West Point proved to be everything it claims to be. It stressed me in ways unimagined but professional. When we arrived, we were told to look to our left and right and in four years, one of us would not be here. They were right and doubly correct, unfortunately, as it applied to women.
I learned many lessons but perhaps the one of the earliest and most profound was as it relates to my core values and how I treat others. In these areas, I am unbending in my commitment to treat others with dignity and respect while accomplishing the commander’s intent. I did not know this about myself when I entered West Point. I did by the end of beast barracks after my second detail squad leader made it his mission to get me kicked out and failed.
Three notable vignettes from that stressful 8-week experience:
- I came into beast barracks with some notable advantages compared to my classmates: I could shine shoes, I could march, I could shoot weapons, I could hike and camp comfortably in rain or shine. I was smarter than most even at West Point and modestly physically capable of doing anything. I also had some disadvantages. I was not a legacy. No one in my family had been to college let alone a highly selective college. I did not know to learn plebe knowledge before arriving. I had no world view which meant i was naive and a tad immature compared to of my classmates. In other words, I was like everyone else with strengths and weaknesses that West Point was ready to expose.
- At some point my 2nd detail squad leader was yelling at me from behind me like you do. I thought, erroneously, that I should turn to face him to answer him. It was the wrong decision in a stressful environment. I did a perfect about face so as to face him. He was so close to me my pivot point was the top of his immaculately polished boots. He lost all bodily control as I destroyed the shine on his boots. It is a credit to his emotional control that he did not strike me. He did slobber as his face turned completely red. I knew immediately the next five minutes was going to be a one-way conversation in broken English with lots of yelling. For the rest of my life, I would be immune to this form of interaction.
- We were on a road run through the woods with out boots and backpacks like you do when my squad leader decided to move me to the front of the run and run at my pace. I pushed myself and the squad leader continued the run until I was absolutely spent. He then spend ten minutes telling me how much he despised me and he knew if he did not get me kicked out, I was more than smart enough to graduate. I resolved at that moment that he would fail in his task. He did. I learned in 1979, as Taylor Swift so eloquently stated 30 years later, to ignore the liars, fakers, cheaters, and haters and just shake it off. It has served me well.
After beast barracks, I was assigned to company I-3 and won the lottery with that random choice. I got to go through plebe year with Kevin Bons, Rebecca Jones, Kathy Loper, Jane O’Connor, Mike Longo, Phil Battalia, Mary Costello, and many others. Phil Battalia and ?? were my first semester plebe (freshman) roommates and of the three, I definitely had the most growing up to do. The three of us stayed out of trouble, studied hard, got good grades, and they were quite gracious as I strove to sleep less and clean the room more.
All plebes (freshman) had to take computer science and I found it both interesting and incredibly easy. I spent more time helping my classmates than doing my own work. I thought it would create opportunities to meet girls. Yea, I was mostly wrong about the girls but very strategic in picking computer science as my concentration.
I did meet THE girl right after taking that computer science course and over plebe Christmas. Eileen and I would date throughout my time at West Point. That story is detailed under Family.
You Are Who You Associate with
I coasted the first two years at West Point academically but continued to grow. I was the first in my extended family to go to college and was just honored to be at West Point. At the end of my sophomore year, my approach changed. Perhaps I grew up. Perhaps the change was a result of the influence of the great men and women I associated with at West Point. I realized I could be so much more and started applying myself. My GPA soared as well as my work ethic. By the time I graduated, I was ready to enter the Army. The following description from my senior yearbook was both succinct, accurate, and surprisingly prophetic.
“Efficiency is the one trait that accurately describes Curt. Curt seemed to be in two places at once. He was always involved in numerous activities, constantly supervising them until their accomplishment. Having a deep consideration for his friends, Curt could always be depended upon to comfort and offer sound advice. His computer talent will take him far.”
Jeff Malapit, 1983 Howitzer
Later in life, I would return to West Point to serve as a Vice Dean.
The next chapter in my military journey is Jumping Out of Perfectly Safe Planes.