West Point Instructor: ‘Graduation Day Felt More Like a Tragedy Than a Triumph’
Patches, pins, medals, and badges are the visible signs of an exclusive military culture, a silent language by which soldiers and officers judge each other’s experiences, accomplishments, and general worth. In July 2001, when I first walked through the gate of the US Military Academy at West Point at the ripe young age of 17, the “combat patch” on one’s right shoulder – evidence of a deployment with a specific unit – had more resonance than colorful medals like Ranger badges reflecting specific skills. Back then, before the 9/11 attacks ushered in a series of reveng
West Point Instructor: ‘Graduation Day Felt More Like a Tragedy Than a Triumph’
Source: RI