you have the tendency to feel They were all eager to show
his nearly thirty years at
small. But, I held my head my dad their West Point rings
Duke and, of course, his three
high walking with my two just distributed the previous
years as USA Basketball’s
escorts – proud and confident week during the Academy’s
National Coach.
by association. I got to hear traditional Ring Weekend
Standing off to the side
them tell each other stories festivities. Several future
with Chris, I felt proud that
and compare the West Point graduates of 2009 gathered in
I wear a West Point ring too,
of the “old grads” like my a circle around the 1969 grad
a miniature of the one Chris
dad with the reportedly more and the show and tell began.
received when he escorted me
lenient West Point of more The cadets proudly showed
to his Ring Weekend six years
recent graduates like Chris. Of my dad their new rings and
earlier. I quietly marveled at
course, if you hear Chris tell it, my dad told them that, even
the commitment of the young
the academic rigors nowadays after 40 years, he still always
men and women who, at 18-
are much more daunting than wears his old one. Many years
years-old, made the decision
Scenic views from the new library terrace at West Point
those of 1960’s West Point. The after graduation and into his
to attend the Academy and
debate went on and on, much career at Duke, my mom had
committed themselves to at
to my delight. his original stone replaced
least five years of service in
We quickly got settled with a deep, unmistakably
the United States Army. Not
into our rooms at the historic Duke-blue one – the same
only that, these cadets made
Thayer Hotel, built in 1926 and stone that is placed in the class
that commitment knowing
named for Sylvanus Thayer, rings of Duke graduates. The
full-well that they would
known as “The Father of West symbolism could not be more
likely serve those years
Point.” After getting changed perfect. Just as the USMA ring
during a time of war and
for the evening, we headed supports that Duke-blue stone,
that they would certainly be
to a dinner where we were West Point has proven to be the
expected to deploy overseas
joined by a group of first class foundation for everything that
to fight for their country. I
(senior year) cadet leaders. he has done in career, including
hadn’t earned my ring, but I
20 DukeBluePlanet.com
20 DukeBluePlanet.com
Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52