HGB Ep. 444 - West Point

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Moment in Oddity - Crakow Shoes (Suggested by: Michael Rogers)

Ever heard of a Crakow shoe? You more than likely have seen them if you have ever looked at period artwork. For nearly 150 years, during the 14th and 15th centuries, poulaine shoes, more popularly known as Crakow shoes, were worn. These are those long and pointy shoes that seem quite impractical to our modern minds. And they really were impractical. The points of these shoes usually measured between four and twenty inches. Taking a step with twenty inches of extra toe space seems downright dangerous. Especially for someone who has trouble walking like me. And keeping that pointy area from flopping around required the wearer to stuff the toe with moss or some other kind of filling. And some people even had to tie a string or silver or gold chain around their knee and attach it to the tip of the shoe to keep from tripping. Who would wear these monstrosities?! Well, the rich and famous of course! These were the elite shoes of their time because the material was expensive, so having extra material revealed a certain status. Longer shoes meant more wealth. These shoes were often elaborately decorated and embossed as well. So eat your heart out Air Jordans, Jimmy Choo, Louis Vuitton and Stuart Weitzman. Seriously though, the thought that a shoe that looks like it should be worn by a clown were a status symbol, certainly is odd!

This Month in History - President Eisenhower Starts Helicopter Travel

In the month of July, on the 12th, in 1957, President Eisenhower became the first US president to fly in a helicopter. It is now common place for Americans to see the President hop aboard Marine One, a helicopter, on the South Lawn of the White House and fly off to other destinations. But this was not a thing until Eisenhower boarded a Bell H-13J on the South Lawn to travel to Camp David in Maryland. Other members of his staff were taken in helicopters that came in rapid succession to the White House. President Eisenhower felt this was a better form of transportation because there was no need for road blockades and got him where he wanted to go faster. He started using the helicopter weekly to fly to either Camp David or his farm, north of Gettysburg. This action forever changed transportation for future presidents. Joint Base Andrews is where the Air Force fleet that services the President and his cabinet is kept. The main Marine One is operated by the Marine Helicopter Squadron One Nighthawks. This helicopter is part of a fleet of large white topped VH-3D Sea King helicopters. While there are a couple of main helicopters known as Marine One, any helicopter that a President is aboard is referred to as Marine One, just as any plane the US President aboard is referred to as Air Force One.

West Point (Suggested by: Marco Coronigno)

The U.S. Military Academy West Point started out as a Revolutionary War-era fort that was commissioned by General George Washington. This would become the country's first military academy and still is considered the elite military academy in America. Graduates from West Point joined forces in numerous wars to achieve victory, but also fought against each other during the Civil War. Unnatural sightings and unexplained occurrences have led to numerous ghost stories. Join us as we explore the history and hauntings of West Point!

High places with a broad vantage point have always been important when it comes to war. Forts are generally always built on these key strategic high places. West Point is no different. As the Revolutionary War waged, a spot on the west bank of the Hudson River caught the attention of General George Washington. He knew this was going to be a key strategic position for America. General Washington called on Polish freedom fighter and military engineer Thaddeus Kosciuszko to design Fort Arnold in 1778 for this spot they had dubbed West Point. Thaddeus found himself in America in August of 1776. He was a broken-hearted young man looking for new employment. The father of the girl he loved disapproved of him, so perhaps this move was to prove something to that man. Thaddeus would quickly make a name for himself in America. He started in Philadelphia becoming friends with Benjamin Franklin and building blockades for the Continental Army. He was given the rank of colonel and designed his first fort in 1776, Fort Mercer in New Jersey. He arrived at West Point in 1778 and stayed on there until 1780, fortifying the base and areas along the Hudson River. Thomas Jefferson said of the man, "As pure a son of liberty, as I have ever known, and of that liberty which is to go to all, and not to the few or rich alone." One of Thaddeus' closest friends was a black New Englander named Agrippa Hull and when he wrote his will with Thomas Jefferson, he requested that his estate be used to free as many slaves as possible, clearly proving that he truly believed in liberty for all. Unfortunately, those wishes were not honored and the executor who took over the will from an aged Jefferson, squandered most of the estate.

