THE HOWITZER, 1950, Army Yearbook of USMA West Point

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AT AUCTION is The Howitzer , the 1950 issue of the Senior's Yearbook for the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York.West Point Class of 1950 was one of the greatest the Academy produced. Its graduates were the subject of the book Cold War Warriors: The Story of the Achievements and Leadership of the Men of the West Point Class of 1950 by Phil Bardos, '50. (See the Amazon review at /Cold-War-Warriors-Phil-Bardos/dp/0738814776 ). In June 1950, 670 men threw their caps into the air at the Academy's graduation ceremonies. As they had been trained, they went on to serve the military with great distinction. Their ranks produced 64 general officers, including 7 that earned four stars and 48 who lost their lives (and many more who were wounded) in the service of their country. The group earned 3,475 military decorations. Probably the most famous graduate of this class was astronaut Frank Borman, who commanded the first spacecraft in circumlunar orbit in December 1968. T are several photos of Borman in this book. However, t were many other notable graduates. John Wickham was Chief of Staff of the U.S. Army.Charles Gabriel was Chief of Staff of the U.S. Air Force.Fidel Ramos was Chief of Staff of the Philippine Defense Forces and later became President of The Philippines.Bennett Lewis was the founding father of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.Grayson Tate helped develop America's rockets and ballistic missiles.Richard Trefry served as special assistant to President Bush during Desert Storm.Robert McBride and Ward Wheaton presided over Fortune 500 companies.John Murphy was a congressman.Bill Yeoman was a famous football coach.Jim Thompson was a Rhodes Scholar and later a Lt. General. TECHNICAL DETAILS This long (540 page), large (9 1/4 by 12 1/4 by 1 1/2-inch), heavy (6 1/4 lb.) book is in excellent condition, with just the tiniest touch of age foxing on some of the end pages. The book is printed on a very heavy glossy stock with tri-color end papers and is bound in a blue textured cloth cover with gold embossing. It is solid and imposing and unmarked. The Howitzer, 1950 is arranged into several sections. First is "Administration," with overviews of the institution and staff; next is "Class History," chronicling the activities of the class through the undergraduate years, with many informal and candid shots of the cadets both on an off duty; then "The Corps," by far the longest section, arranged by companies, with group photos of each company and individual photos of the cadets next to paragraphs subjectively describing the individuals; then "Activities," showing the various clubs, committees, etc.; next "Athletics, with pictures of the various sporting teams; finally a section with nearly 100 pages of advertising and tributes. Tucked in the back of this volume were two pages from the 1949 Howitzer , and these will go with the book to the winning bidder. I found this book in an antique shop in Pontotoc, Mississippi. The cover is gold stamped with the name Howard G. Brown. According to Bardos' book, noted above, the original owner of this copy, from Tupelo, Mississippi (misspelled Tupello in the book, see photo), was killed in the Korean War. The Howitzer, 1950 would be a great companion to Bardos' book, the perfect gift for any member of the Class of 1950 whose own copy might have gone astray, or a masterful addition to any military library. I've never seen any school yearbook with better photography. I sincerely welcome all requests for clarifying information or additional photographs. TERMS Winning bidder pays actual shipping cost only, by USPS Priority Mail, USPS Parcel Post, or USPS Media Mail (see calculator). Plus insurance if you want it. I accept PayPal, a money order, or your personal or business check. International bidders are welcome, but kindly contact me before you bid for shipping and payment options. I stand behind my auctions! If you are not happy with this item, please put... read more

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