 proudly we hail from New York City where the American stage begins here is another program with a cast of outstanding players and featuring less daily public service time has been made available by the station for your army and your Air Force to bring you this story as proudly we hail the 150th anniversary of West Point our story is entitled Castle on the Hudson a tale of firm tradition and warm nostalgia of men who live the motto beauty honor country our first act curtain will rise in a moment from the towering ramparts on the Hudson hundreds of splendid Army and Air Force officers are graduated each year many of these officers rose from the ranks because qualified enlisted men of the armed forces are eligible for appointment to West Point an opportunity for a distinguished career for those young men with ability and ambition yes today's United States Army and United States Air Force offer much for your future why not check with your local United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station for full details they'll be glad to help you and now with less statement featured as narrator your army and your Air Force present the proudly we hail production Castle on the Hudson many long years before the brave Dutchman came in his tiny ship called the half moon many long years before he touched the island called Manhattan and his countrymen paid for it with the sum of $24 many long generations before he sailed northward up the mighty river called Hudson in his name generations to be reckoned by the rings of tree trunks by the marks and sandstone cliffs the mighty river poured its waters into the sea calm undisturbed it flows down still from the noble Adirondacks past the spurs of the Catskills reflecting the bold mountains on its surface history has flowed here with the river the Dutch came after the Indians with their legends of little men playing at nine pins in the bordering hills the English followed the Dutch sailing up the river to defend the valley in the growing city at its foot against invasion from the north later mad Anthony Wayne smashed through the breastworks at stony point Ports George in Washington looked down in the flowing water major Andre died here and the honor of Benedict Arnold with him still the great river flowed undisturbed still the great river was a pathway of history the soldiers knew the importance of this valley in those days not its palisaded beauty but this simple fact who controls the Hudson Valley controls the colonies controls the United States who controls the Hudson Valley controls a pathway down from Canada to the sea and splits New England from the other states and so they built some forts Clinton and Putnam on a height a table land just south of storm King Mountain and the Western Bank the river turns here flowing eastward a little before changing back toward the south who holds this point of land controls the Hudson Valley the old time generals knew this and built their forts on West Point more than our revolutionary history stems from there today we may say with pride that most of the military leaders in all our wars from 1846 first rank of military knowledge there where the long gray line begins at West Point the long gray line that marches as one man across the plane above the Hudson across the pages of our history the long gray line white cross belts gleaming buttons shining sidearms glistening in the Valley Sun the long gray line that has become a gray stone wall between this nation and her enemies the long gray line that is tradition at West Point that is tradition in the hearts of all Americans in 1783 one Alexander Hamilton received a letter I strongly favor the establishment at West Point of a regiment of artillery for instructing a certain number of young gentlemen in the theory and art of war George Washington on March 16th 1802 the Congress of the United States at the insistence of President Thomas Jefferson provided for a Corps of Engineers to include 10 cadets and ordered the said Corps when so established shall be stationed at West Point in the state of New York and shall constitute a military Academy that is the law passed in 1802 the law upon which rests today's military Academy today a broad road sweeps from the landing at South Dock past the great administration building and all around the post they are road it's called for the slim young man who climbed a muddy pathway from the landing to the plane above one day in 1807 that day in 1807 Sylvainus there came to West Point well sir cadets Sylvainus there reporting sir your papers missed there yes sir I see all in order yeah you'll find your quarters in the long barracks nothing very sumptuous just a mattress but enough for a soldier textbooks will be issued you in the morning after Reveley your uniforms will be made in New York will reach you as soon as possible that is all mr. there thank you sir Sylvainus there fought the driving wind across the plane to the long barracks he fought the wind all went along and far into what should have been the spring Sylvainus there honor student from Dartmouth College found the course of study at West Point in 1807 much easier to overcome than the cold of the Hudson Valley but one year later in 1808 to Sylvainus there this 23rd day of February 1808 this commission as second lieutenant in the Corps of Engineers United States Army this was a young country in 1808 the job of the engineers was outlined by the work of Lieutenant Thayer surveying fortifications in Connecticut inspecting fortifications in Connecticut building fortifications in Massachusetts ordinance officer for the Port of New York until 1812 lieutenant there saw much of the war of 1812 so too much of the bungling the difficulties the squabbles yes squabbles between the few regulars and the many militiamen so possible victories turned into defeats by the errors of untrained officers so almost certain defeats turned into victories by the few officers who had been trained even slightly as he had been at West Point lieutenant there came out of the war of 1812 to request of James Monroe secretary of war may I have permission and the way with all to travel through Europe particularly in France to study methods of military education systems of fortification etc also if possible the acquisition of a library of military texts and maps would be of great value to the development of the military academy permission granted Sylvainus there was brevity the major for his wartime services and he went to Europe where he traveled studied learn acquired the library he spoke of and then in the spring of 1817 major Sylvainus there you will repair to West Point and deliver