In 1609 Henry Hudson sailed a mighty body of water, which would later be called the Hudson
River. During his journey, he discovered the breathtaking beauty of the countryside and the
potential tactical value of the area. Henry Hudson was of Netherlands origin; thus, long ago, he
brought our national colors to the banks of your present location. You may be interested to
learn that Bernard Romans, who build the foundation for the first fortifications on Constitution
Island, also traced his heritage to the Netherlands. In this way, the militaries of our great nations
have been related for quite a long time.
Now we celebrate together with you the anniversary of the founding of West Point in 1802. We
are aware that many important military and other leaders graduated from your Academy.
Especially now, in the aftermath of the watershed events of 11 September, we affirm that it is of
crucial importance to train and educate professional military leaders for an uncertain future.
You lead the way in developing those future leaders, and I hope that we can continue our
mutually beneficial cooperation not only for the next two hundred years but also for the next
four hundred years.
I have been informed that some key officers of my army and cadets will visit West Point in
April 2002 to pay tribute to your celebration. I am honored to commemorate the Bicentennial
Anniversary of West Point.
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