Escapees September-October 2023

skpstops

Touring Historic West Point Military Academy Highland Falls, New York West Point Tours, 2107 New South Post Rd, Highland Falls, NY 10928, 845-938-2638, www.westpointtours.com

GUIDELINES FOR SKP STOPS SUBMISSIONS Material for each issue will be selected based on location and the migration of seasonal travel. Submissions of 300 to 500 words are ideal. Due to limited space, submissions will be edited. High-resolution photos are included on a space-available basis. Include the name of the photographer and anyone in the photo. HELPFUL HINTS Share unique and o ff -the-beaten-path RV travel destinations. Keep submissions brief and include only pertinent information. Include the best season to visit the destination. Include information on RV parking and accessibility. Send submissions to Escapees Magazine, 100 Rainbow Drive, Livingston, TX 77351, or to editor@escapees.com. outstanding and famous West Point graduates. Our last stop was the West Point Museum, which opened to the public in 1854. It holds the largest diversi fi ed collection of military arms, fl ags, uniforms, accouterments, paintings and portraiture in the West ern Hemisphere. Joyce Space #61818 Our second stop was Trophy Point, the famous view overlooking the Hudson River. This is home to several cannons and other “trophies” of war going back to the Revolutionary War. Our guide explained several of these as well as some of the history of West Point. Because of this spot overlooking the Hudson River, General George Washington saw West Point as the most important strategic position in America during the American Revolution. In 1779, he established his headquarters there. However, it was not until 1802 that Congress established the United States Military Academy at West Point. It opened on July 4, 1802. One of the many sites pointed out by our guide was Michie Stadium where graduation is held. Graduates throw their hats into the air and do not retrieve them. Children are allowed to go onto the fi eld and get one hat. Inside it they will fi nd a coupon for a free item from a business in town. Graduates are then given their mili tary hat and are commissioned as Second Lieutenants in the Army, ready to serve the required fi ve years active duty and three years reserve duty after their education. After the bus tour, we enjoyed the displays in the visitor center and its scenic view of the Hudson River. There was excellent coverage of life at West Point, from daily to four-year, which focused on academics, military, plus physical and character development for the more than 4,000 cadets who attend. Displays also featured

A visit to West Point has been on my “buck et list” for many years. My husband, Larry, and I fi nally got there in the Fall of 2022. Since it was not a busy time of year, we waited until we got there to buy our bus tour tickets, which can only be purchased on line at least an hour before the scheduled tour. We needed to meet the bus with our ticket QR code either printed or displayed on our phone 15 minutes before the tour was to begin. The bus tour was one-hour-and-15-minutes long with two stops to get out. Our fi rst site when the bus entered the campus was The Thayer Hotel where, in 1981, after 144 days in captivity, the 52 Iranian hostages were brought to meet with their families and to have a few days of respite. The fi rst stop was the Cadet Chapel, built in 1910. There are seven chapels at West Point, but the Protes tant Cadet Chapel is the most impressive. After looking around a bit outside, the guide took us inside and told us about the various stained-glass windows. The fi rst one installed, a 50-foot-tall window involving thousands of pieces of radiant glass from the Willet Studios of Philadelphia, in 1915, is inscribed with West Point’s motto "Duty, Honor, Country.” It graces the front of the chapel. From 1920 until the project was completed in 1976, the Willet’s studio was commissioned to design the side windows which are memorial windows given by graduating classes. They kept the cost of each window fi xed at $300, the cost of the original commission. In the Cadet Chapel we saw the pew that is roped off to honor POW’s and MIA’s. The front pew has silver plates engraved with the names of previous Superin tendents, including Generals MacArthur, Taylor and Westmoreland. The Cadet Chapel organ (obtained in 1911), has been enlarged over the years to 23,500 pipes and 874 indi vidual moving stops which makes it one of the largest church pipe organs in the world. The organist and other artists perform concerts throughout the year. At one time, chapel use was mandatory, however, this ceased after a court case, though, the guide said that over 90% of the cadets go to chapel. The public may attend services at the Cadet Chapel, and many weddings are performed there.

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ESCAPEES Magazine September/October 2023