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50-Year Affiliation Program

30 August 2023
50-Year Affiliation Program: Activities / Events Committee Status Update by Billy Harner

 


8 April 2023
Letter from Jim Hoffman, Program Chair & Information Paper from Reese Delorey, Program Executive Director

 

8 April 2023

Dear Proud & Great Classmates:

GET READY! Our Class is about to embark on an exciting 5 years….

This summer, we will begin to mentor future members of the Long Grey Line, those men and women admitted to the Class of 2028 – our 50-Year Affiliation Class.

The West Point Association of Graduates’ 50-Year Affiliation Program (50-YAP) began when the Class of 1966 supported­­­ the Class of 2016. Over the years, the 50-YAP has created extremely successful links between West Point Classes, and – starting this summer – the Class of 1978 will “Grip Hands” with the Class of 2028, as they tackle the rigors of West Point.

The 50-YAP offers our Class the opportunity to create mini-reunions with our Classmates and, at the same time, to help members of the Class of 2028 (and their families) navigate from being Candidate Cadets to being members of the Long Gray Line. Attached to this letter, you will find an information paper about the 50-YAP and a point of contact roster for different events. Our 50-YAP swings into high gear this summer, when some Candidates for the Class of 2028 enter the US Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, and it will end with the presentation of Second Lieutenant bars at the December Graduation for the Class of 2028.

Your Proud & Great 50-YAP Committee has done a tremendous job organizing our 50-YAP. Get engaged with our planning. Read about all the activities, and reach out to those Classmates identified as the points of contact for various events. In some events we will have a limited number of Classmates participating; and in other events we will have a lot of Classmates engaged. Where will you participate?

In the meantime, we are looking for fifty strapping Classmates to volunteer, to get into prime March Back shape, and to participate in the 12-Mile Lake Frederick March Back in August 2024. Start training for the March Back………RUCK UP!

All the best,

Jim Hoffman
Proud & Great Class of 1978
Chair, 50-Year Affiliation Program

“The long gray line of us stretches
Through the years of a century told….”
THE CORPS

The Long Gray Line. The Long Gray Line increased by 1,014, on May 21, 2022, with the graduation of the Class of 2022. We all know very well the euphoria of Graduation, the culmination of our four tumultuous years of growth, development, and varied experiences (academic, athletic, social, emotional, technical, and military). Many things have changed over time; but many things remain the same at West Point….

Our Experience. Each of us can reflect on our own experience, especially the excitement we felt during Graduation week, when family and friends swarmed the Academy grounds; one last parade; hearing your name called; walking across the stage; receiving your diploma. Remember the wave of energy that swept across the stadium after we heard “Class Dismissed,” and we tossed our hats to the sky? Many celebrations ensued, as we searched for family, friends, and classmates, to extend smiles, embraces, and well wishes. Then, after taking the Oath, we received our first salute as an Officer, and the realities of our new life slowly emerged and consumed us. These are wonderful memories to recall and celebrate!

50-Year Affiliation Program. The journey of the Long Gray Line continues…. The West Point Association of Graduates (AOG) designed its 50-Year Affiliation Program (50-YAP) “to strengthen the ties between the graduates of yesterday and the cadets of today as both groups work together to strengthen the Long Gray Line as it serves our nation.” The Proud & Great Class of 1978 will meet this AOG objective, and we will also create many other opportunities for our Class to reconnect!

CLASS OF 2028. Next July, we will welcome the Class of 2028, through AOG’s 50-YAP. Our first encounter with the Class of 2028 will occur next summer, when a new group of young men and women enter the United States Military Academy Preparatory School (USMAPS). Over the next five years, Proud & Great classmates will accompany our affiliated 2028 cadets at significant Academy events (e.g., R-Day; A-Day; Cow Affirmation Ceremony; Ring Weekend; Branch Night; Graduation, etc.).

PARTICIPATE! Your Proud & Great Affiliation Committee sends this email to encourage you to participate in the 50-YAP, and we provide the following information to allow you to register your interest in participating. The 50-YAP Program includes several major events (with tentative dates):

  • USMAPS R-Day

09 July 2023         
  •  Reception Day
 July 2024
  • Acceptance Day
 August 2024
  • Class Crest Unveiling
 March 2025
  • Yearling Flag Ceremony 
 June 2025
  • Cow Affirmation
 August 2026
  • Ring Weekend
 August 2027
  • Branch Night
 November 2027
  • Graduation
 May 2028

DETAILS. Details about each element of the 50-YAP can be found at these links:

PROUD & GREAT AFFILIATION COMMITTEE. Our outstanding Proud & Great Affiliation Committee will guide our efforts (See attached 50-YAP Committee Contact List). The Committee has made significant progress toward planning our 50-YAP activities, but there are many opportunities for you to join us.

