 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 this 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 lived 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 and listed 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 Cascals 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. Once 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 crank of military knowledge there where the Long Gray Line begins at West Point, the Long Gray Line controls us one man across the plain above the Hudson, across the pages of our history. The Long Gray Line, white cross belts gleaming, buttons shining, side arms 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. I have 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 ten cadets and ordered. The said corps, when so established, shall be stationed at West Point in the state of New York to institute 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. Thayer Road, it's called, for the slim young man who climbed a muddy pathway from the landing to the plain above, one day in 1807. That day in 1807, Sylvainus Thayer came to West Point. Well, well, sir? Can that Sylvainus Thayer reporting, sir? And your paper is missed there? Yes, sir. I see. Well, all in order. 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 Rebelly. Your uniforms will be made in New York. It will reach you as soon as possible. That is all, Mr. Thayer. Thank you, sir. Sylvainus Thayer fought the driving wind across the plain to the long barracks. He fought the wind all winter long and far into what should have been the spring. Sylvainus Thayer, 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 Thayer, 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, ordnance officer for the Port of New York until 1812. Lieutenant Thayer saw much of the war of 18012, saw too much of the bungling, the difficulties, the squabbles, yes, squabbles, between the few regulars and the many militiamen, saw possible victories turned into defeats by the errors of untrained officers, saw almost certain defeats turned into victories by the few officers who had been trained, even slightly as he had been at West Point. Lieutenant Thayer came out of the war of 1812 to request of James Monroe, Secretary of War May I have permission and the wherewithal 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 Thayer was breveted a major for his wartime services and he went to Europe where he traveled, studied, learned, acquired the library he spoke of. And then in the spring of 1817 Major Sylvainus Thayer you will repair to West Point and deliver the enclosed order to Captain Partridge and you will take command of the post and superintendent of the military academy. Captain Partridge will deliver to you all internal regulations and standing orders. Peggy Swift, Brigadier General Corps of Engineers On July 28, 1817 Major Thayer climbed the 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 too the tall shambling figure in the blue coat that emerged from headquarters. Major Thayer spoke first. Good evening Captain Partridge. You are reporting to me? Yes sir. I brought these orders for you. Very well. Let me have them. Captain Alden Partridge West Point. On receipt of this you will deliver to Major Sylvainus Thayer U.S. engineers the command of the post of West Point and the superintendent of the military academy. J.G. Swift, Brigadier General. Mess hall is over there to your left Major. I shall be departing on my annual leave in the morning. Change had come to West Point and progress with it in the person of Sylvainus Thayer. Here was the beginning the real beginning of the long day line. In that slim young twenty nine year old Major a man with ideas. From Sylvainus Thayer 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 are a tradition of the military service. We shall maintain and strengthen that tradition. The 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 Thayer rightfully called the father of the modern military academy. The foundation was laid in the years just after 1817 the foundation of tradition pride and honor that makes the great castle on the Hudson shore a symbol of the nation's strength and more so of the nation's heart. But where 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 there must be laughter, music, mischief and even so at West Point too. There's the story the legend and the song of Denny Havens fill your glasses, fellows and stand up in a row through singing sentimentality we're going far to go Old Denny Havens came to West Point in 1804 to work for the general storekeeper on the post the authority's attention was drawn to him one day when he was caught supplying liquor to cadets Denny 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 knights 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 Denny Havens there were stories by the hundreds surrounding fabulous Denny in his tavern fabulous Denny 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 grey line marching on the plane above the Hudson Less Damon 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 Sylvainas Thayer knew it No army can be truly efficient unless it recognizes the policy of continuation the banner of the officer's corps must be passed from hand to hand from generation to generation In 1824 Major Thayer watched the graduating class parade that his mind's eye was watching one boy alone Dennis Hart Mayen Class of 1824 second of the great teachers at West Point Dennis Mayen followed Thayer's trail across Europe in the service of the nation and the army In the meantime, tradition, sentiment grew even as the grey stone buildings grew at West Point as the grey castles rose above the Hudson dominating the river and the valley Thayer's name was legend in that valley but even the best must move on to other fields the room was spread early in 1833 Thayer was leaving one day an old farm wagon bearing an even older farmer grew up outside the superintendent's quarters I oughtily saw you driving up We haven't seen you in a long time Well, busy time of year over to Butternut Falls Spring Planting, you know What's this you have here? That's what I come about So when it's there you're going to leave us I'm an old man and I'll be going along soon too 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 it Hold on a minute, Thayer 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 Elms in front of quarters 145 and 146 No one knew when Sylvainus Thayer 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 Can't buy the castle Goodbye, gentlemen Colonel, we shall meet again sometime No doubt, lines all clear, sir No bugles blowing No farewell cheers Just the jingle of a bell and the rush of water in a Hudson Valley twilight Sylvainus Thayer 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 the long gray line marches on the plain above the Hudson Dennis Hart Mayen 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 fought in 1946 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, who 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 and the place in American life Now Dennis Mayen was working on with 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 12, 1861 Battery prepared to fire General Boregon It's a strange feeling, Lieutenant Gipps Fire! Yes, sir That first shot against Fort Sumter Ordered by Boregon, class of 1838 Fired by Gipps, class of 1860 Against the fort commanded by Robert Anderson, class of 1825 who had been an instructor for Boregon 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 onto the battlefields wherever they fought The war did strange things to ratings and promotions On June 11, 1862 Peter Smith, Mikey was commissioned First Lieutenant of Engineers at West Point On January 1, 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 10, 1865 The cannon in the Hudson Valley echoed and re-echoed from Crow's Nest From Storm King to Stony Point Gallant Robert E. Lee had met Ulysses Grant at Appomattox Courthouse And who shall say today that those flutes were fired by the Alma Mater more for Grant than for Lee Salutes pounding down the valley over the gray castle walls where both had served and studied Peter, Mikey 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, too And what is that object, Dennis? That's a new kind of ball, fella It's 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 the side and you gotta 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, 0 Next year, 17 cadets traveled to Annapolis with Dennis, Mikey, captain of the team Final score? Navy, 16 Army, 32 So football came to West Point to take its place in the triumphant tradition and gave its life in 1898 on a Helen Cuba when once again the call to war sounded in our land This is a place of names, this castle on the Hudson of names inscribed in the nation's history and on the hearts of plebs and upperclassmen alike A long grey line marches out upon the plain and marches out into the world with duty on a country on its banner Place there first by Sylvainus there and by man, Mikey, all the others All of them learned and loved the old grey 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 from the rocks of Italy to Heartbreak Ridge and back to the nation's capital Mark Clark, Douglas MacArthur Hap Arnold, Jacob Devers Carl Spatz, Leslie McNair Jonathan Wainwright, Dwight Eisenhower Oma Bratnick, J. Lawton Cullum James Van Fleet, Matthew Ridgway A long grey line moves out across the plain Somewhere a spirit's 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's still-growing tree Assemble surely of the hearts of all who understand the prayer that springs from the hearts of all those boys and grey who will find strength and skill to serve their nation well the prayer of the West Point Cadet O God our Father Thou searcher of men's hearts Help us to draw near to thee in sincerity and truth May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of thee be natural Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretense ever to diminish Encourage 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 won Endow us 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 in 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 in doing our duty to thee and to our country All of which we ask in the name of the great friend and master of men Amen 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 for 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 for the United States Army and United States Air Force Recruiting Service This program featured Les Damon This is Kenneth Banghart speaking and inviting you to tune in this same station next week for another interesting story on Proudly We Hate