Small Wars Journal

A West Pointer Comes Home

Tue, 07/05/2016 - 9:02am

A West Pointer Comes Home by William McGurn, Wall Street Journal

Tom Surdyke was a real-live Yankee Doodle Dandy, right down to his date of birth—the Fourth of July.

This one would have been his 19th. But instead of celebrating with cake and fireworks, this Independence Day Tom’s family wrapped him in their love for the last time and buried him here along the Hudson, at the academy that was his destiny and is now his final resting place: West Point.

This columnist met Tom two Sundays ago, while he was visiting fellow cadet James Crimmins in our New Jersey hometown of Madison. After church, we were introduced to a young man who radiated decency and strength.

My mind reacted as a father’s. How splendid it would be, I thought to myself, if one day I were to open my front door to someone calling on one of my three daughters—and find standing before me a young man like this one…

Read on.