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Notable Military School Graduates
There are many notable historical figures that have graduated from U.S. military schools. The following are just a few of the famous military leaders that military schools produced.
Hiram Ulysses Grant, graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point on July 1, 1843. Though he later enjoyed visiting West Point, he was not happy there as a cadet. He described his four years there as “interminable.” Grant graduated from West Point and was commissioned a brevet second Lieutenant, and fought in the Mexican War as a Quartermaster.
At the beginning of the Civil War, he was appointed Brigadier General and fought the Battle of Belmont. On February 16, 1862, Grant took Fort Donelson in Tennessee, the first Union victory of strategic importance in the war. He became famous with his dispatch, “No terms except immediate and unconditional surrender. I propose to move immediately upon your works.”
The surrender of Vicksburg in the summer of 1863 was Grant’s tour de force as a General and was one of the greatest military campaigns in history. Grant’s greatest hour was when General Lee surrendered to him in the McLean House, in Appomattox, Virginia. In 1869, Grant became President of the United States and served until March 4, 1877 (Hiram Ulysses Grant).
George S. Patton, Jr. has been called a military genius, a legend, and the meanest man alive. 65 years after his death, he is still considered to be the one U.S. Army General epitomizing the fighting soldier of WWII. He was a rough and tough soldier, unpredictable in his actions, yet always dependable. He personified the offensive spirit, a ruthless drive, and the will to conquer at all costs.
When Patton was 18 years old, he entered the Virginia Military Institute, following in the tradition of his father and grandfather. The following year he accepted an appointment at West Point. He was the first officer assigned to the United States Tank Corp and single-handedly formed the American Tank School.
In 1942, Patton was assigned the task of creating the Desert Training Corps (DTC) in the Mojave Desert. In 1944, during the height of WWII, he and the Third Army swept through Europe with a vengeance, destroying everything that was German. Throughout the war, Patton and his soldiers gave a magnificent performance. The Third Army had gone farther, faster, conquered more territory, and captured more enemy soldiers than any other Army in the recorded history of war.
Patton died at the age of 60 in December 1945 as the result of a car accident. He died at the peak of his success. His unswerving dedication and focused attention to his chosen profession reaped immense rewards during World War II (George S. Patton, Jr.).
Dwight D. Eisenhower won an appointment to the U.S. Military Academy when he was eighteen years old – he had always aspired to be a military hero. Shortly before the United States entered World War II, Eisenhower earned his first star with a promotion to brigadier general. In 1944, he was appointed supreme commander of Operation Overlord, the Allied assault on Nazi-occupied Europe. When he returned home in 1945 to serve as chief of staff of the Army, Eisenhower was a hero, loved and admired by the American public.
After the outbreak of the Korean War, Eisenhower became the first Supreme Commander of NATO forces in Europe. In 1952, he returned home and won the Republican Party’s presidential nomination, with Richard M. Nixon as his running mate. “Ike” endeared himself to the American people with his plain talk, charming smile, and sense of confidence. He easily beat democrat Adlai Stevenson in 1952 and again in 1956. Eisenhower was a popular President throughout his two terms in office (Popular War Hero).
Military schools have a rich tradition, which enable teenagers to recognize and set goals for their future. Military schools provide structure and discipline. Some teens experience a life changing attitude after graduating from these facilities.
We can see from these graduates that there are few places that can succeed in contributing significant changes to a person’s quality of life. Within the stories of these graduates, we see some fundamental elements that we may not know; every young child is unique and each one brings with them a potential that can never be underestimated or wasted.
When looking at these graduates, we see a journey of support, which puts them in a position to have every opportunity that life puts out there. Based on some of the unique abilities and individual gifts that these graduates pursued, we see an impact of every facet within their life experiences that can help us in our daily choices.
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