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                         June 7, 2002

Third time was the charm

Perseverance paid off for West Point graduate

Story and photos by Spc. Nate Jastrzemski
Staff Writer

For many young men and women, attending the United States Military Academy at West Point is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

It is the place of honor, history and excellence in military instruction that is the home of the Long Gray Line, the group of two centuries worth of graduates that young go-getters strive to join -- even if it takes them three tries.

2nd Lt. Scott Patton, who became a member of that group last week, surrendered four years of what could have already been the beginning of his military career to ensure he truly felt "ready" to be a leader of soldiers.

"I come from a military family," he said, "and when I was a sophomore in high school I heard about West Point. I decided I wanted to be an officer in the Army, and it seemed like the best place to start was USMA."

Patton attended Damien High School near his home in Claremont, Calif. and participated in numerous sports, including cross-country, pole-vault, track and field, wrestling, decathlon and several others.

"I did a couple things," he said with a grin.

He also held jobs as a security guard and doing masonry, giving him a hands-on approach to physical labor that he had to overcome during his training to become an officer.

His gold bar has been a long time coming to the 24 year-old, however.

He first application to West Point -- sent while he was still in high school -- never made it past his congressman, who bluntly told Patton he only ever sponsored a few of the best candidates each year.

Not one to give up on his dream of being an Army leader, Patton packed his bags and joined the Kemper Military Junior College in Boonville, Mo.

Half way through his two-year ROTC training, he again sent an application to USMA.

Once again he was denied entry.

Patton kept his eyes forward and completed his second and final year at Kemper, but he wasn’t sure he was ready for the responsibilities of being an officer.

"I really didn’t think I was ready," he recalled. "I knew that as an officer in a combat unit, I’d have to make decisions that could mean life or death for my soldiers.

"I didn’t feel comfortable with my experience to do that -- to make the right decisions in battle."

So he tried once again, and this time he was accepted into USMA.

"The day I was supposed to be commissioned as a second lieutenant, my orders were cut, and while my friends were made officers, I was shipping off to West Point as a brand new cadet."

It took another four years of training for Patton to re-earn his gold bar, but he has no regrets.

"Now I realize that I was more ready than I thought," he said, "but I would have always questioned myself, ‘if I had gone to West Point, would I have been a better officer?’"

He says now that though he’s four years behind his friends -- many of whom will soon be captains -- his extra time spent at USMA was really worth it.

"I’m more mature now and I feel prepared to go out [and do my duty], probably thanks to a lot of the experiences I’ve had here."

Patton’s father Richard, who served as a Specialist 5 during Vietnam, said he is proud of his son, but he also feels a sense of relief and fear.

"I know it’s hard for the cadets here," he said, "but it’s also very hard for the parents. Now I know what my parents went through when I went off hard-charging to Vietnam."

Still, he admits he’s very impressed with his son and all the cadets for what they do here.

"I’ve always told my children that you can do anything you want in life," Richard Patton said, "but it all depends on how much you are willing to sacrifice to accomplish it. Scott made a very tough decision when he left ROTC to come here -- he had to give up being a lieutenant and four years of his career. It was a tremendous sacrifice."

Scott Patton said, "The big joke is that now that I’m out I have to go through Officer Candidate School -- because I have to go through all three. I don’t know if that’s gonna happen," he said with a lopsided smile.

That’s something for him to laugh about as he goes off to his new home at Fort Polk, La., where he will lead Armor units in the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment.