PHIL WALKER’S TRIP REPORT TO CLASS OF 60

Upon arrival most of us went down to the K-2 Orderly Room being manned by Jack Bohman and Gene Witherspoon. It didn’t remotely resemble the old orderly room in the 45^th Division. It had a fully stocked bar and all kinds of things to eat which none of us really needed. At 5 pm we moved to a patio on the beach for the afternoon reception. The class of 1959 had the dominant presence. I guess Jack Bohman and Charlie Johnson with wives had been there since Tuesday. All in all there were about 70 folks at the reception. It was a bit breezy so most of us made trips back to our rooms to get jackets.

Denny Dice 60’ and his wife are the McCunniff’s closest friends in Hilton Head and provided escort service for the TAC and wife. That evening Denny, Joe Stilwell and I took the McCunniff’s to dinner at a very nice Mexican Restaurant which turned out to be owned by Denny – we still had to pay!! I think the honored guests enjoyed the evening dwelling on the “Good Old Days”. We also learned that Nina had been named South Carolina’s Catholic Woman of the year. At the end of the evening the TAC once again told us that the years as a TAC of K-2 were the most rewarding years of his career.

The following day I spent mostly in the Orderly room so I could talk to as many people as possible and read the many things that had been sent in for the occasion. Joe Dahle (61 –ex-60) provided a 173 page hand written diary that he kept during his and our Plebe year. I suggested to Joe that perhaps he spent too much time on the diary and too little on his calculus. You may recall he was turned back because of his math. Joe Stilwell has that book and I suggested that he copy it and sent it to Mike Mierau (60 Company CO) - which was probably why Joe asked to borrow it in the first place.

Both Jim Crabbe and Irv Lerch wrote full page letters to the TAC and both were quite interesting. Jim wrote about his trip to the 202 Club just before graduation. Seems that, upon their return to North Area, he and another K-2 file (I think it was Roger Seymour though Jim did not give us a name) were a bit tipsy and out of uniform as they made a wild dash for the 45^th Division only to run into the TAC. Jim said the TAC followed up his many words of disappointment with “and totally stupid!” In any case Jim’s parents escorted his date from Kansas while he spent 2 days and 10 hours on the area. Jim said he never saw his date again after graduation. I wonder why!

Irv’s was a bit longer and showed more of McCuniff’s soft side. It seems that Irv was under some pressure to resign at the end of Plebe Year because of his collection of demerits and lack of military deportment. He finally wrote his Mother and told her he was coming home. A few days later McCunniff called him up to his office. When Irv walked in he saw his Mother sitting over in the corner of the office. After a lengthy review of his year McCunniff, to Irv’s surprise, told him “There is nothing to fear in failure only in surrender.”

Just before he went before the board, Throckmorton told him – “Mr. Lerch, if the board decides in your favor, you will be the first cadet since George Armstrong Custer to receive so many demerits and be allowed to remain.” We all know that he remained. I suspect, but don’t know, that Irv was probably not a great officer but he is one hell of a nuclear physicist.

The main event Friday night was a banquet at which the history of K-2 and many notable exploits of its members were related first-hand by those who were there. General Art Brown Class of 53, company M-1 and wife Jerry were special guests. General Brown is the senior army retiree on Hilton Head and a former Vice Chief of Staff of the Army

John Chandler, ’49, described the genesis of K-2 and how this “expansion company” won the Bankers Trophy in its first year of existence. They were also called “Truman’s Own” after the President chose K-2 as the best marching unit during a parade in his honor. Art Hester, ’65, assisted by Bob Lowry, ’66, placed the other bookend for the company and described how K-2 went out in a blaze of glory winning both the Superintendents and Bankers Trophies in its last year. But most of the history concerned the intervening years when K-2 earned and cemented its claim as the only Fraternity at West Point, Kappa Dos! Enclosure 1 is an extended summary.

At the dinner Friday night the Stilwells and I were seated with one of the McCunniff’s children. It was a delight to talk to them and to feel their pride in their Father and Mother and West Point. The daughter-in-law told us that Col McCunniff had been very ill over the Christmas holidays and the doctors thought it was pneumonia. The TAC, who is very religious, prayed at a supper meal, asking to be allowed to make it to this special day when all classes of K-2 came together. Obviously he made it. Turns out he had a badly infected gall bladder and successful surgery took care of his illness.

I’m adding some items of interest that others we knew wrote for enclosure in the scrapbook presented to McCunniff at the dinner (Along with the original out-to-lunch box, and the K-2 guideon).

