West Point Society Of Northern Shenandoah

President’s Letter For First Quarter 2003

The WP Society of N. Shenandoah was formed in 1999 from small segments of four states (WV, PA, MD, VA). These four state areas are located in the Harpers Ferry area, which also includes many of our nation’s historic treasures. Prominent among these treasures are battlefields from the Colonial and Civil Was areas. Geographically the area is just east of the Appalachian Mountains and includes the “head” of the Potomac River, which eventually flows past our nation’s capital. Add in a 200 year-old racetrack in Charles Town, WV and you have a very interesting location – and – a highly desirable area for retired military folks. The AOG list of area West Pointers includes 161 Cullum numbers and 24 others!

The year 2003 has brought good news to this new and growing society. For the second consecutive year the society was named a “distinguished society” by the AOG. New cadet appointments to the academy have been arriving on a steady basis, demonstrating a high level of success for the society’s main out reach activity – recruiting! The society’s board of directors continues its practice of regular breakfast meetings to plan new events – and to add to our knowledge of local restaurants!

Founders Day, the first, and most important event of the year for our society was celebrated on Friday, 14 March. This year we were able to attract an academy-sponsored speaker. COL William Held ’67, Professor and Head of the Department of Foreign Languages at USMA provided a lively, and highly appreciated, talk with several well researched references about the Oldest and Youngest grads. “Woody” Held and his wife Sally spent the rest of the evening and the next morning at the home of Ed and Marilyn Kime before leaving to drive to Carlisle Barracks for another Founders Day speech the next night. Our Founders Day dinner was attended by 54 West Pointers and was held at the Wayside Inn - reputed to be the longest, continuously, operating Inn in the US.

Our society has plans for at least three more events this year. We will hold a society dinner event at the Charles Town Races in the late spring as a “kick-off” to the summer period. We will, once again, attend the US Park Service “test” firing of the 4^th of July fireworks display that proceeds, by one week, the annual July 4^th celebration and fireworks display at the Washington Monument. The event, held at Harpers Ferry can be viewed from the surrounding area where we just happen to have a great location that allows us to host a picnic prior to the fireworks display. This has become an annual event for us and we invite graduates from any other areas to join us the week before the 4^th.

Another event scheduled for early fall is a sit-down dinner at the Wayside Inn and a theater event that follows later in the evening. Again, this is becoming an annual event that allows us to enjoy, once again, this charming restaurant.

Ed Kime ’56