Back to the design of the fort at West Point, Thaddeus bickered greatly with a French engineer over the design because he wanted fortifications along the Hudson River, but eventually the fort was built and General Washington even transferred his headquarters to West Point in 1779. The fort was continually fortified and soldiers even extended a 150-ton iron chain across the Hudson to control river traffic. Fort Arnold was never captured by the British. That was no small feat because as part of Benedict Arnold's treasonous acts, he had shared the designs of Fort Arnold and was planning to give it over to the British. And yes, the fort had been named for him. After the treason, the name was changed to Fort Clinton. After the War, the fort fell into disrepair and was mostly demolished to help expand the United States Military Academy.

The United States Military Academy was established by Congress on March 16, 1802 and President Jefferson signed it into law. The institution was founded so that America could educate her own engineers and artillerists. Jonathan Williams was appointed as the first superintendent. He had been the Chief of Engineers of the Army Corps of Engineers. Fittingly, it opened on July 4, 1802. In 1817, Colonel Sylvanus Thayer became Superintendent and he stayed on in that role until 1833. He is known as the "Father of the Military Academy" and a monument on the campus is dedicated to him. The reason for that is all the upgrades he added to the academy. He emphasized honorable conduct, instilled more military discipline and upgraded the academic standards. In 1830, Sergeant Major Edgar Allan Poe was appointed to West Point, which was secured by his wealthy guardian John Allan. Poe did well with the higher academic standards, but the discipline and long marches were a bit much for him. He quit his classes and was court martialed and formally dismissed on March 6, 1831. 

The Civil Engineering program at West Point was so strong that many USMA graduates were tapped to design and build many of America's railway lines, bridges and roads in the early part of the 19th century. The only way to gain a commission to General in the Army was to graduate from West Point. That was until the Mexican American War where battle experience led to promotions. The Civil War would highlight the amount of generals that passed through the academy. On the Union side, 294 graduates served as general officers and on the Confederate side there were 151 West Point graduates that served as generals. There was a West Point graduate commanding at least one of the sides in all 60 of the major battles. The Civil War also highlighted the divide of the country at the time that not only separated families, but classmates took separate sides.

When the war was over, young men coveted appointments to the academy because of the prestige it gained from the Civil War. Former Confederates weren't allowed to enter the academy until 1868. The curriculum developed beyond civil engineering after the war. The first black cadet was admitted in 1870, but he would not graduate and was dismissed for grades, but because of harsh treatment he received while attending, the dismissal is considered controversial. This young man was James Webster Smith of South Carolina. The first black cadet to graduate would be Henry O. Flipper of Georgia and he did that in 1877. The Chief Engineer for the Panama Canal graduated from West Point in 1880. 

Hazing is an issue at most institutions of higher learning and West Point is no different. It is said to no longer be an issue, but after the Civil War, hazing became a real thing at the academy and it was harsh. Way beyond pranks. The death of cadet Oscar L. Booz, in December of 1900, after a hazing incident led to congressional hearings. The Sacred Heart Review, December 15, 1900, reads, "West Point Hazing to be Investigated. A resolution has been adopted in the House of Representatives at Washington for the appointment of a special committee of five members to investigate the death of Oscar L. Booz of Bristol, Pa., who died recently, it is alleged, as a result of hazing received while a cadet at West Point. This course was taken over the head of the military committee, which reported in favor of allowing the War Department to conduct the inquiry. The presentation of the resolution, and the reading of the reports of the Secretary of War and Colonel Mill, aroused great interest in the House. Mr. Driggs of New York declared that the practice of infamously hazing 'plebs' at West Point was notorious. He cited the case of Whittaker, who was hazed in 1880 and whose case led to a Congressional investigation. Mr. Driggs declared that he would be in favor of abolishing the academy if these brutal practices could not be stopped. Mr. Wanger of Pennsylvania, who appointed Cadet Booz, spoke in favor of a Congressional investigation."

