The decision to attend West Point which subsequently led to me serving for 27 years was driven by my desire to be the best version of myself. It led me to apply to West Point, Princeton, and Georgia Tech. I was accepted at West Point and Georgia Tech and abandoned the application to Princeton once West Point had accepted me. Ultimately I thought West Point would help me continue to grow as a leader and well-rounded person. I was right.
Precursor Experiences
As a youth, I attended Nativity Elementary School where I played almost every sport with great enthusiasm and limited skill. Football, baseball, soccer, basketball, golf (left handed/cross handed), and tennis were all played and enjoyed. I was not the first person picked on a team nor the last but somewhere in the anonymous middle. Later in life, I would add bowling, racquetball, squash, flicker ball, volleyball, team Frisbee and even a little rugby to my sporting with similar enthusiasm and skill. I would never describe myself as an athlete. I would admit to be athletic over a long period of time so that ever so slowly, my body adapted to physical stress. I grew in confidence in my ability to perform physical tasks in a wide range of environments. I continue to enjoy a physically active lifestyle with enjoyment of hiking, running, and camping as common activities.
I joined the Boy Scouts during this time which I immensely enjoyed. Camping, hiking, and being outside in bad weather became second nature to me. I was able to attend the 1976 National Jamboree where I met Burl Ives as well as hike Philmont where I met my first bear up close and personal. I learned a good bit about leadership along the way and became an eagle scout. I would later be nominated the American Legion as Georgia’s Eagle Scout of the Year and came in 2nd.
Camp Strachan
I attended Benedictine Military High School (BC) where the academics were excellent and I learned to tie a tie, wear uniforms, march, and shine shoes. I joined a number of clubs and was a member of the drill team. During my senior year, the drill team was nationally ranked and proved to be a less travelled path to a BC athletic jacket. I came in 3rd in an individual state competition much to the surprise of my teammates and myself. You can watch a video of the drill team if you are so inclined to watch teenagers throw M1903 Springfield rifles at each other. I was center of the middle column.
During my senior year, a number of events provided new opportunities. BC moved to a whole person evaluation system for military rank and I ended up being a battalion executive officer. It created additional leadership opportunities for me to develop. The American Legion picked me to attend Boy’s State based on my scouting experiences which lead to me picking up some nascent legislative and political skills along with my BC classmate Paul Murphy.
The cumulative effect was I was competitive for an appointment for the service academies and well-prepared. Senator Sam Nunn interviewed me and provided me an alternate nomination. Representative Bo Ginn who represented Georgia’s 1st congressional district provided me a primary nomination.
It is an interesting aside as to how my interview went. The interviewing committee included the commanding general of the 24th Infantry Division (Major General (Retired) James Francis Cochran III). He asked a trick question – where would I lead a infantry platoon in combat. The answer depends on context which was not provided. I answered I would lead from the front and by example. He destroyed that answer succinctly. I did not let him move on but instead immediately launched into answering the question with a response of leading from the rear. He destroyed that answer in equally brutal fashion although there was some laughter from the other members of the committee. I again would not let him move on answered defending the position of leading from the middle. Now, everyone was laughing at me including the General. I suspect the other candidates did not persist and that is why I received a primary nomination.
Later in life, I would be the graduation speaker for my high school.
You can explore subsequent chapters in my military career through the military submenu system. The next chapter is West Point and Beginnings.