by Albert R. Hunt | Bloomberg News

“Spending a couple of days at West Point, especially coming from Washington, is uplifting.

“The majesty of the setting high above the Hudson River — where George Washington set up his headquarters in 1779 — inspires. Compelling, too, is the character of the cadets at the U.S. Military Academy.

“Whether they are asking vigorous questions in social science class or displaying the precision of the Long Gray line on parade, the cadets inhabit a world imbued with the auras of Dwight Eisenhower, Douglas MacArthur or John Pershing. Their presence also pervades the playing fields, in the cheering for the women’s volleyball team — the chief cheerleaders were General Ray Odierno, the Army chief of staff, and Lieutenant General Robert Caslen, the superintendent of the Academy — or when the football squad plays in historic Michie Stadium.

“Duty, honor and country are woven into the fabric of the 211-year-old institution.”

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