Booz died two years after his hazing and his parents claimed it was from injuries he had received while being hazed. The San Francisco Call reported, "It is alleged by the young man's father that tobasco sauce was poured down his son's throat while the cadets were hazing him. The father also claims that red pepper was thrown In his eyes, hot grease poured on his bare feet, a tooth knocked out and that other fiendish methods were indulged in. Shortly after this, the father says. Oscar, because of his physical condition, was compelled to resign his cadetship. The young man grew steadily worse, but never would divulge the names of the cadets who mistreated him. His parents told him it was his duty to tell, but his only answer was: 'I went there expecting to take whatever medicine was given, and it would not be right to complain against the other boys.'" The investigation found that his death wasn't caused by hazing. Douglas MacArthur was a witness and he would later serve as Superintendent of the academy and make efforts to stop the hazing, but they would continue until later into the 20th century. MacArthur would diversify the curriculum and increased the standards of the athletic programs and physical fitness of cadets during his tenure. He also helped create the Cadet Honor Committee. 

In 1933, the academy started offering Bachelor of Science degrees. West Point would turn out many leaders for World War II. Not only MacArthur, but Patton, Wainwright, Bradley, Clark, Stilwell and Eisenhower. Five hundred graduates of West Point died in the War. Maxwell Taylor became Superintendent in 1945 and he decided the academy needed to get more updated and he abolished classes in horsemanship and fencing. The Class of 1950 graduated only two weeks prior to the outbreak of the Korean War. These graduates would suffer some of the heaviest casualties of any 20th century class. The first woman would join the faculty in 1968. The Vietnam War has West Point granting its first honorable discharge in 1971 and this was for a cadet who applied for conscientious objector status. Three hundred and thirty-three graduates from West Point died in the Vietnam War. Enrollment wasn't open to women until 1976. Sixty-two women graduated in the class of 1980. One of the women graduates of West Point happens to be my second cousin Donna Everson. She graduated in 1985 and I remember thinking how cool that was! 

The curriculum at West Point is ever evolving and cadets can major in more than a dozen fields, from sciences to humanities. The campus has grown throughout the years, even more so after 1964 when President Johnson signed legislation increasing the strength of the Corps of Cadets from 2,529 to 4,417. Today, that number sits around 4,000 cadets and the grounds expand over nearly 16,000 acres. The majority of the academy has been declared a National Historic Landmark. Many areas of the campus are gorgeous and overlook the Hudson River. Charles Dickens visited in 1841 and wrote, "It could not stand on more appropriate ground, and any ground more beautiful can hardly be." Most of the architecture is neogothic and built from granite of gray and black hues. Older private residences feature the Federal, Georgian and English Tudor styles. The Old Cadet Chapel is neoclassical. There are numerous monuments and statues on the grounds and even a cemetery.

The West Point Cemetery is the final resting place of eighteen Medal of Honor recipients. It's also the burial place for Winfield Scott, Earl Blaik, General William Westmoreland, George Armstrong Custer and Egbert Viele, chief engineer of Brooklyn's Prospect Park. Revolutionary War heroine Margaret Corbin is also here. She had married a man named John Corbin and when he enlisted in the First Company of Pennsylvania Artillery during the American Revolution, she joined him and historians claim she was a paid enlisted soldier. The Americans were facing an attack by the Hessians in November of 1776 at Fort Washington in New York and John was manning a gun on the ridge. He was killed and Margaret immediately jumped up to the gun and continued firing until she was downed by grapeshot wounds. She eventually made her way to Philadelphia where she came to the attention of the Executive Council and they granted her temporary relief as she was left disabled by her wounds. The Continental Congress later granted her a lifetime soldier's half-pay pension. She mustered out of the Continental Army in 1783 and she moved to Westchester County in New York and lived there until her death in 1800.

