Grade VI Visits West Point

Early clouds gave way to sunshine and crisp late autumn weather as the sixth grade students, faculty, and chaperones hopped the bus for a very special day.  The destination:  two hours north of New York City overlooking the Hudson River at the United States Military Academy at West Point on Wednesday, December 6.  The trip was part of a long-standing tradition between St. Bernard’s School and Colonel Edward Sobiesk (ret.), host and organizer.     

 

The tour began with military precision and security clearance at the base’s main gate and included special insider visits to the Thayer Award Room, named for Colonel and Brevet Brigadier General Sylvanus Thayer, known as "the Father of West Point," and honoring Americans who have made substantial contributions to the United States, often at great personal sacrifice; the Academic Boardroom, where the fate of marginal students has been determined for more than 200 years; the mess hall, with a surprise visit by Old Boy Gardner Crary ’12, and three of his close friends at the academy, who spent time chatting with the boys; the Officers Club, where St. B’s was treated to the vibrant and delicious Quarterback Spirit lunch and pep rally leading up to the annual Army-Navy football game; tutorials by STEM professors, including photonics, cyber-security, programming, robotics, and systems engineering with hands-on screen time, as Col. Sobiesk kept the boys moving in well-coordinated rotations.

 

The boys walked the very same grounds and footpaths as President Dwight D. Eisenhower, General Omar N. Bradley, and General Benjamin O. Davis, Jr., the first African-American cadet, shunned while a student, and later a commander of the Tuskegee Airmen.

 

And no trip would be complete without a visit to the gift shop, for purchases of tee shirts, wool caps, wind chimes, and of course, footballs  ̶  Go Army!

 

The group piled back into the bus as the sun set, arriving safe and sound at 98th Street, and richer by far in spirit and experience.  Reflections on duty, honor, and country – as well as sacrifice and paying it forward for the greater good had become more than mottos.  The boys and everyone who spent the day returned with a deeper understanding and appreciation of life at West Point.

 

Special thanks to Colonel Sobiesk, Gardner Crary ’12, and everyone at West Point who welcomed our boys.  Thanks to our faculty members, Mr. Landesman and Mr. Demeny, and to Mr. Moraitis who organized, and to the parent chaperones.  Many thanks to the photographers, Amy G., Carolina M., Ms. Nealy, and Brita S.