16 West Point cadets test positive for COVID-19 upon returning to campus for Trump's commencement speech
Task and Purpose
David Roza
June 1, 2020
According to the campus newspaper, The Pointer View, the 1,100 cadets of the class of 2020 started returning to campus last week.
(U.S. Army/Matthew Moeller)
At least sixteen West Point cadets have tested positive for novel coronavirus (COVID-19) upon returning to the New York campus President Donald Trump's upcoming speech at the school’s commencement ceremony on June 13.
USA Today first reported the infections. A West Point spokesman confirmed the article’s findings for Task and Purpose.
The 16 cadets are receiving treatment but are not showing symptoms of the disease, Lt. Gen. Darryl Williams, West Point’s superintendent, told USA Today.
Of the 16 affected cadets, 14 tested positive for the antibody which indicates they contracted the virus and subsequently recovered, USA Today reported.
The number is a small fraction of the 850 cadets who have returned to campus since spring break in March. read it here
This U.S. Veteran Is One Of The Most Successful Women In America
FORBES Deniz Cam Forbes Staff
Kathleen Hildreth has been around airplanes since she was a child. Five decades ago, she watched her parents fly their Cessna 172 in their small hometown of Trenton, Michigan.
Kathleen Hildreth, U.S. veteran and cofounder of military aircraft maintenance company, M1 Support Services COURTESY OF KATHLEEN HILDRETH
After graduating from West Point, she flew helicopters for the military for five years but today she helps other pilots fly. In 2001, Hildreth cofounded aviation maintenance company M1 Support Services, which pulled in $680 million revenue in 2018. Forbes estimates Hildreth’s fortune at $370 million, thanks to her minority stake in M1 Support, enough for the U.S. veteran to make her debut at No. 57 on Forbes 2019 list of America’s most successful self-made women.
“Anything in the government's [aircraft] inventory, we do work on,” Hildreth told Forbes in a brief phone conversation. “You name it.” (She later declined Forbes’ request for a more extensive interview). The U.S Air Force, U.S. Army, U.S. Navy, and NASA are all clients of M1 Support, which relies entirely on the federal government for business. Most of its revenues come from maintaining military aircraft including fighter jets such as F15s, F16s, and A10 Thunderbolts. read more here
West Point cadet dies of injuries after skiing incident
Army Times Kathleen Curthoys March 2, 2019
West Point Cadet Peter L. Zhu died Thursday, Feb. 28, of his injuries from a Feb. 23 skiing incident on the grounds of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, New York.
Cadet Peter L. Zhu, a member of the West Point Class of 2019, died Feb. 28 of injuries he suffered days earlier while skiing on the grounds of the academy. (West Point)
Zhu, 21, a member of the Class of 2019, died with family members by his side at Westchester Medical Center in Valhalla, New York, according to a Saturday release from West Point.
A fellow skier found Zhu unresponsive on a ski slope at Victor Constant Ski Area on Saturday, Feb. 23, the release said. Members of a ski patrol responded and performed life-saving measures before Zhu was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Westchester for further treatment.
The circumstances of the incident are under investigation. read more here
Vietnam War veteran gets special visit from West Point cadets
Palm Beach Post By Jodie Wagner Posted Feb 13, 2019
Pembrook, who was a three-time NCAA tournament qualifier while at West Point and remains the only golfer to be inducted into the academy’s Sports Hall of Fame, was overjoyed to be able to spend some time with the cadets.
Members of the West Point golf team stopped by the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center on Tuesday to visit with Army veteran and West Point alum Stephen Pembrook, who is recovering from a stroke.
WEST PALM BEACH — At their final stop on a five-day swing through Palm Beach County, the United States Military Academy golf team brought a little Valentine’s Week cheer to an ailing Vietnam War veteran.
Stephen Pembrook, an All-American golfer and former team captain at West Point in the 1960s, has spent the past two months at the West Palm Beach VA Medical Center’s Community Living Center, where he is recovering from a stroke.
In an effort to cheer him up during National Salute to Veteran Patients Week, Pembrook’s wife, Mary, and his close friend, George MacClary, arranged for the West Point golfers to stop by.
read more here
Steelers LT Alejandro Villanueva revealed why he served three tours in Afghanistan
Atlanta Journal Constitution
Stephen Knox
December 9, 2017
Pittsburgh Steelers left tackle Alejandro Villanueva has one of the most interesting stories in the NFL.