It was a rocky beginning for the rookie TAC. Some great soldiers and leaders came from 57, but it will always be remembered as the class that broke ranks and headed for the barn a bit early during Graduation Parade. It also was the class of K-2’s poet laureate, Jack Hesse, who wrote the Kappa Dos poem. Jack was one of 12 academic star men for the K-2 Class of 57. He wrote the Poem one night with his trusty Waterman fountain pen. The poem that appears in several Howitzers was Jack’s first draft, written in ink – no revisions. To his roommates Carl Waldenmaier and Ed Bodenhammer, Jack Hesse’s poem is really what set K-2 apart from the rest of the great Corps. As cadets, somehow, we managed to put some balance to the system. As a company, statistically speaking, I’m sure we were (still are) not negative to the traditions of Hudson High.

The class of 58 led K-2 to such excellence in drill and ceremonies that the company was selected to represent West Point as the only Corps Company to participate in the internment of the unknown soldiers from WWII and the Korean War at Arlington on Memorial Day 1958. We led the parade to Arlington Cemetery. As you might guess, we were pretty good at parading. I think, in part, because we were tall but not too tall – and perhaps because we realized that good marching got you off the reservation better than good academics. One of our poster photos shows the Company escorting the unknown soldiers from the Capitol Rotunda to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier at Arlington. Those of us who were there do not have fond memories of that event or at least our role in it. After a 5 mile march in very hot and humid late May weather, we were required to stand at present arms for a long time -- a very long time! The veterans could be heard clicking back their M-1 rear sites to hook over their waist plates during this endurance ordeal. Some of us were not that savvy. Then, as the heat and humidity took its toll, the ceremony boiled down to a contest between us and the adjacent Naval Academy company to see who would have fewer men pass out. Most of us believe that the Navy’s navy blue wool did them in more than the cadet grey did us.

Mike Duvall remembered that during the Navy portion of Cow Trip, he and Milt Wofford were the only cadets to ever paint Beat Navy on the flight deck of an Aircraft Carrier, in this case, the Tarawa. Unfortunately, they were also the only two cadets to get caught painting Beat Navy on a carrier and subsequently spent much of Cow year in confinement. Wofford, in jest, chastised the TAC for poor judgment by giving him a 4 month slug – then making him a Cow Corporal and, a year later, the Company Commander. He also spoke of being turned out several times but never missing his shot of scotch with his roommates each evening before supper. They kept their scotch in a Vitalis bottle with a layer of vegetable oil to hide the smell in case an inspector decided to sniff the bottle.

Then Tom Leo, ’59 regaled the group with the exploits of the “moles” who prowled the steam tunnels under West Point after taps on many a dark night. In Tom’s own words - I had the pleasure of being the Head Mole, leading the Moles in the Fall of 1958 and Spring of '59. Our group had a few permanent members – Dan Schrader, Larry Shuck, Reb Bearce, Dewitt Talmadge Monroe, (now deceased, may God have mercy on them) – myself, Rex Rhein and Otie Tibbetts and Joel Spivack ( C-1) were also regulars. We actually started during Beast in the summer of '58. I was First Detail Supply Sgt. for 5th New Cadet Company with a LOT of – in those days ‘relative’ freedom - needed to go to the Post Engineers' compound for something or other. There I accidentally discovered a map of the Steam Tunnels, my curiosity was piqued, I took it back to my room; and after some ‘consultations’ among a bunch of clowns, a few of us started exploring the tunnels at night. We could travel to the 'lost 50's' and into the old gym from as far away as the Powerhouse - as well as all the way up to the Protestant Chapel - which we did one night; Joe (Joel Spivak,'60) played a few bars of "Hail, hail, the gang's all here" on the Chapel organ at midnight. We also hung Reb Bearce by his ankles over the side of the Chapel bell tower so that he could unfurl a ‘Beat South Carolina’ banner which then covered half of the tower. On still another foray into the Cadet Chapel we taped felt pads onto the bell clappers so they were deadened when played.

