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The Memorial Room in the Cullum Hall
cadets and cadets of other religions. The West Point Cemetery is large, but very moving. Des- ignated as a military cemetery in 1817, it con- tains the remains of West Point graduates who wish to be buried there. Among its famous ‘resi- dents’ are Lt Col George Custer, General Wil- liam Westmoreland, General Norman Schwarz- kopf, Col Sylvanus Thayer (Father of the Military Academy), First-Lieutenant Laura Walker (the first female graduate to fall in action, in Afghani- stan in 2005) and Margaret Corbin (Heroine of the American Revolution at the Defence of Fort Washington in 1776).
There is a very poignant and moving Memorial Room in the Cullum Hall. The Memorial Room was dedicated in 2014 and contains individual plaques with the names of all West Point gradu-
ates killed in time of war since 1812. Interestingly, it was decided not to include Confederate West Point graduates who died during the American Civil War of 1861 – 1865. It is felt that by sup- porting the Confederacy against the Union, they had reneged on their oath to the Constitution and to the United States.
Sporting facilities include a boxing hall, a combat water survival swim laboratory (where instruc- tors can incorporate conditions including waves, rain, lighting, fog and firing sound effects into lessons), two gymnasiums, 50 meter swimming pool, indoor wall climbing complex, stadiums for (ice) hockey, baseball, women’s softball and (American) football, as well as facilities for soc- cer, rugby and athletics track and field activities.
One facility which Sandhurst cadets may find unusual is the parade ground. It is entirely grassed! All parades are carried out on the grass, and not on a hard surface such as tarmac or concrete.
Conclusion
Given that the United States currently has almost 1.3 million troops on active service, with a fur- ther 850,000 with a Reserve commitment, the sheer size and scale of West Point is not that surprising. In addition, all of the buildings and facilities are contained together on a single cam- pus – military instruction, physical education, academic departments, cadet living and mess-
Parade Day (part of ‘The Long Gray Line’) (National Post)
128 HISTORICAL