar to that which we have prepared for the Class of '07 -- click on white scrolling banner at the bottom of the home page to see '07's empty page -- Note to '07 parents -- you can fix the "empty page" syndrome.
R-Day Streaming Video
Go to the following page for links to R-Day activities and other Class of 2007 items of interest -- http://www.usma.edu/Class/2007/ (Click "back" on your browser to return to this page).
New Date for Next Mom & Pop Luncheon
The next luncheon is on July 19, 2003 at 1130 AM. Go to the Scheduled Events page for map.
Membership Renewal Due
Membership is renewed each year in June. If you did not renew at the June Picnic, please print out the form from our web site and send it in, Membership Form, or use the form that came with your last newsletter.
Jamie Morris Award Winner for 2003
Dominique Le Cao is this years recipient of the Benjamin R. “Jamie” Morris Memorial Leadership Award. Go to the Jamie Morris Memorial Web Page for details.
Gregg Van Bemden with his "Uncle Jeb"
Florida Gov. Jeb Bush Spoke to cadets and toured West Point April 3, 2003 and met with the Florida cadets.
Graduation Week Streaming Videos
The following link will take you to Virtual West Point to see the video of the graduation week ceremonies of the class of 2003. http://www.virtualwp.org/wpwebcasts/index.html
June Picnic Sat, 7 June, 11:30 AM, First Christian Church, Tampa
RSVP 2 June. Upper-class parents please strongly encourage your cadet to attend to meet with new cadets and give them pointers. Picnic location map available through the Scheduled Events page. Bring covered dish and serving utensils.
Cadet Clubs and Activities
There are about 109 clubs and activities available to the Cadets. Go to our Other Links page (next to last entry) and bring up the Directorate of Cadet Activities Page containing links to most of them.
Branches of the Army
The Class of 2003 will be branching in a few short months. Go to our Other Links page (last entry) and bring up pictures of the branch insignia and descriptions of each branch.
Some Articles on the War You May Have Missed
A WP-Org hosted collection of articles on the war -- some interesting perspective. (There are a number of links to the original/complete articles that are not apparent at first -- look for the tell-tale hand as you move the cursor around the page.)
http://www.west-point.org/wp/iwn/IraqWarNews.html
"In-Harms-Way" New Listserve for Families of Deployed or Soon To Be Deployed
This is a time for our West Point families to come together...not only for
those parents who have their loved ones in the Mid-East fighting this war, but
for
the parents who still have cadets at West Point, and will soon be facing the
same concerns.
WP-Org users can subscribe through the "subscribe now" icon
at:
http://www.west-point.org/family/in-harms-way/
Spring Banquet RSVP Due 28 March
Please check the Scheduled Events page for details.
Newsletter Input Due
Please check the Scheduled Events page for dates on next newsletter. Deborah is trying to get the newsletter in the mail by Feb 11, so we can all make that job a bit easier by getting the input to her early.
Spring Banquet Planned
Please check the Scheduled Events page for details.
USMA Close Combat Team Participates in Nationals
The USMA Close Combat Team (aka Paintball) competed at the National Inter-Collegiate
tournament Thurs-Sun, Oct 24-27, in Orlando. The Swansons drove up Friday
to provide "Base Camp Support" and were joined that afternoon by Pat
Hall. Howard reports that a great time was had by one and all, and that
they are a great bunch of cadets! Howard provided several photos
that are posted on our photos page (go
there now).