One night we rolled some of the wheeled cannons off Trophy Point, across the Plain, and then chained them to the rail around the front of the Old Washington Hall - that's why the cannons on display today are now bolted down into concrete. Then we went for the breechblock. The first positioning of the breech block was behind the right rear wheel of the Commandant’s car which was parked in the drive of his residence. The second repository of said purloined breechblock was the bottom shelf of the icebox in the First Regimental Commanders HQ, then Bldg 720 – the ‘BOODLERS’. Try as we might, none of those involved in these escapades can remember the repository of the third removal. On the fourth try said item was carefully placed within a pristine, glass enclosed display case on the third floor of Thayer Hall, – at the intersection of two hallways. The fifth iteration also remains a mystery to us remaining old Moles – again no one can recall the action, to include the ‘resting place’ of said item. Our sixth mission involved the removal of all of the furniture from the OLD Poop Deck, in the OLD Mess Hall. After bringing the furniture down the stairway we set it up again inside the main doors at the entrance to the dining area with the breechblock prominently displayed in the center of the dining table on a dinner plate. The piece’d’ resistance, the seventh, final time that we 'liberated' it was to hang it from the Northeast gargoyle on the Clock tower. The Post Engineer finally used a 'cherry picker' to retrieve it.

Tom’s crew was also responsible for the grave stones announcing scores of our football games during the undefeated 1958 season.

The K-2 class of 60 related the “Great Pants Swipe” caper. When they were plebes and the night before Christmas leave, they surreptitiously removed virtually all of the upperclassmen’s trousers from their rooms and hid them in the barracks sinks. Reveille was a “loose” formation that morning, even by K-2 standards, with only the plebes and company commander in proper uniform, and he only because he had been “pressing” his trousers under his mattress the night before. This is considered by many to be the best trick played by the Plebes on upperclassmen in the history of K-2. Fast forward to January and a Saturday morning inspection. Major McCunniff finally noticed that OK Lewis 59 had no locker door. The following is supposed to have ensued. TAC: Mr. Lewis, where is your locker door? OK: Sir, when the plebes took our trousers just before Christmas, the one who came in here couldn’t open it, so he pulled the door off. TAC: Oh! Enclosure 2 is a full story of the event.

Gene Witherspoon, ’61, related the tale of events surrounding the visit to West Point of a particularly gung ho and gullible ROTC cadet which culminated in the presentation to him of the Otis T Lee award in the K-2 Orderly Room with a plebe honor guard and company staff in full dress gray. This is considered by many to be the best “spoof” played on an outsider in the history of K-2. Enclosure 3 is a full story of the event. A replica of this ultimate “Out to Lunch” award, crafted from a mess hall plate, was produced by its originator, Duane Slater, ’62, and Gene Witherspoon presented it to Tom Leo with appropriate justification. Tom received this award because of his almost tipping the TAC off about the K-2 reunion also being a celebration of his 86^th birthday – not once but twice In each case Denny Dice and Nina came up with a suitable explanation to keep the secret.

Trying to follow the lead of his Company Commander, Milt Wofford, John Heingtes mixed his evening cocktail by straining Mennens aftershave through bread.

Not to be outdone in audacity, the midnight swim of Bob Cooper and Bob Goode, ’62 was recounted. Their mission was to paint a white “62” on a Constitution Island rock which was accomplished, albeit with the “2” backwards because they had to paint upside down, hanging over the rock. Another 62 exploit was Bruce Parson’s “borrowing” OC armbands from two unsuspecting Officers in Charge during his First Class year. He allowed us to return them to the Department of Tactics through Colonel McCunniff who wore both for the rest of the evening at the banquet.

It seems that Bud Hall from 63 was Bruce Parson’s comrade in the OC armband business and actually outdid Bruce by borrowing three armbands. Bruce also relayed that Bud had nerves of steel, although he used a more colorful term. It seems that Bud as a Cow marched up to the poopdeck before a meal and called “Battalions Attention” as if it was his job for the day. He then returned to his table and no one ever questioned his authority (or lack of it) for this caper. And finally, a late input from Gary Coe relayed an account of a losing joust with the Tactical Department. It seems that he and three classmates were playing bridge in the sinks during Call to Quarters and were busted by a roaming OC for this activity. They pulled out the Blue Book and could find no prohibition for such activity so decided to formally B-Ache, submit a “report of explanation” to the Regimental Board. Not only did it not work, but the Regimental Commander decided to compound the felony by writing them up for “disrespect toward formal authority!” And you wondered why cadets sneak around in tunnels during the night.

The reunion program ended with presentation of a tribute book to Colonel McCunniff by Jack Bohman, ’59 who compiled it. The book contains K-2 photos from his time Tactical Officer and letters and mementos from his former charges. Tom McCunniff’s wife Nina, four children and spouses, and five of his ten grandchildren were in attendance Kappa Dos lives as does its motto, Illegitimus non Carborundum!