Guided tours are offered of the academy. There is a visitor's center just outside the Thayer Gate in the village of Highland Falls. There is also a West Point Museum adjacent to the visitor's center. This had formerly been Olmstead Hall and this is the oldest military museum in the country. Items on display include George Washington's pistols, Napoleon's sword, a dagger carried by Hermann Göring when he was captured, a revolver that belonged to Göring, and a silver-plated party book, signed by Charles Lindbergh, Herbert Hoover and Mussolini, among others. And there is also a gold-plated pistol that once belonged to Adolf Hitler. And then there are the ghosts! Haunting tales are very much a part of the history of West Point. Dogs staying in officers' quarters have barked at things unseen. A member of a night cleaning crew was in Building 606 when he was thrown by a malevolent spirit. He was so frightened that he quit his job. The Army's website has even documented some of these cases, giving the stories a level of credence.

Quarters 100

Several investigators and demonologists were called in to study the Superintendent's house known as Quarters 100. Lorraine Warren was one of those people and the West Point Association of Graduates website even features a picture of Warren with the then-superintendent, General Knowlton. Knowlton had Lorraine walk through and give her psychic impressions and then he took the information to the librarian to see if any of the history matched up with her impressions. The librarian was eager for the challenge, but Warren's descriptions were not a part of the regular archives and would require an extensive search of written memories from past superintendents and those were hard to come by, so the librarian was unable to verify most of the details. An archivist was able to find information on one of the ghosts later.

People generally claim that there are two spirits here. There is supposedly the spirit of an Irish maid who has been seen kneading bread in the basement kitchen. Lorraine picked up on this spirit and said of her, "She is not old, very domineering, athletically inclined, and really not quite a lady. I get a feeling of no man; if she had a husband, he was dominated while at home." And that is the impression most people get of Molly. She is a mischievous ghost. Sgt. 1st Class Andre Rush told the Times Herald-Record in 2008 that Molly likes to mess up the bed and he pointed to a bed in the basement that always looks slept in and said, "She still wants to be noticed. She digs me." The rumpled linens is one of her trademarks. She also likes to knock over wine bottles.

Warren picked up on another ghost whom she felt was a black man named Greer who was tall and slender and wearing a gray uniform. She said that he was an orderly to a superintendent and had apparently murdered someone and was stuck here because of guilt and sorrow. He regularly moved objects around the house and Knowlton experienced that phenomenon often in the house. A guest at the house even had an experience with finding an object that had been moved. This was the former superintendent of the Coast Guard Academy. He and his wife stayed overnight at Quarter 100 and when they awoke one morning, they found a wallet that belonged to someone else staying at the house, in the bed between them. Chief of USMA Archives Stanley Tozeski thought Greer could possibly be Lawrence Greer, a Buffalo Soldier who turned out to be a criminal. He said of Greer that he was "General prisoner Lawrence Greer, was definitely black, formerly a private in Troop C, 9th Calvary. He escaped from confinement at Fort Leavenworth in June of 1931 and was apprehended the following April near Albany, New York. He was brought to West Point and court-martialed for his escape and subsequent desertion. Found guilty, he was sentenced to 2 1/2 years of hard labor. However, the sentence was disapproved by command of Maj. Gen. Connor because the prisoner was judged insane at the time of his trial. We have no record of what happened to Pvt. Greer after these events." 

Room 4714

One of the most well known ghost stories occurred in Room 4714 of the North Barrack's 47th Division in Ocotber 1972. Five members of Company G-3 documented their experiences in a report. Jim O'Connor was taking a shower on October 20, 1972. His bathrobe that he had hung on the wall, started swinging like a pendulum. His water turned ice cold at the same time. The robe then stopped swinging, so he thought maybe a breeze had blown it. He turned up the heat on the water and the bathrobe started swinging again. The water turned blazing hot and O'Connor jumped out of the shower. he decided to give up for the night. O'Connor's roommate, Cadet Victor, was using the restroom the following evening and before he could push down the handle of the toilet, it flushed itself. The toilet paper roll then began unfurling. He ran to get O'Connor and when the men returned, they found half the toilet paper roll unrolled. Things ramped up the following night when O'Connor noticed a figure sitting on the toilet seat when he had finished using it. The figure was 5'6" and dressed in a worn full dress gray coat and he was holding an old musket in his right hand. the eyes were the freakiest part, they were just white. The ghost stood up and faded.