USCC, Including Our Gary Widden '05 on the Sprint Team, Supports Project Pride
(6 OCT) Some 300 cadets volunteered to attend Pride Bowl XXIV in support of the Sprint team and marched on the field at the Newark Bears & Eagles Riverfront Stadium as part of the pre-game ceremonies for a crowd of over 5200 spectators. The Color Guard, a contingent of Rabble Rousers, A-Man and A-Woman, the Cannon Crew and WKDT members were also involved in the pageantry. 4th Regiment Executive Officer David Bryant presented a ceremonial check for $1880 to Jerry Izenberg, sportswriter and president of Project Pride, Inc. The check was for monies collected by the Corps of Cadets to show their support for Project Pride, a non-profit organization that awards scholarships to youth in Newark and supports a number of other activities for the local students. Army Sprint football captains Macharia Brown and Kwame Boateng spearheaded the Corps fund raising action after attending a pre-game press conference for the Pride Bowl and learning more about what the program accomplishes. The Sprint team played in the Pride Bowl in both 1999 and 2000 against Princeton, but this was the first Army-Navy match-up, which Navy won 22-9. (USMA/John Pellino)
Thayer Award With Live Feed From Banquet
"The American Soldier" will receive the 2002 Thayer Award in
ceremonies held here on Thursday, 3 Oct. Prior to the presentation
ceremony, the academy will hold a cadet review in honor of "The American
Soldier," on the Plain at 5 p.m. The public is invited to attend the
review which will be attended by the Chief of Staff, Gen Shinseki. "Soldiers"
to receive Thayer Award .
For the live feed, tune in around 1800 on Thursday and enjoy the show. To access these content items, including the live webcast, go to http://www.virtualwp.org/wpwebcasts/index.html or http://www.virtualwestpoint.org/ or http://www.virtualwp.org/, click on the picture to enter the site, and then click on the appropriate content link on the right side just under General News. If you miss the live event, replay videos of both the Parade and Banquet will be made available within a few days.
Acceptance Parade 2002 in Virtual West Point Photo Gallery
Just added is a Photo Gallery from the Acceptance Parade in August for the Class of 2006. This is a wonderful parade in which the new class, having just completed Beast Barracks, marches to join the Corps. The video of the parade was previously released, but these pictures provide an excellent close-up view of the event. http://www.virtualwp.org/Images/020817AcceptanceParade/index.html For other '06 photos on R-Day and the March Back, see http://www.virtualwp.org/channel_closeup_experience_admissions.htm
Supe Update
The Academy Update Briefing by LTG Lennox to the Class and Society Leaders Conference last August has been encoded and is available for your viewing pleasure. You can also find the briefing slides from the update by clicking on the "view slides" link at: http://www.aogusma.org/soc/2002_leaders_conference/plenary_day1.htm#supe
Fall Picnic This Sat, 21 Sep
Please RSVP for the Fall Picnic if you have not done so. Bring a dish; chicken will be provided. Go to Scheduled Events page for directions and other information.
College Rankings
US
News & World Report ranked USMA fourth overall
best undergraduate engineering program
without doctorate
• Civil-
#2
• Mechanical-
#5
• Electrical- #8
National Geographic Series
The series, Surviving West Point, will premiere on Oct 5 at 8:00 PM. This will be a weekly series that should be of great interest. Check your local listings for channel. See http://www.nationalgeographic.com/channel/highlights/westpoint.html
Several Updated Links
We have recently added several updated links that may be of interest including the new football schedule, explanation of A & B weekend and the updated dean's page. Go to the Other Links page now.
New
First Captain
Cadet 1st Class Ricardo A. Turner has been selected as the United States Military Academy’s 144th brigade commander and first captain for the Corps of Cadets it was announced Wednesday. See: Turner named first captain
Note the Upcoming All Academies Day by Congressman Davis
Each year, Jim Davis sponsors an event at the MacDill O'Club to give high schoolers the opportunity to learn about all the academies, including the Coast Guard and Merchant Marine Academies. In addition to great information, there is usually some good natured rivalry that adds some entertainment value. Pass the word of this meeting to any young people who might be considering one of the Academies -- it is a great chance for them to compare and learn -- it is appropriate for those even in the 9th grade who need to learn about what will make them competitive, giving them time to undertake activities and coursework that will aid in their quest. See the "Scheduled Events" page (I'd tell you here on this page that it is on the 21st of Sep, but then you wouldn't get to exercise one of the hyperlinks I took the time to embed).
If You Missed the August Mom & Pop Luncheon, You Missed a Good One!
Turn out for the last luncheon was reported by Debra as being a record crowd with some new faces and lots of regulars. Plan on being at the next one -- see the "Scheduled Events" page.
