West Point Military Academy

We wanted to see West Point and where our good friend Bill Shorter grew up just outside the academy in New Windsor/Newburg. It was hard to find a campsite near there, but we found a place in Accord NY so headed there. We had no idea it was in the Catskills and found ourselves driving through darling New Paltz and up through the Minnewaska State preserve. The leaves were still putting on a show and the drive through the Hudson River valley, although at times a bit nerve-wracking, was glorious. We had a tour the next morning of West Point which was very interesting. Heard all the stories of those who had attended, took a tour of the grounds and the cemetery and ended at the Battle Memorial which looks out over the river and showcases the strategic advantages Washington used to drive back the British.

Cool tidbits….There are 5 chapels on the grounds and we were able to go in the non-denominational one. The stain glass windows were crazy and the hymnals all lined up in perfect order were a sight to see. That chapel holds the largest organ in the world with 23, 511 pipes.

Our tour took us through the cemetery and our guide pointed out signficant graves and the history of the cemetery. Civil war heroes, the man who wrote Taps, General Custer, D-day veterans, Vietnam generals, and a graduate who was recruited to organize the Israeli army (and then was shot because he didn’t know the Hebrew password…).

The final stop was the top of the hill which still has part of the chain that Washington’s army somehow got across the Hudson to thwart the British ships as well as some of the cannons and history explaining the protection of the Fort. (Btw…originally named Ft. Arnold but then the name changed after Benedict decided to switch teams!!). The significant Battle Memorial pays tribute to all the WP graduates who fought in the Civil War many of whom ( on both sides) were WP graduates who had been trained by the same professors. The statue is topped by a winged woman whose architect used his mistress as the model. When her husband found out she was the muse, he shot the architect in NYC…

And finally, we found Shorter’s childhood home and drove down the lane to snap a shot. A very cool old home on beautiful land…