NOTE: Much of the input in this paper was plagiarized from Gene Witherspoon’s script and the article he prepared for the Assembly.
K-2 from 1946 to 1965

The first cadets to serve in K-2 were from the class of 1947. The last class to enjoy the camaraderie of Kappa Dos was the Class of 1968, some of whom served as Plebes before K-2 was no more.

The war in Europe ended in May of 1945, and in the Pacific in August of that year. The academic program had been pared down to three years during the war. The Tactical Department was being staffed more and more with outstanding officers with extensive combat experience. The tradition of Beast Barracks was in full flourish. The two upper classes were Yearlings and “Firsties”. Recognition for the plebes came during June Week. Plebe Christmas was a welcome respite from hazing. Companies were organized by height, giving rise to the notion of flankers and runts. The Honor System was Zero Tolerance. There were no electives in the academic system and the lower two classes marched to their classrooms. Chapel attendance was mandatory. The Corps Squad football team under Red Blaik won all its games. All cadets participated in intramural sports fall, winter and spring. Summers were devoted to military training at Camp Buckner, Pine Camp, CAMID (I think it means Cadet Midshipman Exercise) and visits to the Army branch schools and training centers. Pilot training was provided for a select few, and horsemanship was voluntary.

After WW II, graduates who had been in combat returned to West Point and made the case that there was more to leadership than close order drill, studies of how battles were fought and the Principles of War. This created another challenge to the leadership of the Military Academy resulting in the establishment of the Military Psychology and Leadership Department.

With World War II over, rumors were heard in the spring of 1946 that the academic program would return to the four-year term. Soon a directive was issued to describe the adjustments necessary among the classes for this purpose. For the plebes struggling to survive until recognition in June week, it was no big deal to shift to being the class of 1949. On the other hand, the class that was to become “Firsties” upon the graduation of the Class of 1946, it was quite another story. Half of those expectant First Classmen would become “Cows”! The Class of 1947 would be the last 3 year class. The waiting for the by-name list of the Class of 1947 (and 1948) was agonizing. Most might think that the top ½ would become “Firsties” and the bottom half juniors. However, some unknown (to me anyway) method was used to make the talent in each class as equal as possible. In fact, twins with very similar accomplishments were split up – one becoming a Firstie and a member of the Class of 1947 and the other a member of the class of 1948. As an example used to prove the success of this division of talent, a member of the class of 1948, Bob Mathis (K-2 1^st Sergeant) became the Vice Chief of Staff of the Air Force. Those chosen to become first classmen were, of course, quiet happy whereas those who went back to the 4 year course were very unhappy and stated their unhappiness by “Cowing” around to show their displeasure. It is my assumption that this was the source of the term Cows for the junior class but can’t verify that. The 1948 Howitzer carried a two-page diatribe about the “injustice. The 1947 Howitzer included 2 x 2 pictures of each former classmate now in the Class of 1948.

Company K-2 came into existence on Reorganization Day, August 1946 when 8 new companies joined the Corps (I-1, K-1, L-1, M-1, I-2, K-2, L-2 and M-2). The first Tactical officer was Colonel Lester Lou Wheeler, a highly decorated veteran from WWII who at his first formation with K-2 announced that today he was Colonel Wheeler but tomorrow he would be Lt Colonel Wheeler. Unlike in 1966, when the end strength of the Corps was increased to equal that of the Naval Academy, the end strength of the Corps remained at 2400 even though there were 8 new companies. Clearly, among other things a large number of cadets had to change companies and since the cadets were put in companies by height it caused a great deal of change in each and every company.

One of Col Wheeler’s first initiatives was to choose one of the lowest ranking cadets in K-2, Hank Emerson (Later to be known as the “Gun Slinger”) to be the K-2 athletic representative. Cadet Emerson was given the mission order to “Win the Bankers Trophy”. Emerson successfully accomplished the mission as K-2 won the Bankers Trophy in its first year of existence. This is an early example of Emerson’s passion for physical fitness. As the Division Commander in Korea he developed a very successful “Pro-Life” PT program which was hallmarked by the ability of his soldiers to run 10 miles. During the out-briefing of an Army IG inspection by LTG Treffery, MG Emerson poked a bit of fun at the portly LTG as he was introducing him by suggesting he could probably use some of his Pro-Life Program himself. LTG Treffery was not amused as he opened his out briefing with the comment – “General, I’m damned glad that your troops can run 10 miles because your damned equipment can’t!”