The following night, the two men were sound asleep in Room 4714 when they were awakened at 2 a.m. A ghostly soldier had manifested and was floating near the radiator, five feet off the floor. The spirit stuck around for about a minute and then disappeared. On October 30th, the apparition appeared again coming out of the wall above Victor's bed. The figure walked around Victor's section of the room, then disappeared and reappeared in O'Connor's section of the room. The room got icy cold and the ghost faded again. This experience lasted nearly ten minutes. The men finally reported their experiences to the CO and the Platoon Leader. Both these men decided to sleep in the room to see if they could get to the bottom of what was going on here. Around 1:30 a.m., the room got very cold and Platoon Leader Terry Meehan saw an image on the ceiling. He wrote of the event, "It was not as if I had been staring at the ceiling for a long time trying to see something. I just looked up, and it was there, in a 3/4 profile of the head and neck. I could see one eye blurrily. Its mouth and nose were black, as if someone was shining a flashlight under its chin. It was very cold. This lasted for about two minutes. I called the CO, and he too noticed that it was cold. We then went to sleep and the next morning climbed to see if it were a spot, a water stain, or a footprint, but found nothing. I know it was not a shadow from the window. The windows and doors had been closed and the heater turned on; we had been sweating before the occurrence, in fact."

The Assistant Brigade Adjutant, John Feeley, slept in the room the following night with O'Connor. Feeley claimed the room became very cold after 2:30 a.m. and that it felt like something was sitting on his chest. He then saw a figure manifest, wearing a coat with a high collar and said that this looked like an older man, not a cadet. The figure wore a tall hat and Feeley said, "I did not notice anything besides its lack of eyes. Rather than eyes, it had two white spots, I tried to sit up in bed twice but could not. I made the effort to scream, but the sound was cut off in the middle of my throat." He must have made some sound because O'Connor claimed that he heard Feeley yell and ran over and saw the figure just as it was going back into the wall. The spot on the wall where it disappeared was very cold. Other cadets tried staying the room and claimed to have similar experiences. They even documented the temperature changes with equipment. The psychic Jeane Dixon was best known for predicting the assassination of John F. Kennedy. She visited Room 4714 and when she started doing a cleansing, eyewitnesses claim she was lifted off of the floor and thrown from the room. She immediately left the campus and never returned. Some people thought the spirit was that of a man who died when his house burned down on a site adjacent to the 47th Division, while others blamed a seance conducted by the Warrens at Quarters 100. The building is now named Scott Barracks and the room is now a study area with no reported activity.

Quarters 107B 

Quarters 107B is a home overlooking the Hudson River on Professor's Row. The spirit that hangs out here is known as "The Lady." A professor moved into the home in the 1920s with his young wife. She became ill with a fatal disease that took its time taking her. Her mother came to live with the couple to help out with chores and to tend to her sick daughter. Apparently, the professor and mother were much closer in age and an attraction grew into love. The young wife was devastated when she heard of the affair and some say her death was quickened by a broken heart. Before she died, she made her husband promise that he would not marry her mother. He broke that promise shortly after her death and married the mother. The young wife returned in the afterlife with a vengeance. 

She made horrendous sounds described like big wheels rolling along the upstairs floor and she threw items. Other items were turned upside down and a broken clock gonged back to life. The bedroom she died in was her favorite haunt and for a time the room was sealed off because people were too scared to go inside. It was reopened in the 1950s. A family lived here in the 1970s and an 8-year-old and her sister slept in this room. There were many times that the little girl awakened her parents at night because they heard her talking to someone. The first time it happened, the parents went to her room to see who she was talking to and saw that there was no one there that they could see. Her parents asked who she was talking to and the girl answered, "The Lady." And that became her permanent nickname.

There are many haunted military bases, but West Point is probably the most prestigious. It definitely is the oldest. Having many members of the military sharing similar experiences, really gives the stories a tinge of truth. Particularly since many of them have been higher ranked. Is West Point haunted? That is for you to decide!