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U.S. men and women in
uniform, and military
health insurance reform.
He also played a very
important part in the
passing of the Goldwater
-Nichols Act which drasti-
cally reduced inter-
service rivalries and sim-
plified the chain of com-
mand. The many contri-
butions Skelton has made
to this nation embody
the West
Point
motto
“Duty,
Honor,
Country.”
The Sylvanus Thayer
Award is one of many
West Point traditions and
has been presented
every year since 1958.
The award was created
in honor of Sylvanus
Thayer, the fifth superin-
tendent and “Father of
the Military Academy.”
Recipients of this award
are outstanding citizens
whose various accom-
plishments and actions
reflect the West Point
Motto, “Duty, Honor,
Country.”
Previous recipients of the
Sylvanus Thayer award
include Dwight D. Eisen-
hower, Douglas MacAr-
thur, Neil Armstrong,
Ronald Reagan, Sandra
Day O‟Connor, and The
American Soldier. Recipi-
ents can be civilian or
military but can no longer
be West Point graduates.
The recipient of the 2012
Sylvanus Thayer Award is
Isaac Newton (Ike) Skel-
ton IV. He served as a
U.S. Representative from
1977-2011 and focused
on the War in Afghani-
stan, standing up for the
Rep. Ike Skeleton By CDT Alexandra Deets ‘16
I N S I D E T H I S
I S S U E :
Class Bash 2
Room 4714 4
Brigade BOO? 5
Branching Out 6
Fall Sports 7
The Funnies 8
What’s Up W.P? 9
C H A R L I E C O M P A N Y ,
3 R D R E G I M E N T ,
U S C C
amecock
azette O C T O B E R 2 0 1 2 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 2
S E C T I O N S :
2,3 - Grad Gab
4,5 - Current Connections
6 - Game On!
8 - The Funnies
9– What’s Up West Point?
10-Letter From the Editor
Top Left: As Committee Chairman, Rep. Skeleton speaks with General McChrystal and the US Ambassador to Afghani-
stan Karl Eikenberry, Top Right: Rep. Skeleton addressing constituents
2¢
P A G E 2
Grad Gab:
Stories,
memories,
current news,
and
inspiration,
connecting
the “Old
Grads” of C-
3 to the new!
Class Bash by John Jacobsen ‘72
The 40th reunion weekend is over.
What a great weekend it was!
Many thanks to Frank Cservak for or-
ganizing and equipping the music for
the C3 party in the Thayer. We had a
very special time. Major parts of the
South Barracks Band (Otis Cservak,
Jim Spinks, Chris Kane, and Tom
Abrahamson) started the show with
familiar tunes, then the fan favor-
ites: Target Hill Blues and Pough-
keepsie Princess. (Timeless lyrics,
Kevin. Next time, Grant Hall
Girl.) Then, Jim, Chris, and Tom
headed off for their company gath-
erings. But a surprise fol-
lowed: Among the current C3 ca-
dets was one with musical talents as
well, CDT Lukas Findley. He enter-
tained us with old, new, and original
music. Who knew how much music
would help the Corps to link hands?
There‟s much more to report – not
the least of which is Otis‟ production
and distribution of the South Barracks
Band redux CD. We sold over 100 to
the class at $20 donation per copy
going to the class gift to the AOG. I
think every C3 cadet left with a
copy, but they got them for free… If
you need a copy, let us know.
Below: Members of the classes of ‘72, ‘13, ‘14, and ‘15 gather for a picture at the Thayer Hotel ‘72 C3 reunion
P A G E 3 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 2
Just to note, we all (class of ‟72) posed for a
class photo and I must admit that I and a
couple of others were incorrect when we de-
cided to recreate "Firstie" picture at Trophy
Point. Could have sworn it was at the monu-
ment, and not the cannon. Anyway, I
scanned that picture for comparison. I think
we all look pretty darn good except for a few
extra pounds and a little
less hair.
In regards to the New Mascot:
The Class of „72 follows' C3 with interest as the
Fighting Cocks, that became Game Cocks,
and are now becoming the Coyotes… At
least Coyotes eat chickens, right?
Far Left: Members of the South Barracks Band play at the ‘72 reunion, Far Right: Members of ‘72 pose during senior year, Rig ht:
Members of ‘72 today, Left: Wives of the class of ‘72 pose at Trophy Point
P A G E 4
Current
Connections:
An inside look
at what‟s
going on in
the Corps,
and the
current class
mates of C-3
in particular!