LTC Wheeler left West Point in 1949 just before graduation. Shortly thereafter, the now Colonel went to Korea and commanded the 5^th Regimental combat Team. Later after promotion to BG, he became the Commanding General of the Alaskan Command. He was replaced as K-2 TAC by Frank B. Clay who was the son of General Lucius Clay of Berlin Airlift fame. He retired as a MG in 1974.

John Chandler 49, who provided most of the information about the early days of K-2, told us that before we where known as the “Only Fraternity at West Point”, K-2 was known as “Harry’s Own”. It seems that the whole Corps paraded for President Truman’s inauguration. As the last few Companies were passing in review, the President was told he was to pick the best marching unit from West Point. As he looked up K-2 was passing the grandstand (Giving an eyes left if you can believe – the whole Corps gave eyes left because of the direction of march and the reviewing stand location.) and he said “Those boys look pretty good”. Thus the decision was made and K-2 got the award. That’s how they became known as “Harry’s Own” which caused as much jealousy then as did the later “Only Fraternity at West Point”.

Beginning with the class of 64, USMA began to shuffle the deck, and effected wholesale reassignment of cadets among different companies after third class year. Who knows, maybe the high jinks of Kappa Dos caused this attempt to “divide and conquer!” Anyway, the cadets from 64 and later classes spent no more than two years in K-2. So, the historical four-year camaraderie of K-2 began to wane with academic year 62/63 until it was finally extinguished in 1965. Bob Lowry, 66 served his first two years in Kappa Dos and was reassigned just prior to its last year. He was around for a year after K-2 deactivation and told about the Corps just after K-2 was no more. As the summer of 1962 came to an end, anxiety was rising among the new cadets in Second New Cadet Company and in Bob Lowry’s words -  We already knew that all of us would be going to one of four companies:  C-1, D-1, I-2 or K-2. And we also knew of the reputations of each of those companies.  I, along with 30 of my company mates, was among the lucky ones who got assigned to Company K-2, known even among the young Class of 1966 as the last of the great fraternities.  During plebe year we occupied the 47^th, 48^th, and 49^th Divisions, and provided plebe support such as laundry and mail delivery to the second regimental staff. Yearling year, Buckner came and went, and we got a new group of Cows as well as a new TAC, Major Bob Cheney of the Signal Corps. We also moved around the corner to occupy the 50^th, 51^st and 52^nd divisions. As Cows, Reorganization Week of 1964 saw the K-2 class reassigned throughout the second regiment, and we were backfilled by 23 of our classmates who collectively became known as the K-2 ZOO. Art Hester who was the last K-2 Company Commander. K-2 won both the Bankers Trophy and Superintendent’s Award that final year.

When Reorganization Week of 1965 rolled around the Corps had a different look to it.  It had four regiments, each with two battalions and three companies in each battalion. K-2 had become Company D-4, USCC. The Corps stopped using FM 22-5A (Cadet Drill) as our marching guide (you all remember “Squads Right” as we formed on the plain) and we started marching in company mass.  At about the same time the orientation of the parade field was changed and the reviewing stand was moved from in front of the Superintendent’s house to its present location on the north east corner of the parade field. Also in our last year there were three details for cadet officers, each lasting about three months.  The final detail is what resulted in our “permanent” cadet rank.  Company D-4, the new designation of K-2, remained in the lost fifties and tried to carry on the tradition but it just wasn’t quite the same. 

K-2 is remembered as a separate “sub-culture” within the Corps. To our classmates, the 23 other companies, we were “Kappa Dos”, the only fraternity at West Point. I do think there was a feeling of being a unique organization in a world that was nourished by uniformity. K-2 exhibited a slightly different life style from our classmates. We were fortunate to have been a part of it, but I doubt that we could explain what we had to today’s Corps.”

THE GREAT PANTS SWIPE

Who can forget Plebe Christmas? On Calls, the upperclassmen would play “I’ll be Home for Christmas” for us and then ask “Where will you be dumb smack?” We did get even!

We believe it all began with a challenge. To the best of our recollection, the Yearlings provided the bait. Supposedly, there was a K-2 tradition of the plebes playing a prank on the upperclassmen on the last day of classes prior to their Christmas leave. Their challenge was, “What were we going to do.” The initial challenges were presented several weeks prior to their leave and continued until we executed.

In the beginning we had no idea what to do. The Yearlings provided no hints of past activities. The Cows and Firsties seemed unduly aloof, as if to convey a feeling of “just try something.” Life as a plebe would have been just perfect had they simply left us alone to suffer silently over the thought of remaining at West Point during the Christmas Holidays. So much for West Point tradition and our supposed growth as plebes. This was character building?