Executive Director: Reese Delorey.

USMAPS (Lead: Dave Rich) - Our first contact with prospective members of the Class of ’28 will occur next summer, when our ’78 USMAPS Committee interacts with Cadet Candidates of the Class of ’28. The ’78 USMAPS Committee will launch our Class Affiliation and will set the azimuth for each successive effort in our four-year journey with the Class of 2028. The USMAPS Committee has made initial contact with WPAOG (Deborah Edelen, USMA ‘92, Director of Class Services) and with USMAPS-Affiliated reps from the Classes of 1975, 1976, and 1977. Dave Rich also contacted the USMAPS Cadre (S-3, CPT Will Hinkley), and the ’78 USMAPS Committee is creating a support plan for the 2023-2024 USMAPS academic year. Active, direct support begins with USMAPS R-Day, tentatively scheduled for July 9, 2023. If you are interested in participating and/or assisting, please reach out to Dave Rich or anyone on the ’78 USMAPS Committee (See Attached Committee Contact List).

Parents Clubs/Societies (Lead: Rob Grubbs) - To date, this sub-committee has established contact and communications with the WPAOG (Deborah Edelen, USMA ’92, Director of Class Services). Debbie will provide counsel and guidance on all of our efforts in executing the 50-YAP. We desire to maintain contact with each Society and Parents Club in order to keep in close contact with all parents of ’28 New Cadets…. Organizationally, the Parent Clubs/Societies Committee is organized on a geographic basis:

  • West: Mark Eidem and Stan Berceau
  • Mideast: Ed O’Neill and Joe Mislinski
  • Northeast: Curtis Harris (Co-Chair Pending)
  • Mid-Atlantic: Earl Rasmussen (Co-Chair Pending)
  • Southwest: Ramon Grado and Pat McGaugh
  • Southeast: Brent Holmes

Please reach out to Rob Grubbs if you are interested in assuming one of the Co-Chair positions (See Attached Committee Contact List).

Activities/Events (Lead: Bill Harner) - We are building out our team. Bill has made contact with WPAOG (Deborah Edelen, USMA ’92, Director of Class Services). Volunteers needed to lead our efforts in planning, executing and representing our class in the following specific events:

  • R-Day Reception & Oath Ceremony
    • Pre-Reception Day Ice Cream Social, Sunday - Class of ’78, 1 Lead and 6 Representatives
    • Reception Day Welcome Parents Lounge - Class of ’78, 1 Lead and 10 Representatives
    • BBQ Luncheon - Class of ’78, 1 Lead and 12 Representatives
  • March Back – Class of ’78, 1 Lead and 49 Representatives
  • Acceptance Day Parade (Review Party) – Class of ’78, 3 Representatives
  • Class Crest Unveiling (Mess Hall Plebe Sponsor Appreciation Dinner) – Class of ’78, 2 Representatives with Significant Other.
  • Yearling Flag Presentation – 1 Distinguished Member and 6 Representatives
  • Cow Affirmation (Robinson Auditorium) – Class of ’78, 1 Distinguished Member and 8 Representatives with Significant Other.
  • Ring Melt – Class of ’78, 1 Lead, 2-3 Representatives with Significant Other and Individual Ring Donors.
  • Ring Weekend, Ring Presentation Ceremony, Ring Donors Reception, Ring banquet and Ring Hop – Class of ’78, 1 Lead, 2 Representatives with Significant Others and the Ring Donors.
  • Branch Night (Eisenhower Hall) – Class of ’78, 1 Distinguished Member and 6 Representatives.
  • Graduation (Present 1st set of 2LT Bars) – Class of ’78, 4 Distinguished Members.

If you are interested in participating and/or assisting with these events, please reach out to Bill Harner (See Attached Committee Contact List).

