USMA IN THE NEWS
Surprisingly close, wonderfully scenic and incredibly interesting, the United States Military Academy at West Point, N.Y., is arguably one of the best road-trip destinations for South Jersey residents.
Only 50 miles north of New York City in the heart of the Hudson River Valley, the 202-year-old complex, which draws about 700,000 visitors annually, is primarily a 4,000-student college whose alumni include Gens. Robert E. Lee, George Patton, Douglas MacArthur and Dwight Eisenhower as well as 40 percent of all current Army officers.
But it's also a historical site boasting a variety of military monuments and great period architecture, as well as the nation's oldest federal military museum.
Although the academy was chartered in 1802, the site dates back to the American Revolution, when George Washington established "Fortress West Point' as a garrison against British warships determined to use the Hudson to cut off New England from New York and the other colonies.
Its location at a point on the west bank where the Hudson zigzags through the Adirondack Mountains was strategically advantageous for the Continental Army, for at that point the river is most difficult to navigate.
Among those who figure in West Point's pre-history was legendary traitor Benedict Arnold, who effected his escape from his military pursuers on a barge docked on the east bank of the Hudson.
The terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001 put an end to self-guided tours and unfettered civilian access to the 3,000-acre campus. But one-hour guided tours, which board at the visitors center adjacent to the academy, are conducted daily. The Visitors Center and Museum complex is open to all, whether they've taken the tour. But there's no reason not to ride the bus.
As the coach winds its way around the campus, tour guides provide a running commentary full of historical facts and footnotes.
For instance, guide Catherine Gonick recently told her group about MacArthur 's struggle with what would now be diagnosed as dyslexia and how, prior to 1973, when weekly chapel attendance was mandatory, gentile cadets would go to Friday night Jewish services in order to have their Sundays free.
There are two stops along the route: The first is the Cadet Chapel, a magnificent, 1,500-seat Gothic temple ringed with stained glass windows created by the Philadelphia-based Willet Studios and housing the world's largest standing church pipe organ. The other stop is a brief walking tour that takes in The Plains, a wide expanse of lawn that serves as the campus' quad, and Trophy Point, which includes a collection of cannons from various American wars.
The bus tour also provides visitors with dramatic and unforgettable views of the Hudson and its surrounding landscapes. And if you can make the 11:30 a.m. tour, you'll witness the cadets' lunchtime formation as they head to the dining hall.
"It's very impressive,' said Tim Irvin, 62, a retired human resources professional from Fairport, N.Y.
He said he especially appreciated "the historical significance of the place. I gained a little better insight on how Arnold escaped.'
Although he found the scenery beautiful, Shiro Horiuchi, 56, an associate professor of statistics at Manhattan's Rockefeller University, expressed disappointment at the tour's brevity and visitors' lack of access to the students and their daily regimen.
"I would have paid more for a longer tour,' he said. "I (wanted) to get a little more idea of the training and the college life.'
On the other hand, it's easy to spend several hours at the West Point Museum, which is housed inside what was once a Catholic women's college.
It contains between 55,000 and 60,000 artifacts, less than 2,000 of which are on display at any given time.
While the main focus of the repository is America's military history, the displays aren't exclusively devoted to the topic. One of the larger exhibits is the History of Warfare Gallery, which tracks the evolution of geo-political battle from ancient Egypt to the 1991 Gulf War.
Other historical exhibits are devoted to this nation's wars, the Army and the academy. Two other galleries contain collections of large and small weaponry.
Among the fascinating individual items on view are a gold-plated pistol owned by Adolf Hitler, a sword that belonged to Napoleon, a World War I-vintage tank and the casing from the atomic bomb dropped on Nagasaki, Japan, in August 1945.
"It's a wonderful place to study the chronology of our military history,' said Mike Moss, the museum's director. He pointed out that while the building is open to the public, "It has been laid out as an academic museum. We're here to support the corps of cadets.'
Moss is particularly proud of the History of U.S. Army Gallery, which surveys the branch's contributions to technology and the national infrastructure during various peacetime intervals.
"It tells the role the Army played in the development of the nation, the physical boundaries, the space projects, aviation, the Panama Canal . . .' he said.
"It's very interesting and educational,' said Clara Prutzman, 77, of Tucson, Ariz. "It brings back what you learned in school. It shows you what happened and is still happening in America.'
As far as John F. McCarthy, an 82-year-old retired Air Force lieutenant colonel from Weymouth, Mass., is concerned, "All the exhibits are a source of interest.
"I'd recommend it to everyone,' he said, "but especially young people because it will open their eyes to things they don't normally see.'
Reach Chuck Darrow at (856) 486-2442 or cdarrow@courierpostonline.com
IF YOU GO
The United States Military Academy is in West Point, N.Y. To get there, take the New Jersey Turnpike north to the Garden State Parkway north (exit 11). When the parkway intersects the New York Throughway, take Interstate 87 south. Take exit 13N onto the Palisades Interstate Parkway north. At the Bear Mountain traffic circle follow signs for Route 9W north (third exit off traffic circle). Take the first West Point-Highland Falls exit to the Visitor's Center and Museum on the right.
Guided tours are conducted from 9:45 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and from 11 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $8, $5 for children ages 2 to 11. Call (845) 446-4724. The West Point Museum is open from 10:30 a.m. to 4:15 p.m. daily. Call (845) 938-2638. www.usma.edu -- West Point