Distinguished Grads Ceremony on May 23, 2006 from Brian McEnany
The sun shone, but the wind swept across the Plain almost like winter time before the Alumni Review began. Many in the class of 1962 came north to support the Distinguished Graduate awards to two of its own - Wayne Downing and Howie Prince. General Richard Trefry, ex-Tactical Officer, company H-2, was also feted at the same time. I will send a list of who was supposed to be present later.
By 1030, the Alumni Classes had formed and the rest of us, milled around in the rear. The band began to play and we marched, rather strolled across the Plain to form up in column of fives in front of Thayer Statue. Two lines of cadets on either side formed the boundaries of the formation. Prayers were said and the West Point Glee Club honored us with The Corps and the Alma Mater. The ceremony completed, we then moved to the area in front of the bleachers and waited for the cadets of the Second Regiment to begin the review. Just after Adjutant’s Call, the formation began emerging from each of the sally ports that front on to the Plain.
The Distinguished Graduates were honored in the reviewing party and the parade began. The cadets did a superb job and each of us felt some measure of pride when the old company came marching by. But, to tell the truth, the Corps has... I find it difficult to watch the “new” Army style formations and not remember how impressive platoons on line and squad drill were. I suppose I must be getting old, but I like the old formations better.
After the pass in review, the members of the class adjourned to different places until the luncheon in Washington Hall. Several of us walked to the new Arvin Gymnasium and had a short tour, including the new 62 fitness rooms. The equipment and space, now extended across the hall into the old boxing rooms, is very impressive. Jim Ellis’s painting that we all signed now hangs in the fitness room. Rubbings from the Vietnam memorial of our classmates who lost their lives in Vietnam hangs next to it. A big 62 CAN DO sign filled one wall. In the new room, the class crest is emblazoned in the center of the floor on the mats. It is a remarkable center. We talked to several of the cadets and instructors. All of them said that the room was the best thing at the Academy. It was used heavily by all classes and officers many having to wait in line to use the equipment on some days. We did well by building this for the Academy. It was well worth the effort and time to get it up and running. Much of the equipment has now been replaced and it makes Bally’s and Gold Gym look cheap!
The luncheon was lengthy in Washington Hall. Ted Stroup, the chairman of the AOG was the master of ceremonies. The official award to the Distinguished Graduates were made. The food was quite good, a far cry from the heated hotdogs of past reunions.
Subsequent to the luncheon, the AOG hosted a reception for the distinguished graduates at the West Point Club. We gathered again to toast General Trefry, Wayne and Howie before finally rolling out the door around 3:30 to visit the Counter-Terrorism Center, located in the old Batchelor Officer building, next to Cullum Hall. There, LTC Felter, the director was kind enough to tell us about the center and all the good work being done there. Wayne Downing joined the group and we had an interesting discussion was about an hour. The center is privately funded and needs to have a continuing source of money. It will need assistance in the future to keep the quality products flowing. Wayne is its distinguished chairmen, of course.
By 4:30 we were all tired and needed to refresh ourselves prior to the evenings dinner.
Company H-2 dinner for General Trefry and General Wayne Downing held at the Officers Club, West Point on the evening of 23 May, 2006.
The members of Company H-2 decided to hold a separate dinner for two of its members - LTG Trefry, its old tactical officer and Wayne Downing. There was a great turnout from the Classes of 1961, 1962 and 1963 with one or two from 1965 added for effect. The classes that had been mentored, quilled, and advised by then Captain Richard Trefry, gathered for the evening at the West Point Club. The H-2 guidon was present, stuck in a bucket of ice - a vivid reminder of beer consumed in other years. It was an evening filled with merriment and made more memorable by ex-cadets talking back to their Tac. Although most of the evening concentrated on General Trefry, Wayne Downing was not left out in the cold.
62-ers present in force from H-2 were Brian McEnany, Ralph Burr, Charlie Murray, Jim Heldman, Tom Murray, Ed Pabich, Don Kauer, Dick Stephenson, Charlie Shaw, Denny Benchoff and Dick Helmuth.
Charlie Shaw and Tom Murray presented General Trefry with a citation and a box marked Metostopheles. Tom read a citation which described an event that took place in 1959, citing the Tref for actions above and beyond the call of duty - General Trefry denied that he screamed upon opening the box that morning. The room orderly (Charlie) received 5 demerits for “keeping a dangerous animal in room.”
There were many allusions to trips over the wall from the Lost Fifties, as well as General Trefry’s reasons for moving the entire company into the 50th Division under his office during his second year as a Tac. In particular, Wayne Downing was cited by numerous people for his part in regular forays - events to which he only admitted that “ you need to make sure to get your facts straight!” During his final comments, Wayne stated that the reason for separating Tom Murray and he was due to the fact that they looked alike and he was continually being reprimanded for things that Tom actually did < if you believe that, I have a bridge in Brooklyn, that I can sell you cheap!>
Tref finally had the opportunity to counter the evenings comments. He gave us an inside view of his initial arrival at West Point, pointing out that he had been given the worst company in the Corps, one that had seen three Tacs in four years. He was not optimistic about his chances, but at the first meeting in the sinks, merely stated to all of us that, “There are 119 of you and only one of me - Guess who will win?” He made a number of comments on other subjects that are best left to others to describe.
There were so many stories that I noticed several at the table around me that were repeatedly wiping their eyes from laughing so hard. The meal was good and we enjoyed ourselves until well after 930 PM when the gathering finally broke up
BF Miller from ‘63 was the master of ceremonies which included many humorous stories both before and during the event. The Class of 1963 also presented Tref with various pictures and Dick Scharf and Frank Lennon did the honors. BF Miller suggested that his selection as the Army’s inspector General may have been in error as his observatory powers were somewhat lacking. Miller’s dress gray coat was actually lined with red silk for much of his cadet years and never been observed hung in his locker by the Tref. This was further attested to by Dave Teal (61) and JB Taylor (’61)who, when Tref asked why a ladies pair of high heeled shoes was lined up for inspection under their bunks, told him that they had been there for a month already.
Class of 63 attendees - BF Miller, Don Dusenbury, Karl Schwartz, Dick Scharf, Frank Lennon, Wolf Fletter and Herb Ellis.
Class of 61 attendees - Bren Battle, JB Taylor, Dave Teal