the enclosed order to Captain Potter you will take command of the post and superintendent of the military academy Captain Potter it's will deliver to you all internal regulations and standing orders jg swift Brigadier General Corps of Engineers on July 28th 1817 major there climbed a long path from the boat landing once more and the hopes of West Point climbed with him he noticed changes as he climbed new buildings new uniforms introduced since he left the points of nine years before he noticed to the tall shambling figure in the blue coat that emerged from headquarters major there spoke first good evening Captain Partridge you are reporting to me yes sir I've brought these audits for you very well let me have them Captain Alden Partridge West Point on receipt of this you will deliver to major Sylvainus there US engineers the command of the post of West Point and the superintendents of the military academy jg swift Brigadier General mess hall is over there to your left major I should be departing on my annual leave in the morning change had come to West Point and progress with it in the person of Sylvainus there here was the beginning the real beginning of the long gray line in that slim young 29 year old major a man with ideas from Sylvainus there came the precepts right in the cadet corps is essential the best possible teachers must be obtained a system of tactical officers officers who will live in barracks with the cadets will be originated in order to instill army tradition in the cadet corps a commandant of cadets will supervise honor and gentlemanly conduct or a tradition of the military service we shall maintain and strengthen that tradition a commandant of cadets and his tactical officers the strengthening of the honor system the best teachers obtainable three basic matters that are still in existence at West Point today began in 1817 by Sylvainus there rightfully called the father of the modern military the foundation was laid in the years just after 1817 foundation of tradition pride and honor it makes the great castle in the Hudson shore a symbol of the nation's strength and more so of the nation's heart the way young Americans spend their youth and train to serve their country in both war and peace there must be more than solemn pride to make them love their work they must be laughed at music mischief and even so at West Point too there's the story the legend and the song of Benny Havens old Benny Havens came to West Point in 1804 to work for the general storekeeper on the post the authorities attention was drawn to him one day when he was caught supplying liquor to cadets Benny was off the post by nightfall but not very far away he stayed around the neighborhood at Highland Falls and in 1812 he did his tour of service for his country in the early 1820s he turned up again and for 12 years was a well-known figure on the post until Sylvainus there dispossessed him once again in 1832 then he opened up his little tavern and many were the legendary nights spent there by Edgar Allan Poe James Whistler and a thousand others whose names are history but whose aching feet were rested on the settle there at Benny Havens there were stories by the hundreds surrounding fabulous Benny in his tavern fabulous Benny whose flip picture is preserved in the offices club at West Point whose legend is prized by every graduate whose famous song is deep in the hearts of all the men who once were part of the long gray line marching on the plane above the Hudson less daemon featured as narrator in the proudly we hail production castle on the Hudson will return in just a moment for the second act and now a word to ambitious patriotic young men of America your United States Army and United States Air Force needs qualified volunteers men with courage and initiative men to tread the pages of tomorrow's history books with the marching step of today's ideals America's strength depends on you what are you doing about it check with your local United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting station today for full details and how you may best serve your country the need is urgent enlist now you are listening to proudly we hail and now we present the second act of castle on the Hudson one thing was truth and sylvanus there knew it no army can be truly efficient unless it recognizes the policy of continuation the banner of the officers core must be passed from hand to hand from generation to generation in 1824 major there watched the graduating class parade but his mind's eye was watching one boy alone Dennis Hart mayan class of 1824 second of the great teachers at West Point Dennis mayan followed there's trail across Europe in the service of the nation in the army but in the meantime tradition sentiment grew even as the gray stone buildings grew at West Point as the great castles rose above the Hudson dominating the river and the valley there's name was legend in that valley that even the best must move on to other fields the room was spread early in 1833 there was leaving one day an old farm wagon bearing an even older farmer grew up outside the superintendent's quarters I orderly saw you driving up we haven't seen you in a long time busy time of year over to butternut falls spring plant and you know what's this you have here yeah that's what I come about Sylvain is there you're going to leave us I am I'm an old man and I'll be going along soon too and I come over here to ask you to let me plant this elm sapling on the post here so that well it can live and grow long after we both gone as a kind of well remembrance of both of us I'll pick the spot for you myself mr. Cronk and you shall have a detail of soldiers to help you plant hold on a minute there this this tree I'll plant myself with my own hands I take the privilege of an old man sir to make this tribute so that you'll know the friendship the whole country around here feels for a great and true man today 119 years later farmer Cronk's tree still stands the largest of a clump of bones in front of quarters 145 and 146 no one knew when Sylvain is there would leave West Point except the man himself no demonstrations leave takings blaring bands for this simple man she's on time tonight gentlemen yes sir more prompt than usual goodbye gentlemen but Colonel we shall meet again sometime no bugles blowing no farewell cheers just a jingle of a bell and the rush of water in the Hudson Valley Twilight Sylvain is there left West Point left it much greater than he found it left it a part of American life forever his best memorial perhaps the sturdy elm tree spreading its branches ever higher with a long gray line marches on the plane