An Illustrated Look at Traditions of the United States Military Academy A to Z

Every summer, about a thousand of America's best and brightest young men and women show up at the granite gates of the United States Military Academy at West Point, NY. After a hug, a kiss and shared tears with parents, they are marched into a completely foreign world that reaches back more than two centuries. As they undergo a formidable 47-month challenge, they are connected to those who have gone before them - the legendary Long Gray Line - by traditions and experiences, many as old as the academy itself. "An Illustrated Look at Traditions of the United States Military Academy A to Z" includes just some of the many traditions familiar to West Pointers, both as Cadets and as "Old Grads." To outsiders, many of these will seem strange and archaic. But, as the reader can see from the included comments of more than 200 West Pointers (from classes as far back as 1843 and as recent as 2026), these traditions are enduring. They help mold the culture of America's warrior leader class.