We are not sure exactly how the idea germinated into a plan. The origin may have developed during an afternoon trip to the PX by several of us. At least these trips generated several possible ideas. As the holidays approached, we did realize that we had to do something. So we scheduled a meeting of the K2 plebes who showed enthusiastic support. Joe Robinson, Milt Cooper and Phil Walker had the room, on the same floor as the company officers. Thus it was the Headquarters Element of the Christmas “Pants Swipe”. We cannot remember all who were present. Certainly, Joe, Phil and Milt were there. Mike Mierau recalls he, Scott Brown and Dan Campbell were there too. Our discussion led to many ideas. In the end we settled on an idea of taking all upperclassmen’s trousers from their rooms and sTACking them on benches in the sinks (basement, for the uninitiated). We actually were excited about the idea. It was certainly bold. It certainly presented many risks. We envisioned our continuing servitude and suffering as plebes for the remaining year. Yet, this project made the most sense, and as it ultimately developed, no long-term retribution ensued.

There also were many issues of concern. Not the least of these was “Who was going to take the trousers out of Darrell Erickson’s (Center on the football team and K-2 1SGT) room and who was going to call the minutes in the 45^th Division and face Ed Bodenhamer on his way down the stairs. Just as challenging, who was going to enter Bodenhamer’s and Waldenmaier’s room and who was going to call the minutes in the 46^th Division. To get the ball rolling, Phil Walker volunteered to call the minutes and to handle Erickson’s room. Mike Mierau and Dan Campbell volunteered to take on the Bodenhamer/Waldenmaier room and, the night before the big heist, Joe Stilwell volunteered to call the minutes in the 46^th Division.

Everyone participated even though the plan was not disseminated to the non-planners until the night before. Work was divided between entering rooms, collecting sTACks of trousers in the hallway, and carrying them down to the sinks. It was a perfect plan. Things went very smoothly except for several rooms. One, a room of yearlings, woke up. I don’t know whose room it was, though I think Van Sant was one of the yearlings. Several of our more physical classmates (One was Scotty Brown) gave them the option of being tied and gagged or promising not to give the alarm. We joked about this “successful intimidation” among ourselves for months afterward. Another room was Erickson’s. Having made 3 trips down to the sinks with a load of trousers (where Jere Forbus was in charge of the stacking), Phil was in Erickson’s alcove when he woke up to take a whiz. Luckily for Phil, he rolled under the bed undetected. After Erickson returned, Phil remained there for an hour, fearing the worse, until Erickson went back to sleep. The mission was then completed. In a third room, Tom Leo sat straight up in bed as Joe Stilwell entered his room. Joe froze for what seemed like an eternity until Tom laid back down and then successfully completed his mission.

The next morning, just before taps, the OC (the duty officer of the day) was called to check out K-2’s morning reveille formation. Joe Stilwell recalls calling minutes with the uniform being “whatever you can find”. He also remembers hearing “Who/Where the hell is the minute caller?’ and Where the hell are my trousers?” It turned out to be a near total success. All of the K-2 Plebes stood in formation in great anticipation. Most of us could not suppress our smirks. Only the plebes, one room of yearlings, and Chuck Lee who had pressed his grey trousers under his mattress had trousers – the rest were uniformly dressed with goose bumps and hairy legs. Reveille uniforms included such items as long overcoats (to partially cover bare legs), pajama bottoms under short overcoats, gym shorts, and whatever else was handy to put on. Chuck Lee, the Class of 57 Company Commander made some understated comment, took report, and dismissed the formation. Most upperclassmen disappeared into the barracks calling out to plebes to report on calls and to require assistance sorting out the mess in the sinks.

Then came the dreaded order. Ed Bodenhammer screamed out for all Plebes to remain in place. He then directed a rather lengthy push up session. Between pushups we noticed an audience of I-2, L-2 and M-2 watching and laughing at the K-2 formation. After the pushups Bodenhamer, accompanied by Carl Waldenmaier, began to walk up and down the lines of the formation screaming at each person he faced. Each of us was called all sorts of unspeakable things and each was asked who did this. Each of us, bound by honor, responded in the affirmative. The quest was to determine who specifically had entered their room and taken their trousers. Fortunately the call in their room afterward for the three concerned was cut short by breakfast formation, classes and then departure of the upperclassmen on leave. . It seemed as if we had largely survived extreme retribution. Frank Partlow does remember eating his breakfast cereal with mustard that morning – very tasty.