Villanueva graduated from West Point, and while there he walked onto the Army football team. Before beginning his career with the Eagles in 2014, he served three tours of duty in Afghanistan. He is a decorated Army Ranger, winning a National Service Medal and a bronze star.
However, he revealed that a big reason why he served the final two tours in Afghanistan was due to the struggles he had once he returned home.
“Now I started developing a fear of flying. I started developing even a fear of bacon because it can give you cancer,” Villanueva said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette’s Ed Bouchette. “So you start developing all these things because you’re like ‘Holy smokes, I’m a healthy 20-year-old now back in normal society, I have a life expectancy. I don’t have to die tomorrow.’ It’s a very tough thing to reconcile in your mind. It causes a lot of stress. I think that’s one of the main reason for PTSD is that I was ready to die and now I don’t have to die. read more here
Army Says 2-Star General Committed Suicide By THE ASSOCIATED PRESS OCT. 28, 2016
"To the Army, he was Maj. Gen. Rossi. To us, he was John -- husband, dad."
WASHINGTON — The Army said Friday it has determined that suicide was the cause of death of a two-star general who was found dead in his home on a military base in Alabama.
Maj. Gen. John Rossi was found dead July 31 at Redstone Arsenal, two days before he was to assume command of Army Space and Missile Defense Command.
He is the first Army general to commit suicide on active duty since record-keeping began in 2000, according to the Army. Military suicides soared earlier this decade and remain a major source of concern; they typically have affected lower-ranking military members.
Rossi, a West Point academy graduate and an air defense artillery officer by training, had just moved onto Redstone Arsenal and was scheduled to be promoted to lieutenant general when he took command of Space and Missile Defense Command.
"To all the other families out there, to the man or woman who may be facing challenging times, please seek assistance immediately. Compassionate and confidential assistance is available." read more here
UPDATE WATCH: Video of Navy Veteran Allegedly Held Captive at Motel for 4 Years that Led Cops to Rescue Him PEOPLE BY HARRIET SOKMENSUER 07/22/2016
New details are emerging in the case of an 81-year-old Korean War veteran with dementia allegedly held hostage in a Highland Falls, New York, motel room for four years by a man stealing his pension and Social Security checks.
In video filmed by witness Natasha Blanc, a man police have identified as Perry Coniglio, 43, can be seen berating and forcing Navy veteran David McClellan back into a room at the U.S. Academy Motel, near West Point. Police arrested Coniglio on Tuesday, charging him with grand larceny, unlawful imprisonment and other offenses.
Coniglio is being held at Orange County jail on $15,000 bail and is expected to appear in court on July 25, ABC 7 reports. He automatically had a not guilty plea entered for him, police say. Calls to the Legal Aid Society of Orange County were not returned Thursday or immediately Friday.
"I'm really grateful that [police] took action because otherwise, no one would have," Blanc tells PEOPLE. "He would have died here." read more here
Navy Vet Held Captive in NY Motel Room for Years: Police NBC News 4 New York
U.S. Navy veteran David McClellan was taken to the hospital and is in the care of adult protective services
A New York man held an 81-year-old Navy veteran captive for four years, starving and beating him, in order to steal his pension checks for drugs, authorities say.
Perry Coniglio, 43, was arrested in Orange County Wednesday on multiple charges, including unlawful imprisonment, endangerment of an incompetent person, grand larceny and criminal possession of a weapon.
Highland Falls police said Coniglio, a motel handyman, held former U.S. Navy veteran David McClellan captive for four years at the U.S. Academy Motel, near West Point.
Police said they had gotten complaints for years that Coniglio, who was posing as the victim's caretaker, was verbally abusing the elderly man. But when video surfaced that it turned more physical, they raided the motel Tuesday night. read more here
DoD Warrior Games Begin With Torch Lighting, Vietnam Vets Tribute
Department of Defense
By Shannon Collins DoD News, Defense Media Activity
June 16, 2016
“On behalf of myself and all of my fellow wounded warriors, we would like to thank you for your service and the service of all Vietnam veterans.”
Ret. Army Sgt. 1st Class Howard Sanborn
Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger lights the 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games torch during opening ceremonies for the games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 15, 2016. DoD photo by EJ Hersom
WEST POINT, N.Y., June 16, 2016 — The 2016 Department of Defense Warrior Games began yesterday evening when Army Capt. Kelly Elmlinger, with help from comedian Jon Stewart, lit the official torch during the event’s opening ceremonies at the U.S. Military Academy here.
