Acceptance Day 2001

Friends and family of the Class of 2005 nearly surrounded the Plain to witness a slice of history.

"It is a great day for West Point," said U.S. Military Academy Class of 1952 graduate Bill Raiford, the chairman of the Bicentennial Steering Group. "It is a great day for the Army and a great day for our entire nation.

"The unfurling of the Bicentennial Flag was most important," Raiford continued.

USMA Corps of Cadets First Captain Andrew Blickhahn, of Boulder, Colo. said Acceptance Day signifies the installation of the complete leadership of the corps.

"We have been a missing-man formation for the past week without the fourth class," Blickhahn said Saturday.

"We will bring the new cadets in and we will be demanding the highest standards from them," he added.

The term "new cadet" now goes by the wayside until next summer as each member of the Class of 2005 was promoted to the rank of cadet private Saturday.

Assuming command prior to reorganization week, Blickhahn said standing in front of the full corps for the first time was a memorable experience.

"There is nothing more humbling than standing in front of 4,000 future officers," he said, "knowing that you are in charge and that they will do exactly what you ask of them."

From the grandstands, parents and family members could relate on a different level.

"We are just extremely proud," said Class of 2005 parent Dave Silva. "Not only of our son, but of the complete Corps."

Silva, from Stockton, Calif., said he and his family had dropped his son, Matt, off at Reception Day and had only visited once prior to that during a recruiting visit in April.

"We are just so impressed by the quality of his fellow cadets and the cadre that train them. It is just a wonderful environment. We are very proud that he is part of that, " Silva added.

Looking back on the entire parade, Raiford said he could see the similarities with his involvement half a century ago.

"Things haven’t changed very much," he said. "I get the same thrill (as a grad) as I did (as a cadet) 50 years ago."

Being a part of history was important Saturday, but not nearly as much, to some, as seeing a loved one march by with the rest of the Corps.

Cadet 4th Class Matt Silva had enough time after the parade to change into Gym Alphas and take a few quick snapshots with his family before being whisked off to his first Army football scrimmage.

"It (was) just great to see him out there today," his father said, "They all looked wonderful, not just our son, but all the plebes and the entire Corps."