Fast forward to January and a Saturday morning inspection. Major McCunniff finally noticed that OK Lewis 59 had no locker door. The following is supposed to have ensued. TAC: Mr. Lewis, where is your locker door? OK: Sir, when the plebes took our trousers just before Christmas, the one who came in here couldn’t open it, so he pulled the door off.

All said and done, we had surpassed all past history in prank magnitude, and to our satisfaction, accomplished something of grand importance. As an aside and on the same night, Bob Montgomery was part of a successful conspiracy to rewire the lights in the mess hall, which resulted in the 4^th class light coming on as the first to leave the mess hall – regardless of which switch was thrown.

As Paul Harvey would say “Now for the rest of the story”!

Part of the story remained unknown until last year (2006) when the Kappa Dos History internet talk began. Phil Walker had reported that Ed Bodenhamer was even worse than we had envisioned - carrying his corrective hazing before, during, well after reveille continuing through breakfast until his trousers were returned. Phil e-mailed Ed asking him if he had cooled off over the last 46 years or so.

Ed responded with a lengthy preamble to the question asked. It seems that Jerry Scott (I believe he was the Cadet Battalion Commander) had a Corps-wide book buying business which he offered to sell to Ed Bodenhamer and his roommate Carl Waldenmaier. After due consideration, Ed and Carl decided to go it alone and were quite successful. I’m sure we all remember the mad scurry of guys hitting our rooms trying to buy our books near the end of the semester. Carl and Ed had arranged to have a civilian in USMA supply under the mess hall deliver the books to a dealer in New York City who would pay them several dollars more than they paid for the books

During June Week in 1957, when they were winding their business down for good, LTC Long Tom Rienzi (M-2 Tactical Officer) came upon Carl in the 45^th Division Sinks with about 1,500 or so books that he was sorting and packing.  Long Tom, with his Baseball Bat Swagger Stick held horizontally behind his back while he teetered on his tip toes and rocked back and forth, asked Carl; “What are you doing Mr. Waldenmaier?” Waldenmaier, as cool as a cucumber, replied; “Counting books sir.” Long Tom replied; “Well don’t let me get in your way.” and then he strolled away.

But let’s get back to how the book buying business impacted on the value of Ed’s trousers. Book buying is a cash business, and in order for them to prosper, they had to have a lot of cash on hand.  They sometimes had as much as $2,000 (Recall that was almost a year’s salary for a 2LT) in small bills and quarters, and kept in it their trousers pockets staked in their lockers because they believed that it was safer there than in a desk drawer. So Ed may have had good reason to show such a lack of appreciation for our great Tactical success.

“Now you know - The rest of the story”!

THE OTIS T LEE AWARD

The Class of 1961’s most defining K-2 adventure was really an extension of 59’s OTL tradition as it culminated in a similar presentation. Here is a rundown of the Otis T Lee caper by Gene Witherspoon.

It all started with the arrival of an ROTC cadet from NYU who was at USMA on one of those sleep-over orientation long weekends. I do remember his name but will simply refer to him as NYU. Anyway, he was both gung ho and extremely naïve and gullible, a dangerous combination for someone assigned to be oriented in K-2. The first thing he asked me was, "Is this a TO&E Army Company." When I jokingly told him, "yes, our Armored Personnel Carriers are parked in the motor pool" and he believed me, I knew we had a live one.

Unfortunately for him, he was assigned to room with Bob Eveleth (originally class of 60) and Jim Corcoran, two guys who held no admiration for the gung ho and knew gullible when they saw it! When our NYU cadet lieutenant learned that one of his assigned roommates, Bob Eveleth, was a cadet sergeant, he decided to give Bob special dispensation and not require him to call him “sir.” In short order, Bob and Corky enlisted the entire K-2 plebe class and many others to properly orient their charge. I don't remember all of the events but will relate a few.

I remember our NYU cadet leading the plebes in calisthenics in the stairwells, something he was told was an old K-2 tradition. They loved it, particularly the 8 count push up which he somehow turned into 6 counts. His first morning with us, NYU was allowed to inspect the troops at breakfast formation. At the time Jim Ellis, '62 who would be First Captain the next year was apparently one of the few who hadn't heard about our special guest. Until later informed, he took a dim view of being written up for improperly shined shoes by this ROTC cadet!

