The big Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser Station Wagon moved silently in a world of white. Conspicuous by its motion in a scene of winter still life, its three passengers rode without speaking in an atmosphere reflecting the moody gray of the overcast sky. With a slight turn of the steering wheel, the driver turned off West… Continue reading A Killing on the River
The passage of time bears witness to not only the addition of new words to the vernacular (e.g., "texting"), the change in meaning of some words (e.g., "sick", "dope"), and the level of acceptance of others. The "N" word falls into the latter category. It's heard today more in certain circles than in other demographic… Continue reading The “N” Word
During my last trip to West Point I had occasion to visit the pool area. Being in proximity of the old gym brought back many memories. Some of triumph, some of dejection, some of pain, but all of wonder. I recall Judo team captain Keith Huber turning the thermostat in the wrestling room where we… Continue reading Iron, Sweat, and the Way Things Were
I had a little more than an hour to change into my tux and make my way back to West Point for the bus to Carnegie Hall. There was only one other occupied table in the surprisingly spacious diner where I'd stopped to have a late breakfast. Scraping together the surviving remnants of my Nova… Continue reading The West Point Bicentennial, A View From the Ground
The following is a true story of old (early 1970s) West Point. I saw it, I was there. The names have been changed to protect the not so innocent. Rated “R” for language. “What do Plebes Rank? Sir, the Superintendent's dog, the Commandant's cat, the waiters in the Mess Hall, the Hellcats, the Generals in… Continue reading All the Admirals in the Whole Damned Navy
Chalk Dust 