“Being selected to light the torch is as much an honor and privilege as competing for Team Army,” Elmlinger said. “Finishing my Warrior Games career as Team Army captain and lighting the torch at the opening ceremony is by far the most amazing experience. It’s humbling to see the support from the Warrior Transition Command throughout my time on Team Army, and I graciously thank them for allowing me to participate as torch bearer in this event.”
About 250 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans representing teams from the Army, Marine Corps, Navy, Coast Guard, Air Force, U.S. Special Operations Command and United Kingdom armed forces will compete in shooting, archery, cycling, track and field, swimming, sitting volleyball and wheelchair basketball here until June 21.
“People ask me, ‘How do you talk to your kids about violence that occurs in this world?’” he said. “And I realized it’s time to stop telling him about the rare individuals who do harm and tell him more about the people whose names we don’t know and whose resilience and tenacity we can witness. That’s why I’m here today. I’m here to show him that the depth and strength of those whose names you may never know is the depth and strength of this country, and is the depth and strength that will allow us to overcome.”
Jon Stewart
Go Air Force!
Comedian Jon Stewart poses for a photograph with the Air Force team before the opening ceremony of the 2016 Warrior Games at the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., June 15, 2016. DoD photo by EJ Hersom
West Point instructor found dead off-post Army Times By Kevin Lilley March 1, 2016
Maj. Benjamin Recla, 34, had deployed multiple times in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom
Maj. Benjamin Recla
(Photo: Army)
An officer serving as an instructor at the U.S. Military Academy was found dead Sunday while off-post, the school announced in a Monday news release.
Maj. Benjamin Recla’s death is being investigated by the Atlantic City (New Jersey) Police Department, the release states, but foul play is not suspected. No further details on the incident were available; the police department did not return a message seeking comment.
read more here
Support for France displayed at West Point
Army Times
By Stephen Weigand, Staff writer
November 15, 2015
An Army spirit tank with the French flag. (Photo: Eric S. Bartelt/USMA PAO)
Signs of support for the people of France were on display this weekend at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point after Friday's deadly terrorist attacks in Paris.
French flags could be seen in the stands and on the field Saturday as the Black Knights faced Tulane. The academy's Flickr account shows a photo of a cadet holding the French national flag in the stands, while another shows a spirit tank that was adorned with the Tricolour on the sidelines.
But perhaps the act that grabbed the most attention was when Army defensive back Caleb McNeill carried a French flag onto the Michie Stadium field alongside a French exchange cadet before the game. read more here
Is Ben Carson Guilty of Stolen Valor?
Military.com
UNDER THE RADAR
NOVEMBER 7, 2015
Anyone close to the Army knows that there’s no such thing as a “scholarship” to the United States Military Academy: all cadets receive tuition, room and board in exchange for their commitment to future military service. West Point says they have absolutely no record that Carson was admitted or that he even applied to the service academy.
Dr. Ben Carson’s campaign for the Republican presidential nomination has been gaining momentum lately and much of the political outsider’s appeal is based on the compelling life story he told in his 1996 autobiography Gifted Hands.
Carson grew up in poverty in Detroit and won admission to Yale before becoming a respected pediatric neurosurgeon. One of the key stories in that book is his decision to forego a “full scholarship” to West Point, an offer that supposedly came after Carson met General William Westmoreland after a Detroit Memorial Day parade in 1969. read more here
West Point to Give Award to Actor Gary Sinise
Associated Press
Oct 12, 2015
WEST POINT, N.Y. (AP) — The U.S. Military Academy will honor the man who portrayed Lt. Dan in "Forrest Gump" when it gives actor Gary Sinise its annual Thayer Award.
Sinise, also known for his role in the TV show "CSI: New York," will receive the award at West Point on Oct. 22.
The award is named for a former West Point superintendent and is given to citizens who serve the national interest.
West Point cited Sinise's decades of advocacy for service members, including his work for the Disabled American Veterans organization. Sinise also performs for troops as part of the Lt. Dan Band, named for the hard-nosed officer who befriends Forrest Gump. read more here
Report Alleges Army Surgeon General Tried to Cover Up Concussion Data
Military.com
by Richard Sisk
Sep 29, 2015
The Times' story Tuesday said that Horoho and Caslen "discussed trying to kill an article in The New York Times on concussions at West Point by withholding information so the Army could encourage competing news organizations to publish a more favorable story."
The Pentagon's press secretary said Monday that he was looking into allegations that Army Surgeon Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho sought to delay a Freedom of Information Act request for concussion data and manipulate reporters to cover up potential wrongdoing.