Yankees Honor West Point
The New York Yankees will honor the U.S. Military Academy at West Point
Thursday, Aug. 22 when they hold West Point Day at Yankee Stadium. Go to Yankees
to honor West Point.
RSVP To Calling Captains for Mom & Pop Luncheon
As you will note from the "Scheduled Events" page, the next Mom & Pop Luncheon is on this Sat, the10th of Aug. Please RSVP to you Calling Captain as requested so the hotel will be properly prepared. Directions to the Crowne Plaza Sabal Park can be accessed through a link on the "Scheduled Events" page.
Task Force Battle Force Help Train Cadets
The mission of training cadets this summer fell to the Battle Force, that is
Task Force 3-327, which is made up of primarily units from the 3rd Battalion,
327th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), from Fort
Campbell, Ky. The summer task force camps at Camp Natural Bridge from June until
mid-August are the basis around which cadet summer training revolves (click
title above to view article).
The future of the Army got a sneak peek at the Army of tomorrow July 11 and 12 at Camp Buckner as the 3rd Class cadets received a presentation on the Land Warrior System during Cadet Field Training (click title above to view article).
Army-Air Force Game To Be Televised
Army’s quest for the Commander-in-Chief’s Trophy will be
well documented this fall following the announcement June 28 that the Black
Knights’ service academy showdown with Air Force will be televised regionally
by ESPN Plus (click title above to view article).
Black bears sighted at West Point
Black bear sightings are common at the U.S. Military Academy this time of the
year. Fortunately, the black bear is a non-aggressive species, preferring to
avoid all contact with humans (click title above to view article).
Newsletter Input Due
Please check the Scheduled Events page for dates on next newsletter. Deborah is trying to get the newsletter out before her trip to Knox, so we can all make that job a bit easier by getting the input to her early.
Graduation Parade Pictures From the Web Cam
There are several pictures of the graduation parade on the Web Cam site at http://www.eecs.usma.edu/CLUBS/HAMS/pages/update.htm
History Channel To Air Long Gray Line: The Spirit of West Point
Subject show will be aired on 7/22 at 9PM, 7/23 at 1AM, and 7/27 at 11AM.
Matt Green '06 Will Joining Micah '04 This Fall
We all congratulate the Greens on Matt's making it after all. For those not familiar with the situation, younger siblings almost always ride the coat tails of their older brothers or sisters, but Matt Green did not receive an offer for some reason. We were all baffled and disappointed for the Green's, but Wednesday the good news arrived by way of a phone call from Congressman Young's office. Micah, as of Friday, was unaware of this change of events due to his being in the field with his CTLT unit for 10 days. The Greens have to hustle to prepare for R-Day next week -- we wish them a good trip.
Good Luck to the Other '06ers
We wish all the other '06ers good luck on their trips as well. If there are any last minute questions, they should feel free to call their mentors or other club members--use any of the numbers from the roster on this web site (go there now). (Note to '06ers on the roster: Your names will be updated on the roster as soon as the treasurer gets all the data in from the membership forms.)
Information on the Knox Combined Arms Live Fire Exercise (CALFEX)
For those interested in learning about the annual live fire exercise presented each cycle at Ft Knox for the Yearlings see the following web page. http://www.knox.army.mil/school/16cav/documents/calfex
Additional Area '06 New Cadets--Updated Table Below
The following named area candidates have accepted positions in the USMA Class of 2006. They and their parents will be honorees at our June Picnic, and they have also been invited to our Mom & Pop Luncheon in addition to receiving our latest newsletter. You are encouraged to support both of these events to welcome them. Please encourage your Cadets to attend the picnic if they are home at that time (June 15) to meet and mentor the New Cadets. Go to Scheduled Events for the time and location of the luncheon (Note: An RSVP is not essential -- if you had a change of plans or simply did not get to RSVP, come anyway -- we will accommodate you).
|
Name |
School |
| Greg Fisher | Home School |
| James Lang | St Petersburg (IBA) |
| Christina Lucin | Wesley Chapel |
| James McCormick | Bradenton Lakewood Ranch |
| Thomas Pausche | Seminole |
| Thomas Ryan | Seminole |
| Joshua Hughes | Pasco High |
| Jason Walsh | Bloomingdale High School |
| Austin Clopeck | Valrico (School name not available) |
| Michael Riccitiello | Sebring (School name not available) |
| Matt Green | Seminole |
More Media Coverage
Interesting article in the Dallas Morning News on West Point that came through in a West-Point.Org Parent-Net email--click the link below.
http://www.dallasnews.com/travel/top/stories/052602dntraupswestpoint.96b8a.html
Graduation Parade TV Coverage
MSNBC is reportedly going to cover the Graduation Parade on Friday, May 31. It is scheduled to start at 10:30 AM Eastern.