Room 4714 by CDT Alfonso Rivera ‘14
Ghost stories have the ability to convert any-
thing ordinary and make them so terrifying that
they become impossible to forget. While we
hate to admit it, everyone‟s been scared by a
ghost story at one point in their lives, and no
one can ever truly forget the moments that
were spent in fear as we‟ve waited for an in-
visible (or visible) apparition which never em-
bodied itself. This month we bring you the story
of Jim O‟Connor, his roommate and several
other who have spent the night in what has
now become the infamous Room 4714 of Scott
Barracks. Yet, rather than simply tell the tale,
we‟ve decided to search deeper into the story
by discussing its roots, seeking possible expla-
nations, and attempting to bring you a glimpse
of the rumors that have made this room truly
impossible to forget.
The Tale of Jim O’Conner and the origin of the
Ghost of West Point:
As a plebe in the class of 1976, Jim O‟ Connor
was set to spend his first semester in room 4714.
He claimed that in early October of his plebe
year he would have his first run-in with the
“ghost of west point”. The water would turn on
and on by itself, the toilet paper would unroll
itself. Connor refuses to call it a ghost, but
rather an “apparition” that he claims would
frequently disturb both him and his roommate.
On one particular night, Connor would tell the
West Point newspaper claimed that as O‟Con-
nor turned to leave the bathroom”, he noticed
someone sitting on the toilet seat: this figure
was about 5‟6” tall and „dressed in a worn full
dress gray coat.‟” He also claimed that it sat
as one would sit on a bench, holding in its right
hand an old musket with a Civil War vintage
bayonet on it. O‟Connor „was caught up with
the eyes. They were white.‟ They glowed and
they had no discernible color. He would con-
tinue to tell the paper that he did not notice
anything besides its lack of eyes,”, but “Rather
than eyes, it had two white spots. I tried to sit
up in bed twice but could not. I made an ef-
fort to scream, but the sound was cut off in the
middle of my throat.”
With all the issues coming from room 4714 and
rumors that would begin to circulate over the
ghost, on a separate night, Connor and his
roommate were assigned an upper class
guardian, to watch over him and his room-
mate during the night. O‟Conner claims that
at 3am the upperclassmen would wake up
and begin to scream because he was unable
to move and he felt that there was something
or someone holding him down. From then on
O‟Conner claimed that visits were frequent
and they were no longer forced to stay in the
same room, but would spend their nights in the
room upstairs.
On a separate occasion, the deputy chair
man of the honor committee would tell
O‟Connor that he, the superintendent and
another general officer would later escort
Jeane Dixon to the room in an attempt to ex-
orcise the ghost. For those who don‟t know,
Jeane Dixon was famous for predicting that
President Kennedy would be assassinated.
Sometime shortly after her attempt to
“exorcise” the room, the deputy chairman told
O‟Connor, that Dixon was lifted off the ground
and thrown out of the room. She left West
Point immediately afterward.
O‟Connor claims that to this day, “scary mov-
ies aren‟t scary…the way Hollywood depicts
ghosts is almost comical after what I went
through,” and that he still doesn‟t know why he
was affected. Furthermore, O‟Connor claimed
that he never really could figure out why he
was targeted by the ghost, but that the coinci-
dences of “names” were really scary. In the
1820‟s a fire in the area killed a woman by the
name of O‟Connor. Regardless, O‟Connor is
more than glad to have left the room. Luckily,
O‟Connor and his roommate were never al-
lowed to be interviewed by the media, and
their secret was well kept for many years.
Eventually, the room was eventually closed,
and is now acting as a small study room for the
H4 hogs.
A similar story is told of a cadet that, while liv-
ing in Pershing barrack was greeted by his
roommate on one of the upper levels. As the
cadet looked up, he noticed the figure of a
cadet in full dress, or what appeared to be a
civil war uniform standing next to him. How-
ever, when the cadet asked his roommate
who he had been with before he had arrived,
his roommate only replied, “nobody”.
Above: The door that
leads up to room
4714
P A G E 5 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 2
Q: So Ms. Moore what is your position on brigade, and
what is the brigade take on Halloween this year?
