USMA Bicentennial

The trip is part of an official exchange visit. More than 190 members of the Ecole Militaire de Saint-Cyr, the French equivalent of West Point, traveled to the academy graduation week where they participated in the graduation parade and attended the June 1 graduation ceremony of the Class of 2002.

West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox Jr., said both visits symbolize the long-standing relationship between our respective academies and nations.

That relationship was evident as throngs of cheering Parisians stood 12 deep to watch the U.S. Corp of Cadets’ Bicentennial Honor Company march past. Cadet 1st Class Jermaine Carroll, Bicentennial Honor Company Commander, said he was amazed at the reception.

"I was thrilled that we were shown so much respect," he said. "They [the French] treated us like celebrities."


	French Defense Minister Michele Alliot-Marie with Cadets 1st Class Abby Rollman, Matt Baringhaus and Superintendent Lt. Gen. William J. Lennox Jr., at the French presidential palace.

In Saturday’s Le Figaro, a prominent French newspaper, Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Marie was quoted as saying "This prestigious school [West Point] will open the parade as a testimony of the friendship that binds France and the United States."

The cadets began their march at the Rond Point, approximately one mile from the location where a lone gunman fired at president Jacques Chirac. The event did not disrupt the parade and those participating were not even aware it had occurred.

The cadets moved along the half-mile route accompanied by the strains of the West Point March, to La Place de la Concorde, where honors were rendered to Chirac.

Lennox said he felt the journey to France was well worth it for both the academies and the countries. "I was so proud of the way our cadets represented the USMA, the Army and America," he said. "They made such a positive impression on the French people."

The Bastille Day parade included cadets from L’Ecole Polytechnique and St. Cyr, mounted Republican Guards, branches of every service including the Foreign Legion, tons of mechanized equipment, 5,000 assorted marchers and approximately 100 military jets and helicopters streaming the red, white and blue of the French flag overhead.

A New York City Fire Department pumper was also part of the parade and became another popular sight for onlookers. Relatives of the firefighters killed Sept. 11, 2001, were invited to France as guests of the Paris Fire Brigade.

This year’s Bastille Day Parade celebrated the Bicentennial of the French Legion of Honor, which was awarded to West Point following WWII in recognition of the contribution of academy graduates in the liberation of France. Two other Bicentennials were also commemorated: the founding of the West Point and St. Cyr Military Academies.

Cadets march at St.-Cyr graduation

POINTER VIEW/ Andrea Hamburger

French Minister of Defense Michele Alliot-Marie reviews the Bicentennial Honor Company during the Triomphe du Bicentenaire ceremony Saturday in Coetquidan, Brittany, France.

WEST POINT (Jul. 26, 2002) - Saturday’s Triomphe du Bicentenaire ceremonies at the French military academy St.-Cyr was a fitting end to the Bicentennial Honor Company’s trip to France.

Amid equestrians, fireworks, spotlights, fountains and bands, the cadets marched in several portions of the evening’s performance marking the graduation of the St.-Cyr class of 2002.

"It was very special to see the National colors and those of the Army and West Point march at the beginning of the ceremony," said Brig. Gen. Daniel Kaufman, dean of the academic board. "The cadets’ performance was superb; and I received nothing but accolades from the French Minister of Defense, the Chief of the General Staff and the Army Chief of Staff. The cadets were simply spectacular."

The cadets’ participation in the Triomphe ceremonies honored the bicentennials of both academies. St.-Cyr cadets marched in the West Point graduation parade May 31.

The Triomphe was the second major public event for the 168-cadet contingent. After an enthusiastic reception by thousands at the July 14 Bastille Day parade, they left Paris and traveled to Normandy to visit various D-Day sites. Stops at Pegasus Bridge, Omaha Beach, Pointe du Hoc, Utah Beach and Ste.-Mere Eglise provided the group with a first-hand view of where history was made.

At Pegasus Bridge, Madame Arlette Gondree-Pritchett, the proprietor of Café Gondree, recounted her recollections of June 6, 1944. The cadets joined her in a toast to the friendship between the United States and France.

Also included in the Normandy portion of the trip was a Taps ceremony and wreath laying at the Normandy American Cemetery and Memorial, where more than 9,000 Americans are interred.

Cadet 1st Class Chris Sanchez, said the ceremony was, "one small way of expressing our gratitude for their sacrifice. While we can never fully express our thanks, our being there and paying our respects meant a lot."

The cadets then went to Brittany where St.-Cyr is located. They also had the opportunity to do some sightseeing at the cities of Rennes, St.-Malo and at Mont St.-Michel. Wherever the cadets traveled, they were warmly greeted by the French public.

"It was a great experience," said Sanchez. "I got the opportunity to learn about a different culture and we successfully accomplished the mission of marching in the Bastille Day and the Triomphe. I would gladly do it again."

USMA celebrates St. Cyr's bicentennial

Cadets march in Bastille Day Parade

Cadets march at St.-Cyr graduation