Lt. Gen. Patricia Horoho, U.S. Army Surgeon General hosts a roundtable with key medical representatives from Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, April 24, 2015 (Photo: Master Sgt. Anthony Elliott, PRMC)
At a confrontational news briefing, Pentagon Press Secretary told reporters, "I hear your concerns about this particular incident." He said, "We treat the FOIA process here, as with other government agencies, as incredibly important."
Cook said he was not yet fully informed on the details of the allegations that Horoho and the West Point Superintendent, Lt. Gen. Robert L. Caslen Jr., conspired to delay a FOIA request from The New York Times on concussions in the Academy's mandatory boxing program.
The Times also published an internal Army document that purported to show Horoho and Caslen planned to quash the Times story before it was published by planting favorable articles with other news outlets.
Caslen earlier this month took responsibility for an Aug. 20 pillow fight at the academy in which 30 cadets required treatment for mild concussions, bloody noses, split lips and other injuries. The final injury toll was 24 concussions, a broken nose, a dislocated shoulder, a hairline fracture of a cheekbone and possibly a broken leg. All of the injured returned to duty.
Because the incident that started out as a morale builder turned bloody, a military police investigation was ongoing, Caslen said at the time. "I assure you that the chain of command will take appropriate action when the investigation is complete," he said. read more here
Pillow fight at West Point turns violent; 24 of 30 injured suffered concussions
Associated Press
Published: September 5, 2015
WEST POINT, N.Y. — An annual freshman pillow fight at the U.S. Military Academy turned bloody this year when cadets swung pillowcases packed with hard objects, injuring 30 cadets, according to a newspaper report Saturday.
Two dozen cadets suffered concussions in the Aug. 20 bedding melee, though all have since returned to duty, West Point spokesman Lt. Col. Christopher Kasker told The New York Times for a story published Saturday. read more here
Annual West point Pillow Fight Gone Wild - Fight, Weapons, Blood - 4 September 2015
Former 101st commander honored with memorial service
The Leaf-Chronicle
Ray Howze
July 14, 2015
Lt. Gen. Charles Wilson Bagnal served as commanding general for the 101st from 1981 to 1983.
(Photo: Submitted)
CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Lt. Gen. Charles Wilson Bagnal, who served as commanding general for the 101st Airborne Division at Fort Campbell from 1981 to 1983, was honored in a memorial service with full military honors Tuesday at West Point Cemetery in New York.
Bagnal, 81, died June 30 in Columbia, South Carolina.
Bagnal joined the U.S. Military Academy after graduating from high school in 1952.
Before deploying to Vietnam in 1966, Bagnal had a number of operational assignments in aviation and artillery units at Fort Campbell; Fort Still, Oklahoma; and Hanau, Germany. He commanded the C. Troop, 1st Squadron, 9th Cavalry, 1st Cavalry Division in Vietnam, according to the obituary.
He served as a military assistant to the secretary of the Army from 1969 to 1971. Bagnal later returned to Fort Campbell, where he served as a commander in the 101st Aviation Group and as an assistant division commander in the 101st Airborne Division before taking over as commanding general.
read more here
Topeka veteran competes in Iditarod, uses adventure to deal with PTSD
KCTV News
By Laura McCallister,
Multimedia Producer
By Carolyn Long, Anchor
Mar 06, 2015
TOPEKA, KS (KCTV)
The Iditarod begins Saturday and this year a Topeka man will compete in the "last great race on Earth."
Steve Watkins, 38 enjoys adventure and a good adrenaline rush.
"There's nothing like a strong, compelling physical challenge," he said.
It's what led him to the Armed Forces in 1999.
“I never thought I'd serve in a war, much less two wars,” he said.
But a traumatic brain injury sidelined him, that and post-traumatic stress disorder that he describes as recurring guilt.
"I feel guilty because so many of my friend and classmates from West Point died and I feel guilty that they did and that I didn't and I understand that doesn't satisfy logic, but it's how I feel," Watkins said.
When conventional therapies didn't help, Watkins turned to adventure and starting training for the Iditarod.
"It helps on many levels, and even more deep-seeded spiritual level. It's very cleansing and grounding," he said.
"So many veterans feel like the most significant part of their life is over and that leads to depression and suicide, and my message is that just because our great wars are over doesn't mean our lives can't be full of significance and meaning.” read more here
This story really has my blood boiling. How could anyone just leave this veteran to die on the street? Considering I just dropped off a new mailbox to replace my neighbor's box I hit yesterday morning, it is sickening to read about someone not even caring they hit a person.