As referenced above, the names and contact information for your Proud & Great Affiliation Committee members can be found in the attached Committee Contact List. Please reach out to any of these members if you are keen on becoming involved or on supporting specific events. Remember, we will use our class website, www.usma1978.com as the main portal, to house all the pertinent information and updates about the 50-Year Affiliation Program. We encourage everyone to visit the site periodically and to stay abreast of new information, as it is posted.

We are very excited for this 50-YAP program to provide each of us greater opportunities to interact with the Cadets and families of USMA ‘28 and to fellowship with one another. Come celebrate with us!

Proud & Great!

Reese Delorey
Executive Director
50-Year Affiliation Program

E'er may that line of gray
Increase from day to day,
Live, serve, and die, we pray,
West Point, for thee.
THE ALMA MATER

View PDF:

 

 

 

29 March 2023
Letter from Jim Hoffman, Program Chair

Dear Proud & Great Classmates: 

GET READY! Our Class is about to embark on an exciting 5 years.... 

This summer, we will begin to mentor future members of the Long Grey Line, those men and women admitted to the Class of 2028 - our 50-Year Affiliation Class. 

The West Point Association of Graduates' 50-Year Affiliation Program (50-YAP) began when the Class of 1966 supported the Class of 2016. Over the years, the 50-YAP has created extremely successful links between West Point Classes, and - starting this summer - the Class of 1978 will "Grip Hands" with the Candidates for the Class of 2028, as they tackle the rigors of West Point. 

The 50-YAP offers our Class the opportunity to create mini-reunions with our Classmates and, at the same time, to help members of the Class of 2028 (and their families) navigate from being Candidate Cadets to being members of the Long Gray Line. Attached to this letter, you will find an information paper about the 50-YAP and a point of contact roster for all the different events. Our 50-YAP swings into high gear this summer, when some Candidates for the Class of 2028 enter the US Military Academy Preparatory School at West Point, and it will end with the presentation of Second Lieutenant bars at the December Graduation for the Class of 2028. 

Your Proud & Great 50-YAP Committee has done a tremendous job organizing our 50-YAP. I encourage you to get engaged with our planning. Read about all the activities, and reach out to those Classmates identified as the points of contact for various events. In some events we will have a limited number of Classmates participating; and in other events we will have a lot of Classmates engaged. Where will you participate? 

In the meantime, we are looking for fifty strapping Classmates to volunteer, to get into prime Marchback shape, and to participate in the 12-Mile Lake Frederick Marchback in August 2024. Start training for the Marchback.......RUCK UP! 

All the best, 

Jim Hoffman
Proud & Great Class of 1978
Chair, 50-Year Affiliation Program 

 

19 January 2021
Letter from Les Szabolcsi

To All Classmates:

Our Class will have the honor of creating a 50-Year Affiliation with the members of USMA Class of 2028. The Class of 2028 will be New Cadets in the summer of 2024, and some of them will enter the United States Military Academy Preparatory School in the summer of 2023, just over two years from now. The Long Gray Line continues….

The AOG 50-Year Affiliation Program provides us the unique opportunity to create the most enjoyable and rewarding project we have undertaken since graduation. We will be able to reinforce bonds of friendship and professionalism with our Classmates and, at the same time, inspire and connect with the Class of 2028.

Under the leadership of Chairman Jim Hoffman, our 50-Year Affiliation Committee has been hard at work preparing the activities surrounding our affiliation with the Class of 2028. In the next few months you can expect to hear directly from Jim and his leadership team. These communications will give you more detailed information about the program and how each of you can participate. We plan to create several opportunities for mini-Class Reunions during the years of our affiliation with the Class of 2028. We will use our class website, www.usma1978.com as the main portal housing pertinent information and updates regarding the 50-Year Affiliation Program. We encourage everyone to visit the site periodically to stay abreast of new information as it is posted.

In the meantime, if you have not done so already, please visit the AOG website, where you can see experiences of previous 50-Year Affiliation Classes and where you can read through all the benefits this program provides. Of course, our objective is to make our Affiliation program better than any other previous Class.

Just to be clear, once this Affiliation begins with the Prep School intake in 2023, this is a five-year effort culminating at the graduation of USMA ’28. (Yes, I also have trouble conceptualizing that number.) There will be plenty of opportunities to become as active as you wish to become.

More to follow from Jim and his team.

GO (Commander-in-Chief’s-Trophy Holder) ARMY!


Les Szabolcsi
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