 Your commentator is Basil Reisdale. West Point establishes a garrison by General George Washington in 1778. Created the United States Military Academy by President Thomas Jefferson in 1802. And remolded in 1817 by Colonel Sylvainus Thayer into the world's outstanding military institution. Today it stands as our nation's pilot light. West Point glows brightly in time of peace and flares forth in flaming, fighting fury in time of war. West Point is commanded by General Francis B. Willoughby, distinguished soldier, able administrator, and a keen judge of human nature. He holds a dual capacity of superintendent of the academy and post commander of the military reservation. In his charge are about 2400 cadets and 2,000 officers and soldiers, strong bodies, clean minds. That is the order of every day. That is the way West Point builds its generals of tomorrow. Physical coordination and condition are first essentials in the training of cadets. To ground them thoroughly in basic combat principles. To teach them fundamental tactics. To harden them so that they will be physically equipped to lead the men they are later to command. Here are America's military leaders of tomorrow. They must be made fit, alert, and ready for the career they have chosen. They must know and know well the soldiers' duties in every branch of military combat. These exercises combine to mold the cadets into fighting foot soldiers who may soon lead their men in battle action. Through smoke, fire, and gases, over obstacles of every sort. Every West Pointer must become master of the business of war, of defense, and of offense. Every cadet is faced with dozens of combat principles. He must fight and he must win. The cadets march into West Point's Great Washington Hall. Here at Scheduled Intervals, an abundance of nourishing food provides the fuel for the men who must constantly undergo vigorous exercise and intensive study. Here too, brain and muscle are being builded. These mechanics class cadets learn the functions of all types of engines used in military combat. Classroom instruction precedes practical training. Out across a river, first run the blitz buggy on a canvas raft, then pump out the water to make the raft buoyant and float across. Under this treatment, the jeep becomes amphibian, but the canvas must be adjusted correctly or all will land in the swim. There is no margin for error at West Point. The cadets learn how to take the bumps on hard and fast cross-country rides. These men must and can take it. Take it sitting down, standing up or in the air. Tough training toughens men. To become professional soldiers, they must study in the field and in the classroom from sun up until long after nightfall. Blackboard charts and model bridges convey vital lessons in the military art and engineering department. Theories on actual battle actions are followed with practical demonstrations. Not only are the cadets taught how to build bridges and demolish them, but road construction, field purification and camouflage are also studied and mastered. Back in the classroom, they take justifiable pride in their accomplishments. Modern war is a war of machines as well as men, and each cadet must know exactly what to expect of these engines under all combat conditions. Practical training includes tank maneuvers, and the cadets learn how to take it. In laboratories, cadets gain vital knowledge of vital concerns. Modern war has proved that air power is fighting power, and West Point in wartime demands that each cadet must have at least 30 hours of air observation to his credit before graduating. The study of aerodynamics includes studies in meteorology, theories of flight, and tests in the link trainer. This miniature of plane never leaves the ground, but the cadet gets most of the sensations of flying, while the alert instructor nearby tells him what to do and if he's doing it. The class in Morse code, dots and dashes, and instruction in the use of the radio beam is an essential part of this training. Steward Field nearby is West Point's own flying field. It is known as the wings of West Point. Again, instruction emulates actual combat action, this time in the air for bombing reconnaissance and fighter tactics. Here, each cadet is assigned a licensed pilot for flight training. The instruction is thorough, for victory in this war and in wars to come will greatly depend on the air strength of a nation. In a control tower, West Point has learned to become the traffic managers of the air. As officers, these cadets must know the duties of every man in the crew of bombers. Must know aerial maneuvers such as flying and battle formations. The link trainer plays an integral part in the development of the flying cadets. In West Point's historic museum, cadets studied the construction of artillery used in fast wars. Cannon and guns of all types that brought strength and power and glory to the armies of years ago. Ancient battle trophies now obsolete and quieted under the battle flags of wars won and ended. Sand table instruction makes military operations a visual gain. Here battle tactics are developed. Then, out to a nearby fort for action, types of new guns are demonstrated, with the cadets doing the actual loading and firing. The problems of the classroom come to life as commanders and troops practice the exercises and execute the battle problems prepared on the sand table. Military tactics used by great strategists are rethought and relived in blackboard diagrams. Then actual field maneuvers take place. Realistic mimic battles, river crossings, defensive river lines, actual fighting performance on land and in the air. There at a West Point permeates and inspires every officer now serving in our mighty United States Army. Thus making all true West Pointers an ideals, fortitude and the will to fight and to win. As each new graduate passes on through West Point's revered portals, heroes of the past and present stand as stirring symbols of courage, figure and strength. General Ulysses S. Grant, General Robert E. Lee, General William T. Sherman, General George Custer, General John J. Pershing, General Douglas MacArthur. When the test comes, West Point is ready to command to give courage, initiative and competence. That is their duty, their honor, their country.