M: I am the BDE MWR Officer, and we will still have cos-
tumes this year for Halloween.
Q: What plans does the brigade have for the corps?
M: We will have multiple BBQ‟s but with a spin, to bring
in bands and entertainment. There will be dodge ball
and of course the possibility of beer trucks, pending
approval. We are trying to get the Corps involved in
more sporting events and having DCA activities at
those events to make them more enjoyable, but they
are in the works.
Q: Will there be a plebe Halloween dance like there
has always been?
M: Yes, there will be a plebe dance.
Q: Will costumes be allowed to be worn to class that
day, then to spirit dinner and even the dance?
M: Costumes will never be allowed to be worn during
the academic day. Costumes can be worn to spirit
dinner and it is pending on whether or not they will
have to change at the dance or not. MTF.
Q: Will there be company haunted trunk rooms/ day
rooms/ study rooms/ personal rooms, and if so what
types of prizes and requirements will be looked at
for the judging?
M: I can‟t talk about incentives as
per USCC, but I am sure we
will work something out for the
best rooms/ trunk rooms :-)
Q: What do you and your friends on the
Rabble Rousers plan to dress as?
M: We will be dressing up for the spirit dinner, and
don‟t worry we won‟t disappoint.
Q: There is rumor that a Yuk Halloween dance is
happening this year can you divulge any
information or confirm/ deny this is a possi-
bility?
M: The Yuks are not having a Halloween
dance. The 70‟s Groovy Dance is taking the
place of the Halloween dance they
missed last year!
Explanations
Other than the mysterious woman named O‟Connor that
died near the campus, there are really no other stories
that could explain where the apparition in 4714 may
have come from. Nonetheless, there may be one
explanation that can explain several of the stories
that have circulated about what is now being
called the “Ghost of West Point”.
In many of these stories, there is a common
tendency for a cadet that is being haunted
to feel as if there is a force being placed in the mid-
dle of their chest. This feeling leaves the victim of a
“haunting” to have difficulty moving and they are rendered
helpless by this unseen force. Yet according to Retired LT.
Col. Timothy O‟Neil, a former professor at West Point, the ex-
planation could be found by taking the time to research
what is called REM sleep.
During the REM sleep cycle, our muscles are paralyzed to
prevent us from walking or moving during our dreams. How-
ever, in the rare occasion that we do happen to wake up
during the REM cycle, all muscles become paralyzed and
the human body (while fully awake) is unable to move. LT
Col. O‟Neil would write in a 1990 article for the West Point
alumni Magazine that, “The dream will mix the objective sen-
sations of the real environment. This event, called hypna-
gogic hallucination, can be frighteningly real and terrifyingly
so if the dream content is nightmare like to begin with.”
Therefore, it is entirely possible for the cadets to have felt a
presence in the room and even see a ghost, but it would
have only been part of their sleep cycle. Unfortunately this
would fail to explain a lot of other tales around the acad-
emy. If this was a case of a disturbed REM cycle why do all
of the “Ghosts of west Point” appear to be the same figure in
a dress gray coat? Likewise, how likely is it that two people
see the exact same being within the span of a weekend?
Nothing can be certain about room 4714. Since there have
been no official reports on the room as of yet. Likewise, none
of what O‟Connor has said can be proven true. If there is
something in room 4714, it will have to be up to the individual
cadet to find out. O‟Connor claims that the occurrences
began in October, and whoever‟s willing to tackle the mys-
teries of this room head on; will find that the doors to the H4
study room are always open.
References:
Article: http://suite101.com/article/ghosts-of-west-point-usma-a65208
Article: http://www.stripes.com/blogs/the-rumor-doctor/the-rumor-
doctor-1.104348/is-west-point-s-room-4714-haunted-1.158748
YouTube video/ Interview:http://www.youtube.com/watch?
Brigade BOO? By CDT Nick Kagen ‘13
P A G E 6
Game On!
This section is
all about C-3.
From ancient
relics to cur-
rent events,
this page is
all about us,
the Game
Cocks!
Branching Out By Micah Uchida ‘15
One of the most notable events of September
took place the week of the 10th, as the De-
partment of Military Instruction hosted the first
annual Branch Week, bringing in representa-
tives from 16 branches of the Army into the
Cadet Area to raise awareness and educate
the Corps of Cadets to better prepare them
for their very near future.
