Welcome Home

Welcome Home

Yesterday was "the big game" and last night was the party. Every school has a homecoming game, where the alumni return to act like kids again, showoff their success, and get their pockets picked by school administrators. That's not what I'm talking about.

Most teams in most sports, at most schools, have an end of season party where the team members share a quiet time trying to preserve what they know will slip into history in just an hour or so. The seniors will never again don the uniform and do battle on the field of college athletics. Graduation is just over the horizon. Then it's on to jobs, wives, babies, a mortgage. That's only part of what I'm talking about.

At this school, there is only one game that matters. It is the biggest of big games. The party is extra special, and the cameras click furiously. Very few understand.

In this morning's Daily News was a picture from our party, with all of us sitting on and standing behind the big couch. How did that happen? When was that picture taken? Who took the picture? Several of the guys had cameras. How did the News get the photo? Why did they publish it? Something is wrong with this picture.

There are several people in that picture who were not on the team and not at the party. Their images are a bit faded, and they are dressed funny. Who are they? What does the caption say?

Back row, third from left: John Dalton (Class 1911), deceased Mar 1919.

Center row, fourth from the right: Tom Hamilton (Class 1927), deceased Apr 1994.

Seated, second from the left: Jonas Ingram (Class 1907), deceased Sep 1952.

You are always welcome at the ARMY - NAVY game. That's what I'm talking about.

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