Here's another great poem from John Vanston, this time about our reunion.
Every five years our Class gathers,
To celebrate days of yore;
To meet with friends and classmates
And remember what went before.
This year’s Class Reunion
With a Reception did begin.
We enjoyed a Buffet Dinner
At the Woodcliff Lake Hilton Inn.
Sixty-Seven Classmates attended -
Ten percent of those who graduated.
Twice as many guests were there.
To take part as we celebrated.
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Monday began at the Old Cadet Chapel,
Where we honored those now gone.
We swore that they will be remembered
By we who carry on.
At the luncheon after services
The Hell Cats martial music played.
The drums and fifes and bugles
Melted many a hearing aid.
Later, the Sup brought us up to date
On happenings at the place.
There’ve been many changes in society,
And the Point has moved to keep apace.
There is now much more emphasis
On basic military skills;
More time on strategy and tactics,
And less on routine drills.
Diversity is a firm commitment,
More involvement with our allies.
The aim is to assist West Point cadets
To see things in other people’s eyes.
Although the Honor Code still remains
Essentially intact.
The stress is now on understanding
The significance of an act.
The Sup next told us that West Point
Has made a treaty with New York.
Surely, this agreement will assist cadets
The Big Apple’s bubbles to uncork.
The Dean then explained
How the curricula has been changed.
To allow cadets to concentrate their efforts,
Selection of Majors has been arranged.
Since Cadets now choose branches
At the start of their Firsty Year,
They can now select subjects
That will support their branch career.
In closing out the luncheon
The Sup made one solemn promise clear.
Army is going to beat the Navy
In football this coming year.
After all of these presentations
We returned to Woodcliff Lake.
There we discussed the Class’s business,
And future paths that we would take.
Bill compared the Class’s record
With that on which the “stars did fall.”
In terms of stars, medals, and presidents,
Our Class stands just as tall.
In the next step of the meeting
Class officers were elected.
All current officers were returned.
They’ve done great jobs, as we expected.
When Bill was congratulated on Reunion planning,
He gave great credit to his crew.
Sharing accolades with their colleagues
Is what great leaders always do.
Afterwards, Dr. Pulleyblank,
Our Chair of Advanced Technology,
Described the accomplishments of the group,
Including the new major in Cryptology.
A host of battalion parties
Finished up the exciting day.
We shared a surfeit of stories,
As we enjoyed a great buffet.
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On Tuesday we met at Bartlett Hall,
Then, marched to the monument for Thayer.
A wreath was placed at the statue’s feet,
As we offered a silent prayer.
We then sang our off-key version
Of The Corps, The Corps, The Corps,
Fortunately, the Glee Club was there
To make sure the song would soar.
We then walked to the reviewing stand,
And much to our delight,
Each passing formation saluted us
As the cadets performed Eyes Right.
As the Corps of Cadets marched by us,
On this most memorable occasion,
We noted that at least a third of the leaders
Were of the feminine persuasion.
At our Reunion Review in Fifty
Al Romaneski has computed,
It was the Class of Eighteen-Eighty-Five
Whose Sixty-Fifth Reunion we saluted.
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After the parade was over
To Washington Hall we moved.
Again we tasted West Point food.
It seemed the meals have been improved.
A clean-cut Firsty sat at each table
To bring us up to date.
They told us of how things really are now,
And got the stories straight.
Two years ago a decrease in funding
Caused savings to be asserted.
Table cloths are now gone for good
And desserts have been diverted.
From the top of the familiar Poop Deck,
New Distinguished Grads were named.
They all deserved the honor, but no Class can match
The eight that our Class has claimed.
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The new Library caught all our eyes.
It’s stylish, modern, sleek.
It contains all the facts and knowledge
That anyone might seek.
In this Library Joe Buccolo has deposited
The Class’s glorious history.
It’s there on the collection shelves
For everyone to see.
The Reunion ended with a Dinner/Dance,
A last chance to reminisce.
To remember all the fun times
And the friends we daily miss.
As we visited our Alma Mater,
We noted changes in the game.
But, in truth, the West Point aura
Remains about the same.
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In five more years we classmates
Will well into our nineties be.
So the question of a Seventieth Reunion
Remains a mystery.
But I, hereby, make a projection
That I’m convinced will be quite sound.
“There will definitely be Reunions,
As long as Bill and Win are still around.”
So everyone should make sure
He keeps his hat and tie and Cane.
We’ll need them in Twenty-twenty
When we plan to meet again.
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In defining the West Point essence
Integrity is, without doubt, the key.
It is an ideal we must always live by,
As I’m sure we all agree.
And when our course on earth is run,
And they’re adding up the score,
We trust that each of our experiences
Will bring honor to the Corps.
John Vanston
June 2015
Class of 1950