Some branches had a larger presence than
others; representatives from Aviation made
quite a show on the Sunday prior to Branch
week, landing in front of Washington Hall in
an AH-64A Apache and a UH-60L Blackhawk,
which many cadets had the opportunity to
ride in during Cadet Summer Training. Many
other branches brought their own heavy ma-
chinery and equipment for cadets to experi-
ence, including an M1A2 Abrams from Armor,
an M1117 Armored Security Vehicle brought
by the Military Police, and a M1127 Recon-
naissance Vehicle from the Stryker family,
brought by the Infantry representatives. The
cadets were invited to jump into the weapons
systems, and between all the camera-phone
pictures, a real appreciation for the machines
that our lives depend on was made. Aside
from heavy weaponry, each branch brought
with them incredible teams of officers (many
of whom were former West Point cadets), non
-commissioned officers, and junior enlisted
soldiers who became highly concentrated
centers of experience from all aspects of any
given branch, capable of satiating even the
most knowledge-yearning cadets.
The week concluded with the annual Com-
bined-Arms tailgate. The visiting soldiers were
invited to watch Army take on Northern Illinois
at Michie Stadium prior to hosting a tailgate
for interested cadets, where they could find
refreshments, a final chance to pick the
brains of each specialist, and get free branch
merchandise, of course.
Overall, the first annual Branch Week was a
success, allowing cadets to not only learn
about prospective jobs, but to meet the men
and women to do it every day across the
nation and overseas. The branches also had
a chance to make a strong first impression on
the Class of 2016 and cadets from the upper
classes who have yet to decide their futures.
P A G E 7 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 2
Branching Out By Micah Uchida ‘15
C-3 Sports at it again...
Fall sports have traditionally been the Game-
cocks time to shine, and they are at it again
this year. C-3 has the whole spectrum cov-
ered from IMs to Corps squad, and Clubs
Squads in between. A few highlights are to
follow, of the gallant athletes leading the
Gamecocks to victory.
IM flag football is trying to recapture the
glory of winning a brigade championship
two years ago. Lead by Tyler Glasz and
Mark Van Kopp, and coached by Alfonso
Rivera, the Gamecocks recently destroyed F-
3 a reported 57-0.
The cross country team is looking much bet-
ter this year says Ricky Galindo, who leads
the Army XC team this year, and thinks the
team stands a good chance at beating Navy
this year. Plebe Thomas Girardot looked
strong at Army’s last home meet and is a
great hope for the future of the team.
Left tackle on the sprint football team, Pete
Duff, is extremely optimistic about the com-
ing season. Duff has used his motivation to
play to get back on the field early from a se-
vere knee injury. When asked Army’s pros-
pects of beating Navy, Duff just laughs,
“The Squids don’t stand a chance this year.”
Pioneering a relatively new sport for women
in the US is Christine Esachina, captain of
the women’s team handball team. Though
there are only three college teams in the US,
Army finds stiff competition from the Cana-
dian teams. Esachina says, “We play against
women who have been playing for as long as
we’ve been alive,” but adds that Army out
plays their superior skill and experience with
better physicality and endurance.
The Gamecock Gazette wishes these game-
cocks good luck and a great season. We
wish all our athletes a good season be it IMs,
Club, or Corps Squad. C-3, take the time to
go cheer on your
company mates
this fall and
show eve-
ryone we
are the
most
spirited
company
in the corps!
Sports
By Seth Harbol „14
P A G E 8
The Funnies Page Related to Cadet Life… Kind of…
The Funnies:
Finding the
comedy in
every situation...
even cadet life.
What’s Up West
Point?:
Find out what‟s
going on at
West Point.
From Ike Hall
productions, to
cadet activities,
if you‟re visiting
West Point or a
permanent resi-
dent, this is the
place to look
and see what is
going on at our
“Stony Castle”
on the hill.
school
Columbus Day
What’s Up West Point? A look at what’s happening in August...
P A G E 9 V O L U M E 3 , I S S U E 2
Come SUPPORT West Point Athletics!
