West Point Warriors: Profiles of Duty, Honor, and Country in Battle

CARHART REVIEWWEST POINT WARRIORS is an inspiring, highly readable book written by Tom Carhart, an USMA graduate of impeccable credentials. At once warrior and scholar, Carhart has two Purple Hearts from Vietnam combat, a law degree from the University of Michigan, and a PhD from Princeton in Military and American History. Further, he has held positions ranging from Policy Analyst with the Rand Corporation Santa Monica, Editor of "European Taxation" in Amsterdam, to being an international corporate lawyer in Brussels. He has also written three other books on battles in Vietnam and in the Gulf War.WEST POINT WARRIORS yields not only fascinating history of the Point but includes amazing vignettes about various cadets. One, a high school drop out founded AOL; another, who as a cadet fired a cannon in the mess hall, is currently the Secretary of the Army; and, of course, many more became equally successful in the Army and in business. From blood and guts battles scenes both on the ground and in the air to poignant memories of spouses and fellow warriors, the book is gripping and revealing. Laced throughout is the theme, always do the right thing.Never one to write a puff piece, Tom Carhart details the appalling treatment of Blacks in the early years (General Benjamin O. Davis suffered four years of the silent treatment), the malaise after the Vietnam War, decline of West Point graduates attaining flag rank, and Congressional mandates of political correctness. Then Carhart goes on to outline a program he believes will enhance West Point's future in both the military and academic communities. But one must read the book to learn of this innovative project. WEST POINT WARRIOR is a must for the shelf of the serious student of warriors, from whence warriors came and why they are the way they are.

I have read the book twice now. It is wonderful reading that makes you proud to be an American and understand the sacrifices that are made for us all by men/women that you will never meet. People that you will never know so much as their name. I served in the Army as an enlisted man, and I never knew until I read Tom's book just how much the men and women of West Point have put on the line for me. This is a wonderful overview of the men/women of West Point. If you have a child that you think does not have good grasp on just how wonderful they have it in life, get this book for them. It really puts a warm spot in your heart to know just how much people like Tom have done for us all. Tom was twice wounded and awarded the Purple Heart. I took a Civil War history class from Tom just before the book was released and his knowledge of military history is far more than what can be fit into this book. This is a brief history of some of the men from the "Long Grey Line". I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to know just what a hero is. After 9-11-01 we as a country say we know, but do you?

Tom Carhart knows how to tell a story and he knows how to write.I found the book to contain great stories about some prominent and some little known West Point graduates and their heroic contributions in battle.The historical details of their lives, told in narrative fashion, presents interesting and entertaining reading.Many of the historical facts were new to me. I enjoyed the book tremendously.

After some 29 years since R Day (I reported on 2 July 1973), I thoroughly enjoyed "West Point Warriors' by Tom Carhart.Some of the profiles were obviously familiar but chapters that dealt with the likes of Henry O. Flipper truly reminded me of the many graduates who so honorably served their country without complaining and without any expectation of anything but the Honor & Privilege of helping preserve our nation as our Founding Fathers had established. The book is a true testament that ultimately Duty-Honor-Country will overcome what appears to be insurmountable odds.Many of the stories I had heard while at West Point (WP) but for those that have not had the privilege to attend or visit WP I think it would be help put WP in a positive light (both historically and professionally). I was also intrigued by the idea of a graduate school of Military History and Leadership at West Point.Thanks Tom!

This is a book every American should read. Dr. Tom Carhart's West Point Warriors compiles the human stories of heroic young officers from the War of 1812 to present day Afghanistan as they meet the challenges of combat on land, sea and in the air. It will make you proud of America's soldiers and their leaders.Dr. Carhart, a frequent contributor to ASSEMBLY (West Point's alumni magazine) and a Ph.D. in history from Princeton, attacks the task of chronicling the "warrior spirit" of West Point in a unique way--by telling the story of 200 years of valor through the combat experiences of selected graduates, both famous and obscure--except that many of the stories of the famous are taken from their developmental years, not their years of high command and grand strategy. In some cases, he also reveals the human element of the women these warriors left behind. In all, it captures the essence of the West Point warrior through the years and around the world. The opening chapter concentrates on West Point's first super-hero, Eleazar Derby Wood, Class of 1806. In old paintings of the fledgling academy, the obelisk that was Wood's monument stood proudly on The Plain (West Point's parade ground). Now it reposes in the oldest section of the cemetery. Few Americans are aware of this graduate, who distinguished himself in the War of 1812 as an engineer, artilleryman, and infantryman and died leading a sortie out of Ft. Erie to break a British seige by a vastly superior force. But many Americans have stood on the site of his monument in New York harbor, for the base of the Statue of Liberty is the concrete-filled Ft. Wood.Two familiar figures emerge in the chapter devoted to the War with Mexico--Robert E. Lee, Class of 1829, and Ulysses S. Grant, Class of 1843. Carhart puts a very human and detailed face upon the valor, dedication, and audacity of two young officers who later would play major roles in the history of our country. The list of graduates honored includes the gallant John Pelham, ex-Class of 1861 and a Confederate, and Patrick Henry O'Rorke, Class of June 1861 and a Union officer (both would die young in the Civil War); Henry O. Flipper, Class of 1877, the first African American graduate; Douglas MacArthur '03 and George S. Patton, Jr. '09--but for WWI, not WWII; Benjamin O.Davis, Jr.'36 (a Tuskegee Airman) and "Red" Reeder '26 (author of numerous books after losing a leg at Normandy) for WWII; Joe Clemons '51 (of Pork Chop Hill fame) for the Korean War; Fred Franks '59 (of Desert Storm fame) and Rocky Versace '59 (recently awarded the Medal of Honor posthumously for heroic resistance while a POW until finally executed in retalliation) for the Viet Nam War; and CPT Jason L. Amerine '93 for the war against terrorism in Afghanistan. All in all, a fascinating and compelling book about West Point, the Army and our country over the past 200 years.