There are not many members of the West Point Class of 1938 left, but retired Maj. Gen. Neil Van Sickle of Kalispell, Montana, was proud to represent his class at the recent cadet graduation at the U.S. Military Academy in New York.
"Every year at graduation time there are anniversaries of various classes," Van Sickle said. "Usually there are five classes that come in. I, being the only surviving, mobile member of the class of 1938, represented my class. And being the oldest graduate present, I was privileged to take part in a number of ceremonies."
For Van Sickle, 97, the mid-May trip back to his alma mater was not the first time he has represented the oldest class.
Five years ago, Van Sickle took part in his 70th class reunion and had the distinction of being the oldest graduate in attendance.
"It's always a thrill to go back to West Point," he said. "You can always relive the best moments of your cadet chapter. One of the most interesting aspects of my visit to West Point as a representative of the Class of 1938 is that as I thought of all my classmates, I realized that many of them far exceeded, as cadets or officers, anything that I may have done. This task of representing the class was an exercise in humility."