EULOGY

Thank you, Sam Lessey, for reciting the 23^rd Psalm as our scriptural reading. And thank you, Chaplain Pawlikowski for your excellent message that is in keeping with honoring our fallen classmates. And thank you, Mrs. Lapisardi, for that beautiful organ solo. She will be playing Mendelssohn’s “War March of the Priests” as a postlude which is a fitting tribute to professional soldiers who have served their country. And we thank, in advance our bugler from the Academy Band who will play taps.

Our main purpose at this time is to honor those of our class who have passed on to join the Long Gray Line over on the other side. Memorial Services are an indispensable part of our reunions. They have always been religious services with hymns and prayers. Most if not all members of our class have strong religious faith based at least in part on our experiences attending Chapel Services required of every cadet at that time while at West Point. Faith in God and a hereafter seem natural for a soldier who is willing to put his life on the line as an integral part of the profession of arms. And so we honor 834 of the class of ‘45 who have preceded us in joining the Long Gray Line. The names of 98 of them who have passed away since our last reunion are printed in your programs. You can find each of their names under their respective cadet company.

At this time we count 18 of us still living. This includes two of whom we have lost contact. Sam Lessey and I are the only two present here today. There were 852 who graduated out of 1212 starting in 1942. It may be appropriate for us also to remember at least some of those who started out with us but for some reason did not graduate. Some of them had military careers and served in combat in World War II.

Our class avoided combat in WWII, but our very first casualties were in air crashes before the end of that war. Pilot training began for those who elected to go into the Army Air Corps during First Class year. We lost five classmates while they were still cadets. Vern Hanson, Don Thrun, Lee Forney, Bob Clark, and Art Morrison. Art was within just two weeks of graduating when his fatal air crash occurred. Thus he is counted as one of 852 graduates. The cost of pilot training in those early years was horrendous. We lost more classmates from air training crashes than in the combat arms in warfare. A total of 48.

25 of the class of 1945 gave their lives in the Korean war, and 6 died in combat in the Vietnam war. Thus, even though missing combat in WWII, many gave their last full measure of devotion to our Country.

WWII had an immense effect on West Point. Beginning with our class, the size of each class was twice as large as before the war, making two full Regiments of cadets. The existing Cadet Barracks were filled to the brim with three-man rooms instead of two. We, along with four other classes, graduated in three years instead of four. Finally, the class of ‘47 was divided by age. The older cadets graduated in three years and the younger half in four years as the class of ‘48, getting the Corps back to the customary full four years of training and academics.

Among the 94 classmates who have passed away since our last Reunion is Bob Woods, our First Captain. Woody was a great football player, and a fine leader of our class. His picture was featured on the cover of Time Magazine as a cadet. He is probably the only graduate who attended both the Naval Academy and West Point. Woody left the Army soon after graduation and had a distinguished civilian career. He played excellently on the trumpet, and at our last Reunion stepped forward just after Taps was played by a member of the Academy Band. Woody declared that was the best rendition of Taps he had ever heard including those he had played himself!

Another great football player who passed away since our last Reunion was Ed Rafalko. He and his wife, Renee, always attended every Reunion. Known as “Rafe” he became a Major General in the Air Force. Rafe played on the team along with Woody when we beat Navy in Baltimore in 1944. We won that game 23 to 7!!

Another, among those who have passed recently, is Hal Moore of Vietnam fame. He achieved the rank of Lieutenant General and was the subject of a movie some years ago presenting the story of his famous battle in Vietnam.

Finally, we should recognize Dick Williams who recently passed away. He served as class Secretary for many years and was instrumental in planning and carrying out our Reunions. His son Mike is here with us and has carried on the tradition of his dad by helping plan and organize this Reunion.

As we read the memorial articles of all deceased classmates, we are filled with admiration for their accomplishments both in the military and in civilian pursuits. All have made great contributions to our country, their families, posterity, and friends. Not a single one deserves less than a full measure of commendation and a hearty “well done, be thou at peace.”

As we pay our final respects to our friends who have joined the long gray line, let us also remember many of their wives and sweethearts who have also left us. And let us include the many widows still living at this time. These dear ladies who “came up in June” and “joined the Army too.” At our last Reunion we saluted our ladies with three cheers. Let us do so once again. Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray! Hip Hip Hurray!

Dear friends, I can assure you, based on my own long-held conviction, that there is a Long Gray Line. We will see our departed classmates on the other side of the veil. “We follow, close order, behind them, where they have pointed the way.” May we live out the rest of our lives doing our best, with God’s help, to “maintain the honor of the Corps untarnished and unsullied . . . .” “Or living, or dying, to honor The Corps and The Corps and The Corps.” “In the name of the Great Friend and Master of all. Amen.”