"It is cool because this is the first year they let us wear civvies," 1LT Rita Wiley '15 said. "You also get the chance to see people that you've seen around post but didn't know were West Pointers. You just don't know who you will meet here." CPT. Thomas Richardson '11, shared the same sentiment. "We share the same hardships to become Army officers and then the Army sends us out into the world," Richardson said. "But during our time at West Point we've built friendships and the Army tests that by sending us all over the globe. Founder's Day is a chance to rekindle that camaraderie."
The 77th and current Commandant of the U.S. Corps of Cadets, BG Steve Gilland was the guest speaker. Before the event, he floated from group to group introducing himself and reminiscing on shared trials and tribulations at the academy. In his speech, Gilland outlined the million-dollar updates incoming cadets would be experiencing at the USMA. West Pointers shared in laughs as Gilland reported updated and air-conditioned barracks – a luxury that most graduates could only dream of during their stay. "Think about it, it's Founders Day, look around we have graduates from multiple decades," Gilland said. "There are a lot of people that are here and you may not see each other for very long, so this is one of those opportunities, cherish it."
For COL(R) Bill Adams '79 and president West Point Society of the Heart of Texas, the event was a chance to relate to younger graduates. "My favorite thing is meeting the younger guys," Adams said. "As older graduates there is a tendency on our part to talk about the way things were but the corps has always kept its traditional values and West Point still produces a quality product." Although the times have changed West Point has modernized with those changes and represents the society that is out there today and you see that with us being at the forefront of what is required by the rest of society, Adams said. Read More