above the Hudson Dennis Hart man picked up the torch of knowledge and progress never superintendent he remained the professor always making his lectures recording them in books bending the minds of the young men who sat before him into the channels of military thought but soon his students were busy part of the south where American armies were engaged in the war of 1846 the graduates who fought through Mexico with Winfield Scott and Zachary Taylor numbered in their midst lieutenant O'Brien whose historic guns stand at the stairway of the administration building today Simon drum brought them back to West Point Ulysses S Grant who fought at Chipotle the captain of engineers who became superintendent of West Point in 1852 Robert E. Lee and a thousand others now it was proven by the test of victory in battle there was right the Academy had made its place in American life now Dennis man was working on other boys giving knowledge and skill to them that soon would find terrible use boys with names like Sherman Jackson McClellan Stewart early Mikey on April 12th 1861 battery prepared to fire General Beauregard it's a strange feeling lieutenant Gibbs fire yes sir that first shot against Fort Sumter ordered by Beauregard class of 1838 fired by Gibbs class of 1860 against the fort commanded by Robert Anderson class of 1825 who had been an instructor for Beauregard himself so it was to be for four long bloody years fine soldiers all of them fighting for that in which they believed carrying the tradition of the long gray line on to the battlefields wherever they fought the war did strange things to ratings and promotions and June 11th 1862 Peter Smith Mikey was commissioned first lieutenant of engineers at West Point on January 1st 1865 he received the star of a brevet brigadier general although his permanent rank was still that of first lieutenant and so it was on April 10th 1865 the cannon in the Hudson Valley echoed and re-echoed from crow's nest to breakneck mountain from Storm King to stony point gallant Robert E. Lee had met Ulysses Grant at Appomattox courthouse and who shall say today that those fired by the alma mater more for granted than for Lee salutes pounding down the valley over the gray castle walls where both had served and studied Peter Markey returned to West Point to pick up where Dennis Mayan had left off to become the third great teacher in the line of teachers who are tradition at West Point he named his son for Mayan Dennis Mikey and that young man gave West Point something to what is that object Dennis that's a new kind of ball fella large for baseball what do you do with it you kick it get together some of the other fellas I'll show you how football any game that goes with it well sort of you choose up 11 on a side first you got to learn to kick it like this Dennis talked his father into obtaining permission for class teams that was in 1888 in 1890 the middies from Annapolis came to West Point final score Navy 24 Army zero next year 17 cadets traveled to Annapolis with Dennis Mikey captain of the team final score Army 32 so football came to West Point to take its place in the triumphant tradition Dennis Mikey gave that to the point and gave his life in 1898 on a hill in Cuba when once again the call to war sounded in our land this is a place of names this castle on the Hudson names inscribed in nation's history and on the hearts of plebs and upperclassmen alike the long gray line marches out upon the plane and marches out into the world with duty honor country on its banner place their first by Sylvainus there then by Mayan Mikey all the others all of them learned and loved the old gray walls the silent river flowing down below the forest covered mountains they learned America in this place and many of them fought for us just yesterday their names are legion in the rocks of Italy to heartbreak Ridge and back to the nation's capital brand some about Mark Clark Douglas MacArthur half Arnold Jacob Dvers Carl spots Leslie McNair Jonathan Wainwright Dwight Eisenhower Omar Bradley J. Lotton column James Van Fleet Matthew Richway the long gray line moves out across the plane somewhere a spirit smile must touch the face of him who dreamed at first and planned so well Sylvainus there marked by statue on the post but marked so well by Farmer Cronk still growing tree a symbol surely of the hearts of all who understand the prayer that springs from the hearts of all those boys and gray will find strength and skill to serve their nation well the prayer of the West Point cadet oh god our father our searcher of men's hearts help us to draw near to the insincerity and truth may our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of the eb natural strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretense ever to diminish and courage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong and never to be content with a half truth when the whole can be one and Dallas with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred things of life grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service kindle our hearts and fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer help us to maintain the honor of the core untarnished and unsullied and to show forth in our lives the ideals of West Point and doing our duty to the and to our country all of which we ask in the name of the great friend and master of men our thanks to less Damon for a very stirring portrayal and now ladies and gentlemen we take you to West Point for a word from the present superintendent of the United States Military Academy Major General Frederick a Irving thank you I would also like to thank all the members of the cast for their excellent portrayal of highlights in the history of West Point a history of 150 years of service in our nation's long struggle through peace and war to hold to the ideal of government by the people yes this is the year of our sesquicentennial dedicated to the theme of furthering our national security we at West Point feel that worthy observance of this anniversary is especially appropriate at this time in our nation's history or never has our motto duty on our country been more meaningful and worthy of consideration thank you you have just heard major general Frederick a Irving superintendent of the United States Military Academy at West Point this has been another program on proudly we hail presented transcribed in cooperation with this station by the United States Army and United States Air Force recruiting service this program featured less than this is Kenneth Banghart speaking and inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on proudly we have