To get further information about what is happening at West Point visit: Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/WestPointUSMA and Twitter: http://twitter.com/WestPoint_USMA
Swimming/Diving 4 Team Meet West Point 5:00PM 10/05/12
Sprint Football vs. Cornell West Point 7:00PM 10/05/12
Football vs. Boston College West Point 12:00PM 10/06/12
(W) Volleyball vs. Holy Cross West Point 7:30PM 10/06/12
(M) Soccer vs. American West Point 7:30PM 10/06/12
Rifle vs. W. Virginia West Point 9:00AM 10/07/12
(W) Volleyball vs. Lehigh West Point 7:00PM 10/12/12
Football vs. Kent State West Point 12:00PM 10/13/12
(W) Volleyball vs. Lafayette West Point 7:30PM 10/13/12
(M) Soccer vs. Colgate West Point 7:30PM 10/13/12
(W) Soccer vs. Lehigh West Point 1:00PM 10/14/12
Rifle vs. Memphis West Point 3:00PM 10/15/12
(W) Soccer vs. Navy West Point 7:00PM 10/19/12
Hockey vs. Sacred Heart West Point 7:05PM 10/19/12
(W) Volleyball vs. Navy West Point 8:00PM 10/19/12
(W) Tennis ITA Regionals West Point All Day 10/19/12
(W) Tennis ITA Regionals West Point All Day 10/19/12
Sprint Football vs. Princeton West Point 1:00PM 10/20/12
(M) Soccer vs. Bucknell West Point 7:00PM 10/20/12
(W) Volleyball vs. American West Point 4:00PM 10/20/12
(W) Tennis ITA Regionals West Point All Day 10/21/12
(W) Soccer vs. American West Point 1:00PM 10/21/12
(W) Tennis ITA Regionals West Point All Day 10/22/12
(W) Volleyball vs. Manhattan West Point 7:00PM 10/24/12
Swimming/Diving vs. Connecticut West Point 6:00PM 10/26/12
Hockey vs. Penn State West Point 7:05PM 10/26/12
Football vs. Ball State West Point 12:00PM 10/27/12
(M) Soccer vs. NJIT West Point 7:00PM 10/30/12
us up to date on the happenings
of your class. We all enjoy hear-
ing and learning from your ex-
periences.
Thank you to all the cadets who
took time out of their busy
schedule’s to submit articles and
add to our gazette. The paper
would not be the same without
your, photos, thoughts, and sto-
ries.
Again, I hope you enjoyed the
latest issue of the Gamecock Ga-
zette. If you have any comments,
recommendations, or if you
would like to submit an article/
picture, please feel free to con-
tact me through the information
I hope you all enjoyed this issue
of the Gamecock Gazette. In
this edition I wanted to focus on
the academy during the fall.
From articles about the October
Thayer Award Recipient, fall
sports schedule, football week-
end class reunions, to the first
ever Branch Week, and haunts
around the barracks, I think
we’ve accomplished our mission.
A special thank you to the class
of ‘72! We thoroughly enjoyed
our selves at your reunion and
appreciate the time and effort
you put in to making the event
enjoyable and fun for all classes
present. Thank you as well for
sending your pictures into the
Gamecock Gazette and keeping
listed above. Remember, keep a
look out for the November issue
of the Gamecock Gazette! Game
On!
Respectfully,
CDT Alexis Salmon
Company C-3, USCC
Class of 2014, USMA
Company C-3 TAC Officer:
MAJ Arthur Rutnarak
(845) 938-2101
Company C-3 TAC NCO:
SFC Scott Swanson
(845) 938-2694
As we start out a new volume, The Gamecock Gazette solicits you
to share more of your stories about your cadet, military, and civil-
ian experiences. The Gamecock Gazette connects current C-3
Cadets with the Old Graduates of C-3, keeping people informed
with a few good laughs. This newsletter will also document C-3’s
history in the making.
For November’s issue, in honor of Veteran’s Day, we ask
graduates to send in articles about their time in the Army.
From combat stories, to leadership suggestions, and even on
just being an officer, all are welcome.
If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions for the news-
letter, please get in touch with C-3 through any of the contacts to
the left.
Thank you for all of your contributions and stories. This newsletter
couldn’t have worked without your help and support. We hope
you’ve enjoyed another issue of the Gamecock Gazette!
GAMECOCK GAZETTE
Charlie Company, 3rd Regiment, USCC
Letter From the Editor by CDT Alexis Salmon ‘14
Gamecock Gazette
Editor:
CDT Alexis Salmon
P.O. Box 3586
West Point, NY 10997
(845) 515-5485
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