WebCam News
According to the WebCam web page, the WebCam covering West Point will no longer be available to the general public. They adivise that Cadet parents should monitor the west-point.org email forums for more information on current webcam operations.
New Motel Listing on the Other Links Page
Mike Richman brought to our attention the motel info page for the NE Ohio WPPC that has a snazzy map as well as motel listings -- check it out.
Some Media Events Posted on Parent-Forum
May 26, 11:00
am, ABC, Indianapolis 500, National Anthem and color
guard
May 26, 9-10:30am, CBS Sunday Morning
May 26, 11pm, Fox News, 'Sandhurst'
May 27, 2am, Fox News, 'Sandhurst'
(repeat)
May 27, 6am-Noon, WCBS Radio 880am
May 27, 8-10pm, VH1
May 31, 6am-Noon, WCBS Radio 880am
May 31, 10:30am, MSNBC
May 31, 7-8pm, Lifetime, 'Call to
Duty'
June 16, 9pm, Travel Channel,
'American Icons: West Point'
June 23, 9pm, Travel Channel,
'American Icons: West Point' (repeat)
See the USMA Bicentennial web page for more (go
there now).
The Seven Area Candidates Who Are Definites
The following named area candidates have accepted positions in the USMA Class of 2006. They and their parents will be honorees at our June Picnic, and they have also been invited to our Mom & Pop Luncheon in addition to receiving our latest newsletter. You are encouraged to support both of these events to welcome them. Please encourage your Cadets to attend the picnic if they are home at that time (June 15) to meet and mentor the New Cadets. Go to Scheduled Events for the time and location of the luncheon (Note: An RSVP is not essential -- if you had a change of plans or simply did not get to RSVP, come anyway -- we will accommodate you).
|
Name |
School |
| Greg Fisher | Home School |
| James Lang | St Petersburg (IBA) |
| Christina Lucin | Wesley Chapel |
| James McCormick | Bradenton Lakewood Ranch |
| Thomas Pausche | Seminole |
| Thomas Ryan | Seminole |
| Joshua Hughes | Pasco High |
RSVP To Calling Captains for Mom & Pop Luncheon
As you will note from the "Scheduled Events" page, the next Mom & Pop Luncheon is on the 18th of May. Please RSVP to you Calling Captain as requested so the hotel will be properly prepared. Directions to the Crowne Plaza Sabal Park can be accessed through a link on the "Scheduled Events" page.
Rob Decker Recognized
Joining Nicki Robbins as another USMA athlete from the Tampa Bay area receiving national honors this year, Rob Decker has been named to the Collegiate Water Polo Association Men's 2001-2002 All Academic Team. Congratulations to the Deckers from the Club. Read about it at: www.collegiatewaterpolo.com/html/awardAAca01mCWPA.htm
Rumor Has It That We Have Seven Area Candidates Who Are Definites
As soon as we get the official word, we will post the names of the '06 New Cadets from our area. There currently appears to be 7 who have accepted appointments, with several others on the waiting list that could be added.
Too Late -- Newsletter for May '02 Has Been Completed
The May '02 Newsletter is now posted to this site -- nice job Debra! Preview now and beat the mail.
Newsletter Input for May OVERDUE (6 May Update)
Newsletter input was due yesterday, Sunday, May 5th. If you see this in the next day or two and have not provided input, please get a paragraph directly to Debra VanBemden ASAP (gvan@sanctum.com).