Police release details regarding hit-and-run that killed Vietnam Vet
WJCL News
By Staff Report
Published: February 20, 2015
SAVANNAH, GA (WJCL) — Major Accident investigation Team (MAIT) officers from the Savannah-Chatham Metropolitan Police Department have narrowed their search for a truck involved in a Jan. 4 hit-and-run to a red Chevrolet.
Investigators are looking for a red 1999 or 2000 Chevrolet Silverado, Tahoe or Suburban with damage to its front end on the right side as the vehicle that struck and killed a Florida man on Abercorn Street that Sunday night.
Peter Meyers, 72, of Vero Beach, FL, was found on the ground in front of a motel on the 5700 block of Abercorn about 10:30 p.m.
He was walking across Abercorn at the time he was struck and thrown into shrubbery. The incident could have taken place before, during or after a rain storm earlier in the evening.
Meyers, a Vietnam veteran and recipient of the Bronze Star, was laid to rest with military honors at the United States Military Academy at West Point on January 13.
read more here
Darrell Nealey enlisted and served as a combat medic. Then he was all about saving lives. How his story ended just goes to show that when they come home far too many are no longer valuable enough to the rest of us that we take care of them for a change.
Mother: Driver in fatal Bellevue chase, crash was war veteran with PTSD
Darrell Nealey, 46, lost control of vehicle, died at scene of crash
WLWT News
Feb 05, 2015
BELLEVUE, Ky. —The man who crashed and died after speeding away from police in Bellevue, Kentucky, had a criminal history, but also a past that reveals him in a different light.
Darrell Nealey, 46, died Tuesday evening while trying to get away from police in a stolen car.
Nealey lost control and crashed, police said. He died at the scene.
The car was reportedly stolen from Russell Springs, Kentucky, in January.
Nealey enlisted in the Army and went to the Gulf War, where he served as a medic.
His mother has a certificate that shows he trained cadets at West Point.
The certificate commends Nealey, saying in part, “Assisting cadets to learn the first aid skills needed to survive on the battlefield.”
Pope said since her son returned from war, he has suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. read more here
Greg Plitt, Army veteran and reality TV star, killed by train during filming
Washington Times
Cheryl K Churnley
January 19, 2015
Greg Plitt, a reality television show star and fitness model — and a veteran of the U.S. Army — was hit and killed by a train during filming in Southern California.
Plitt, 37, was being filmed on a track when a Metrolink train hit him, said Burbank Police Sgt. Scott Meadows, The Associated Press reported.
It’s not clear what was being filmed. But Plitt, a West Point graduate who served five years in the Army, has been on the cover of magazines more than 200 times and appeared on Bravo’s reality show “Work Out” and “Friends to Lovers,” AP said. read more here
A Cup of G.I. Joe
New York Times
Maureen Dowd
NOV. 1, 2014
Howard Schultz, the chief executive of Starbucks, center, in May with leaders from the Third Battalion, 75th Ranger Regiment, at Fort Benning in Georgia. Credit Courtesy of 75th Ranger Regiment, U.S. Army
WHEN I close my eyes, I can easily flash back to a time when it was cool to call people in uniform “pigs” and “baby killers.”
If you had any family members in the police or military in the Vietnam era, you know how searing that was.
Now we give our veterans respect, early boarding at airports and standing ovations at ballgames. Yet it’s becoming clear that it’s not enough.
With no draft and fewer than 1 percent volunteering to serve, most Americans have no personal connection to anyone who went to Iraq or Afghanistan. There’s a schism between the warriors and the people they were fighting for.
Instead of ticker-tape parades, the veterans returned to find Americans in a crouch, wishing they could forget the military adventures of the last decade. Hollywood was turning out movies showcasing heroic veterans, but they were from World War II. And scandals scarred Walter Reed and an ill-prepared Department of Veterans Affairs.
“The government does a very good job of sending people to war,” Howard Schultz, the C.E.O. of Starbucks, told me in New York this past week, “and a very poor job of bringing them home.”
He has organized a Concert for Valor on the Mall on Veterans Day, featuring stars from Bruce Springsteen to Eminem to Rihanna, a way to celebrate soldiers and urge the public to get involved with veterans’ groups vetted by Gates and Mike Mullen, the former chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. The free concert, put on by Starbucks, HBO and JPMorgan Chase, will be shown live on HBO, even for those without subscriptions. read more here
