Veterans’ Day Column,  ‘Long Gray Line’:  Roll Call Of Heroes 

My Taps magazine sits on a pile of periodicals, distinguished from the others by its cover photo of weathered tombstones beneath magnolia blossoms.

This thin supplement comes with the Assembly, an alumni publication for the U.S. Military Academy. On the last page, a list of graduates appears under the heading “Last Roll Call.” These are the deaths reported since the last issue.

Gen. William Westmoreland came home to West Point in 2005 to be interred with such notable soldiers as Maj. Gen. George Custer and Lt. Gen. Winfield Scott. Lesser known to the public, but no less dedicated and honorable, are a multitude of heroes whose eulogies have filled the pages of Taps.

Col. Harry Pritchett Jr. of the Class of 1943 is eulogized as “a soldier’s soldier.” He served in the 509th Parachute Infantry Battalion that landed in Southern France in 1944, then fought in the Ardennes and the Battle of the Bulge, surviving against the odds amid extremely heavy losses. He passed away peacefully at home in Savannah at 81.

The eulogy next to Pritchett’s recognizes James B. Adamson, who served with distinction in the Far East and rose to the rank of major general. His Class of 1945 became the Class of 1944 when West Point graduated officers a year early after the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Like Adamson, many World War II veterans are reaching the twilight of their lives. They are part of the “long gray line,” which refers to all the graduates of our nation’s military academy and the gray uniforms worn there.

The connection spans from the first class, enrolled in 1802, to this year’s graduates, from those interred at Arlington National Cemetery to the living, breathing force that fights for us today.

In recent issues, the “Last Roll Call” included graduates from classes in the 1990s and early 2000s.

I read about Brian Wheeler from the Class of 1990, who was assigned to the 43rd Engineer Combat Battalion deployed to Somalia. During Operation Restore Hope, he came into contact with many Somalian warlord gunmen.

A soldier of the 43rd was quoted as saying, “The luckiest day in my life was being assigned an officer who’d been a member of the West Point rifle team. Outside of Baidoa, we were ambushed and pinned down. I watched ‘LT’ [Lieutenant Wheeler] calmly fit a hasty sling around his arm, lean over the Humvee hood, and, in the face of incoming fire, pick off two Somalian gunmen at 285 yards … with just two shots … which stopped the ambush!”

Wheeler served three combat tours. He left the Army, earned a law degree with honors, then was admitted to Georgetown Law School for further graduate studies. Passing up the offer of a federal law clerkship, he joined the Army Reserves after 9/11 and was called back to active duty. Tragically, he died last year in a non-service-related car accident.

Other graduates who lost their lives in the war against terrorism are listed in memoriam online by rank and class date. The youngest on the list, Emily Perez from the Class of 2005, was killed in September by an improvised explosive device detonated during combat operations.

Among her numerous eulogies, Capt. Sharon Denson called Perez “an extraordinary young lady and a great officer. She had achieved more at 23 years old than most will in a lifetime.”

Taps magazine is a reminder to me of how good my life is and how lucky I am to be an American. It humbles and inspires me with incredible examples of selflessness, heroic deeds and truly noble lives.

This glimpse into the lives of great, often unsung heroes gives me perspective. They took an oath to serve their country, to pay the ultimate price if necessary. When they went to war, they left their children, their spouses, their families for months, sometimes years, sometimes forever.

This Veterans Day, I pay homage to all service members and veterans. For those on the “Last Roll Call,” these words from the West Point Alma Mater are a fitting tribute:

“And when our work is done, our course on earth is run, may it be said, ‘Well done; be thou at peace.’ “

Tribune correspondent MyLinh Shattan graduated from West Point in 1991 and served as an Army officer in Western Europe.

Nov 11, 2006

0 Comments

About the Author

Mylinh Shattan is a writer who has lived on three continents, served in the Army, worked in corporate America, and taught in college. She loves adventures, in the world and in the mind. Literature is relevant and learning is a lifelong pursuit, so you might as well have a bit of fun along the way.

Stay Up to Date

Rise above the tedium with the TreeHouseLetter. Always learning with a bit of fun.

Latest Posts

Munger on Learning and the Art of Swearing

In memory of Charles T. Munger, who passed away at the age of 99, I am sharing a TreeHouseLetter from last year. Munger was a man who believed in always learning. In my whole life, I have known no wise people (over a broad subject matter area) who didn't read all the...

Giving Thanks for a Man I Never Met

4 Min read On love and Thanksgiving Three rules for life AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY * I did not know the deceased. Garrett gave the eulogy on Friday* which was hard to listen to, hard to hear his voice quaver, to see him fight for composure. Death is a surprise....

On Flesh-Eating Beetles and Sins of the Mother

7 Min read Sense writing: traditional five plus two more 2 Reading recs: historical novel and story 1 Writing guide Improve writing immediately Toolbox, ages 9 to 99 AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify * Writing Through the Seven Senses When I'm working on an aspect of my...

In the Company of Heroes*

4 Min read Operation Gothic Serpent / "Black Hawk Down" 30-Year Anniversary 160th SOAR(A), Night Stalkers Panel Discussion: Mike Durant (Pilot & POW), Dan Jollota (Pilot), Lee Van Arsdale (Ground commander) Veterans Day AVAILABLE ON PODCAST Spotify * This Veterans...

Spooky Hour with Spirits of the Dead

6 min read Word Work 2 Lexicons: Webster's NID 2nd Ed and Shorter OED 1 Book rec Halloween, All Saints' Day, All Souls' Day Fall mocktail, easy and delicious AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY Lakeview Cemetery next to my father's grave * No pressure but what are you doing...

What’s in Your Trunk?

5 Min read New England's largest flea market* Poetry for Emergencies--on the folly of fame, legacy, empire Sonnet by Percy Bysshe Shelley Book rec on writing song lyrics Toolbox, use 7 senses to improve writing** Texan king in a cow pasture AVAILABLE ON PODCAST...

Why Do I Run?

7 min read 4 book recs: two on running and two on living Running gear for mid-life and the mid-packer Training, injury-free and effortless The Army Ten-Miler * AVAILABLE ON PODCAST SPOTIFY * Why do I run? I'm not sure I like running, even when I was fit and fast....

Topics

Inoculate yourself against the absurdity of life with a dose of the best ideas and writing. Always learning with a bit of fun.

TreeHouseLetter

Always learning with a bit of fun

 

 

Readers receive one to two letters a week, with 2 to 10 minute read time. Includes regular features:

 

The Music in Prose
Poetry for Emergencies
Toolbox

 

 

Be inspired by the best writing and ideas, and become better readers and writers in the process.

Thank you for joining! Please check your email for a confirmation.