Nicki Robbins Selected as Patriot League Player of the Year for 3rd Consecutive Year
It is the third straight year that Robbins has been cited as the league's top player and first time an athlete has accomplished that feat in the league's 12-year history. Visit the following link to see details: http://goarmysports.fansonly.com/sports/w-softbl/spec-rel/050302aab.html
Turner Classic Movies and West Point
Turner Classic Movies will be celebrating 200 years of West
Point by the airing every Monday night in May several West Point movies. They
begin Mon, May 6 with two, one at 8 PM -- a 1927 silent movie "West
Point" (starring Joan Crawford!) and another at 9:45 PM, the "West
Point Story." These will be followed every Monday night by one or two
of the familiar movies: "Flirtation Walk," "West Point of
the Air" and others. See: http://www.turnerclassicmovies.com/NowPlaying/Monthly/0,3598,65|63|10603|,00.html
Jamie Morris Memorial Award Winner Announced
The winner of this year's award is Hillsborough JROTC Cadet Colin McDonald. A detailed biography will appear in the next newsletter. Visit the Jamie Memorial Web page on this site to learn more about the award. Go there now.
Plebe Parent Weekend Photos
The subject photos are now on line in the photos section of this web site. Pictures were provided by the Browns -- author of the captions is unknown.
From Debra Van Bemden -- Nicki Robbins Article
I was just on the West Point Go Army Sports ( I used the "Other Links" link from our WPPC website, nice) and saw that our Nicki Robbins from Seminole was the athlete of the week (4/7/02). It is a very nice article -- http://goarmysports.fansonly.com/index-main.html for picture as below, and for the article, click the following:
http://www.fansonly.com/schools/army/sports/w-softbl/recaps/041302aaa.html
Next Newsletter Input
To get the next newsletter out before the next Mom & Pop luncheon (see next below), we will need newsletter input by May 5th -- please note the date and start composing early!!
Next
Mom and Pop Luncheon at the Crowne Plaza
The
next luncheon will be on May 18 at the regular location, The Crowne Plaza
Sabal Park at 12:30PM. Please RSVP to
your Calling Captain by May 15; however, do not hesitate to attend if your
plans change at the last minute and you have not responded. For Club Board members, a meeting will
precede the luncheon at 11:00AM.
The
United States Military Academy Commemorative Stamp was dedicated on March 16.
How to
Order the First Day of Issue Postmark:
Customers have 30 days to obtain the first day of issue postmark by
mail. They may purchase new stamps at
their local Post Office, by telephone at 1 800 STAMP-24, and at the Postal
Store Web site at http://www.usps.com/. They should affix the stamps to envelopes of
their choice, address the envelopes (to themselves or others), and place them
in a larger envelope addressed to: UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY COMMEMORATIVE
STAMP, POSTMASTER, 634 SWIFT RD, WEST POINT NY 10996-9991. After applying the
first day of issue postmark, the Postal Service will return the envelopes
through the mail. There is no charge
for the postmark. All orders must be
postmarked by April 15, 2002. Stamp
Fulfillment Services (SFS) also offers first day covers for new stamp issues
and postal stationery items postmarked with the official first day of issue
cancellation. Each item has an
individual catalog number and is offered in the quarterly USA Philatelic
catalog. Customers may request a free
catalog by telephoning 1 800 STAMP-24 or writing to: INFORMATION FULFILLMENT,
DEPT 6270, US POSTAL SERVICE, PO BOX 219014, KANSAS CITY MO 64121-9014. First day covers remain on sale for a least
one year after the stamp has been issued.
There is more info on the usps.com website at News and
Events--Philatelic News or http://www.usps.com/news/2002/philatelic/sr02_014.htm
Commemorative
Coin
Mike
Richman of our club has purchased a number of the Bicentennial coins that he is
making available to our club members at his cost from the mint. They are
very impressive. If you would like to purchase one or more of these from
Mike, you can contact him at his office during the day at 813-885-1789.
The cost of the coins is $33 each.
Pictures
for the Club Web Site
If you have
digital pictures of club events, trips, or other topics of interest to the club
in general, please forward them to wppchull@aol.com.com
for inclusion on the club web site.
Scheduled
Events
Please
see the Scheduled Events page for additional
information.