Remarks Given by Dr.
Betsey Blakeslee, President of the Friends of the American Revolution at West
Point, Inc., (FAR) on August 7th, 2016 on the occasion of the
Dedication of the Class of 1970’s Gift to Reconnect to the Revolutionary Supply
Trail (Flirtation Walk).
Welcome to the Class of 1970 ceremony to dedicate a
significant project that is helping to save the most extensive series of
fortifications from the American Revolution still in existence today. We are grateful
for your attendance here this morning.
This morning we honor the soldiers of the American Revolution:
an all-volunteer force of private citizens who fought bravely to lay the
framework for the establishment of democracy that ultimately resulted in
creating the strongest nation on earth, and that inspired democracy all over
the world and still does so today.
Our thanks to Chief
of Staff Colonel Wayne Green for his attendance this morning. He is
representing Superintendent General Robert Caslen who has offered his public
support for the efforts to save the fortifications at West Point. Colonel Green
has assisted personally in contributing to our success for this effort. We are
grateful to you, sir.
The West Point Class of 1970 in partnership with The Friends
of the American Revolution at West Point, the West Point Garrison and with the
support of the Superintendent of West Point, have dedicated funds to reconnect
to an historic trail in existence from the time of the revolution but closed
off for the past 25 years due to significant erosion.
This project was
chosen as one of the first to be completed for three reasons:
(1) Because reopening
this connection to the Revolutionary Supply Trail means the one quarter of Flirtation
Walk that has been closed for 25 years will be re-established, directly
enhancing the life of cadets who now use the trail primarily as a running trail
and a place to escape the daily grind;
(2) This project
allows us to designate the location and explain the history of one of the
largest batteries on the trail from the revolution: Battery Knox named for
General Henry Knox who became the commander at West Point after The Battle of
Yorktown. This battery now exists under the Lincoln Hall parking lot.
(3) This project brings significant visibility to the
efforts to save the over 30 sites from the Revolution at West Point that are
eroding and may be lost in our lifetime. As a result, we hope that your example
and the visibility of this project will inspire other classes at West Point,
and additional private donors, to contribute to the $5 – $7 million it will
take to restore the fortifications as Fort Putnam and Fort Ticonderoga have
been restored.
In addition, in nine years we will be celebrating the 250th anniversary of the advent of the American
Revolution, as well as George Washington being named Commander in Chief of the
Patriot Forces, and the establishment of the US Army. What better time to save
these landmarks for America, for our cadets and for our children and
grandchildren.
In addition to the
Class of 1970, we have many other partners who deserve our thanks and acknowledgement:
(1) To the West Point
Garrison and the last four Garrison Commanders and their staffs and
employees who have supported these efforts in so many ways, including a
$250,000 project to save Chain Battery (where the Great Chain connected across
the river to Constitution Island), and the $150,000 it took to restore the
infrastructure of Kosciuszko’s Garden;
(2) To our partners
in the Department of History at West Point, especially the son of your
classmate Pat Sculley – LTC Sean Sculley, Chief of the American Division in the
USMA Department of Military History and PhD scholar whose research focuses on leadership
in the American Revolution, and who gave a great tour yesterday;
(3) To members of the
West Point Museum;
(4) To honorary board
member LTG Dave Palmer, past superintendent at West Point and author of
many significant books about Washington and the history of Fortress West Point,
and who has advised us tirelessly over the past 5 years;
(5) To honorary board
member General Ed Rowny, Distinguished Graduate and Class of ’41 who
established the Rowny Fund to honor Kosciuszko’s Garden, the Kosciuszko Memorial
and the fortifications designed primarily by Colonel Kosciuszko;
(7) And to the member
of the Class of ’70 Colonel Don Blakeslee who has been a really big
supporter of this project from it’s beginning and of me personally throughout
this entire process.
The project supported
by a gift from the Class of ’70 consists of three distinct initiatives:
(1) The clearing and
reconstruction of the trail that makes up over a quarter of the
Revolutionary Supply Trail;
(2) The installation of two highly engineered
steel frameworks that will be dropped in by crane to reinforce the eroded
sections of the trail; and
(3) The designation
and explanation of the history of Battery Knox which existed on this
portion of the Revolutionary Supply Trail but was covered over by the Lincoln
Hall Parking Lot in the 1980’s.
SIGNS:
Please note that we have brought an example of the signs that will be placed on every one of the
fortifications over the next year that give the individual history of each
location. The Class of 1970 is acknowledged on each for its leadership in this
effort. This sign is being redone to include the Class of ’70 crest, which will
be on every sign as well.
After the
ribbon-cutting ceremony we will take a group photo on the stairs and Bill and
Paula Trivette have refreshments in their car in the parking lot above. I will
take people who are interested for a walk on a portion of the trail, but I
advise you not to come unless you are wearing sneakers or boots as it is a
construction site and can be dangerous. This will take about 15 minutes. The
project is scheduled for full completion in Mid October.
We thank your class officers for their support, especially President Dave Brown, Vice President John Connors,
and Treasurer Bill Cater. Thanks also to former Under Secretary of the
Army, Joe Reeder, for his personal support
of this initiative.
After the ribbon is
cut Colonel Johnson will lead us as we yell “Huzzah” three times in honor of
the official yell of the Revolutionary soldiers who worked tirelessly in the
cold and heat to build this massive fortification.
And now we ask Dave
Brown, President of the Class of 1970 to say a few words and cut the ribbon.
Ribbon is cut. Huzzah! Huzzah! Huzzah!
Members of the Class
of 1970 please gather on the stairs for the official commemorative photo.
More photos of this event - here.