After several of these episodes, Academic Instructors were quizzing K-2 files in class as to the latest caper. One evening Tom Sherburne dreamed up a hoax that took considerable teamwork. It involved a fake OC visit to be perpetrated by a cadet in officer's uniform. For our guests, the OC or Officer in Charge is a representative of the Department of TACtics who is on duty for 24 hours with mission of enforcing the rules and regulations of the Corps of Cadets. Unfortunately, all that could be found to clothe this fake OC was a tan uniform and spring was still not in sight. Nevertheless, with captains bars and armor brass on one lapel and infantry on the other (also all that could be found), the "OC" charged into NYU's room to find him in underwear. After being thoroughly chewed out for not being in proper uniform, our ROTC visitor was careful to always remain fully dressed with tie on thereafter. Believe he may have even slept fully dressed. When queried as to why the OC wore tans in the winter, he was told there were two Officers-in-Charge, one for outside and one for inside. This was the Inside OC. He bought it. Then he remembered that this Inside OC wore two different branch insignia. The explanation was that the OC was a combined arms officer and they were recently required to wear the brass of the cooperating branches. Again the bogus explanation satisfied our charge.

The most diabolical scam came near the end of his stay. NYU’s mentors arranged for a fake plebe (really a turnback Cow named Bill Clark who had been moved to a different company if memory serves me) to drive around on calls and then let our NYU man help bang his neck in. Then they used some excuse to depart the room leaving some cookies on a desk and "Plebe" Bill alone with our NYU man. Bill quickly grabbed a cookie and ate it. When Bob and Corky returned they said they thought there had been more cookies on the desk and asked Bill if he had eaten any. Of course, as preplanned, he denied eating any of their cookies. Later, NYU informed them that Bill had indeed pilfered and eaten a cookie. Corky and Bob said that was a serious honor offense (stealing and lying) and Bill would have to be brought before the honor committee which was then duly formed from a group of his K-2 peers, of course. This was the first time that NYU's gung ho demeanor began to waver as he was to be the star witness that might lead to ouster of a West Point cadet. But, after pleading not to understand the intricacies of the Corps, as he called them, he was convinced to testify which led to Bill's "guilty verdict" and immediate "expulsion" from the Corps.

Someone, I believe in 62, then decided that a special award was needed for presentation to our NYU man when he was to finally depart and return down the Hudson. Thus the invention of the Otis T. Lee award named in honor of a fictitious K-2 grad who was supposed to have been killed under valorous conditions in WWII or possibly Korea. (We didn’t know at the time that there was no K-2 until after WWII.) A mess hall plate with special lettering was used which read Otis T. Lee award with emphasis on the OTL. The presentation, shown on our display, was made by me in Full Dress Gray with Plebe honor guard in our Kappa Dos orderly room. Our man relayed that he would "treasure it always" which gave me pause as it would do anyone with a modicum of compassion. Anyway, the presentation photo (with faces blanked out) appeared in the next "Pointer" with simple byline -- "Announcing the Winner of the 1961 Otis T Lee Award."

Later our cadet told Bob and Corky that he was going to try and have the award displayed in the NYU ROTC trophy case. We then learned that the PMS at NYU was a West Point grad which meant the jig would be up once he saw the mess hall plate "award." So Corky or Bob called our visitor and explained the hoax before he went further off the deep end. I've often wondered if he ever made it to the Army and if our "orientation exercises" helped him in later life.

FINAL DISPOSITION OF THE OTIS T LEE AWARD:

Duane Slater in the class of 62 was the manufacturer of the original OTL award, we had him re-create one with materials procured by the 62 folks at their reunion last September. By special request of that class it is my privilege to present this remake of the award to the K-2 file that embodies the most ideals of the original recipient. Bruce Parsons suggested that a certain veteran of K-2 get the award because he exemplifies the ideals of Kappa Dos. I countered that this is the ultimate OTL award and that criteria should prevail. However, Bruce’s nominee has done some things in the past two months that made me come around to his point of view. First, keep in mind that this is a guy who makes his living as a security consultant for industrial plants. We had initially intended to keep this event a secret from Tom McCunniff until the last minute and depend on Nina and the Dices to get him here on some pretense. But, our nominee forgot he was on his email list when he first floated the idea and the location. Of course, Tom McCunniff came on the net offering to help since he lives on Hilton Head. First cat out of the bag! Later as planning proceeded, I got out a tentative attendee list to everyone but Tom McCunniff. It listed him and Nina at the top along with his four children, their spouses and two grandchildren (six would eventually come). Leo also forwarded this to the TAC – thus the final OTIS T LEE award was to Tom Leo.