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Crimson Fans Inspect West Point, Depart

Cadets, Brass, Mules Command Attention

By Don Carswell

On Saturday about a thousand undergraduates cruised up to West Point, lingered for periods up to eight hours, and finally drove away. Most of them spent at least two hours stalled on route 218, the Military Academy's vaunted traffic artery. A few were impressed with the institution; the rest were veterans.

At 12:45 p.m., the Cadets paraded before more brass than there is in the Harvard Band. The ceremony was impressive, though one soul remarked that they looked like male-Rockettes, and another suggested that they spell out letters for variety.

The Army sat in its customary spot in Michie Stadium, a block extending from the fifty to the thirty-five. The Harvard sections were in the temporary visitors stand and extended from both forties down toward the goal lines. Between the forties were 700 of McBride's best customers.

Mules and Fools

Three mules of varying sizes were on hand to represent the Army along with three Cadet riders. The long-earned creatures were apparently not up for the game. They were momentarily confused by the number of Harvard musicians vying for the spotlight, and thrown into a panic by a costumed gentleman from a local comic publication.

All vistors were impressed by two features of the Cadet corps: 1) the number of men who boasted shattered limbs, sprained ankles and various other physical disabilities. 2) the fact that the friends of every Cadet were exactly the same size as he was. Either the men are assigned to platoons according to height or the Cadets are a more uniform body than this department was led to believe.

Epithets Stun Ushers

Perhaps the most uncomfortable people in the stands were the Army ushers in the Harvard section. Dubious officiating had Crimson rooters blaspheming everything the regular Army holds sacred.

The story of the afternoon was summed up in a little incident that happened after the game. A brown limousine nosed through the post-game crowd carrying General Omar Bradley. All Cadets sprang to the curb and snapped to attention; the Harvard partisans continued undisturbed down the road to the parking-lots.

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