Posted on 09/07/2008 2:33:53 PM PDT by Dawnsblood
Grant ranked 21st out of 39. Not exactly top or bottom but certainly not reflecting his future success. On the other hand Lee ranked 2nd in his class.
The author, in my opinion, left something out. Frequently, such cadets / middies / whatever are where they are in the class standings for one simple reason - they’re bored. Add boredom to a streak of nonconformity, and you end up with someone (a) who graduates near the bottom of their Academy class; and (b) who, by definition, thinks outside of the box.
It’s called “thinking outside the box”.
Doctor
All this genius had to do was to read McCain’s book “Faith of my Fathers”.
In the book McCain states that his Father was also “unruly” and was unsure if he, too, could live up to the family obligations. He has family that has fought for America going back to the Revolutionary War.
And he learned the hard way.
A magnificent article you found us!
I don’t feel so bad for being in the bottom third of the class, now...
What do you call a law student who graduates at the top of his Harvard class?
LIBERAL.
“I don’t feel so bad for being in the bottom third of the class, now...”
Are you Joe Biden?
Wasn’t Custer dead last, and go on to become the youngest US general of all time? Of course, he did have some problems later on.
There is a good video here.
Amon Bronson was anchorman of 1896. His first assignment after graduation was aboard the USS Maine, and he was asleep in his bunk on February 15, 1898 when the ship blew up in Havana Harbor. Bronson survived, and went on to command the U.S.S. Denver and U.S.S. St. Louis during World War I. For his service he was awarded the Navy Cross.
This is probably wrong. A Navy Cross is awarded for heroism, not service. Any swabees out there care to confirm or deny?
I do however agree with the author's contention that those at the bottom of the class tend to be risk takers, while implying those at the top of the class pretty much follow the academy's party line. Such was my experience at USMA.
Flame away starmen!
I think the bottom of the class tend ornery, too. They aren’t terribly submissive, in general. That’s bad for your rank and file but can be the sign of a great leader.
Leaders don’t often exhibit tendencies to follow others well. It’s not their personality.
McCain flew missions through the gates of Hell and the pissant who wrote this isn’t fit to shine his shoes. Obama is a lawyer whose most difficult decision in his life was whether he should have gone to Harvard or Yale.
No.
No.
No, you got that one wrong! It was between whether to have the almond nicoise salad with arugula or the Tuscan salad with radicchio and extra virgin olive oil...
And was a clerk in his father's store when the war started.
He never wanted to go to West Point and a military career wasn't his goal, but he did believe in the cause.
No no no. That was John Kerry.
For Obama it was between the Falafel and kouskous with Rezko, or the brown rice and tofu and with Ayers.
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