1966 WEST POINT U.S. ARMY MILITARY ACADEMY RECRUITING FILM FILM

Year Published: 1966

Creator: U S Army

Format: 16mm

Description: This U.S. Army film "The Making of a Leader" dates to 1966 -- the Vietnam War era -- and shows the operation of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point. Targeted at male high school students, the film explains how cadets at West Point receive military training in addition to a well-rounded education. It will follow one cadet’s journey from high school to becoming a member of the corps, life as a cadet and finally, graduation. The film begins with a montage of some of the leaders who emerged from West Point including Gen. MacArthur and Gen. Eisenhower, before showing a high school student eating lunch with his fellow students, and meeting with a guidance counselor about West Point. (1:01). Annually thousands apply to the school though the selection process is strict and not all will be accepted (1:30). The film informs viewers that the best ally to discover your qualifications is your guidance consular (1:36). West Point has up to date curriculums in addition to modern buildings and educational equipment (1:50). The application process follows beginning with the first step which is to write US senators and local congressional representatives for nominations (2:10). After this step, potential students are tested in an Army facility near their home (2:19) for physical, health and academic aptitude (2:27). The entryway into West Point follows (2:30) and men inside are seen learning how to operate weapons (2:58), conducting drills (3:06) and marching precisely in unison with one another (3:19). Cadets receive a balance of classroom studies as well as physical training in combat courses in the field (3:25). A religious service on the campus follows as cadets had a variety of extracurricular activities they could participate in (4:23). Courses provided include advanced technological studies as well as the essentials such as math, science, engineering and social sciences (4:55). Class size is small and instruction was individual (5:17). Cadets were to select their specific area of study by the third year and were to pick their electives from this (5:30). The computer center follows (6:04), with shots of a General Electric mainframe being used on a closed circuit, instructional television system which was part of the communications program (6:18). West Point was ranked in the mid to late sixties as fourth among American colleges in number of Rhodes Scholars that it sent to Oxford (6:48) and 75% of graduates went on to receive a masters or doctorate degree (6:56). Cadets learned to use machine guns, tanks and other military weapons here (7:16). Through their extensive program, cadets obtained necessary leadership skills (7:27) and before graduation they would also have studied military history and strategy (7:38). Here a cadet is showing a musket used in the Revolutionary War which required its members to have teeth so that they could bite off the paper cartridge in order to dump in the gun powder (7:52). Sports were of high importance and cadets could participate in them at the varsity, intramural or club level (8:33). What appears to be a tutoring session turns out to be a date (8:57) and as informed by the narrator, cadets would have ample time to date in addition to their courses and trainings. The film provides a montage of what is available to students of West Point (9:25). Graduates were also able to join the NASA program and a few famous names that attended the school follow including Ulysses S. Grant (9:55), Dwight Eisenhower, Edward White and Frank Borman (10:02). The film concludes on West Point’s crest (10:44).

Transcription

[Music] you know the Army roll [Music] [Music] [Applause] it begins with a young man a high school student determined to get the best college education he [Music] can this year thousands of young men like this will take on a challenge which can lead them to one of the finest educational institutions in the world the United States Military Academy at West Point New York thousands apply but but only the best are chosen your guidance counselor is the best person to contact for information about admission to West Point it's an upto-date educational institution and I don't mean just new buildings and Facilities I mean the whole Academic Program there's plenty of flexibility in the curriculum 110 elective courses it's up to you to select what you want your guidance come coun will tell you that the requirements are tough he'll help you size up your chances of meeting them the first step is to write your US senators and local congressional representative for a nomination if you pass this hurdle you'll be tested in an army facility near your home for academic Excellence medical Fitness and physical aptitude if you make the grade here you you're on your way to being a Cadet a member of the [Music] core how does West Point go about the making of a leader it tests your guts your ability to take it you learn to follow orders so that later on you can give them you learn the value of precision and [Music] decision your mind is stretched and your body strengthened your life as a Cadet is full of new accomplishments and new [Music] challenges to develop an army officer capable of leading in combat or presiding at the conference table West Point has pioneered a one-of-a-kind philosophy of education the development of Excellence through academics military training [Music] Athletics and a full program of extracurricular activities [Music] [Music] a member of the core develops his full intellectual capacities through West Point's unique classroom procedures advanced techn iCal facilities and wide range of essential courses in math science engineering social sciences and the humanties classes are small instruction is individual classroom participation is required by his third year each Cadet chooses an academic area of concentration from which he selects his electives the possibilities cover the complete range of higher education political philosophy sociology fluid mechanics civil engineering solid state Electronics management international relations and contemporary literature the educational facility is are Advanced West Point has its own computer center with a handson policy for all students instructional television system part of a modern Communications [Music] program presence a complete Nuclear Physics [Music] lab one test of a good education system is in results West Point teaches you to think logically precisely creatively and quickly West Point ranks fourth among American colleges in the number of Road Scholars it sent to Oxford further approximately 75% of all graduates go on to attain Master's or doctor's degrees it was Plato who said only the dead have seen the end of War perhaps someday this 2,000-year-old statement will not be true until then America is dedicated to military Readiness West Point is a keystone of that Readiness in military training one of the major areas of Cadet life life a Cadet develops qualities of leadership before he graduates a Cadet will also study military history and strategy all designed to serve him and his country in his career as a professional Soldier the paper cartridge all right one requirement for the Revolutionary War soldier was that he had his own teeth he had to bite off a portion into the cartridge and pour powder in the pan close the frisen and he would pour the remain last year every Army team in every sport had a winning season the spirit of competition and the will to win is strong at the [Music] point you who will participate in Varsity Sports or at the intramural or Club level coaching is the best competition is intense you strive for victory in everything the spirit of competition instilled in a man at West Point is one of the great things a man can carry into the world at the point Cadets can take on as many extracurricular activities as possible one of the most popular dating a well-rounded man must know about women there's time for that [Music] too academics military training Athletics activities character development the pillars of a West Point education how do they shape your future you're prepared for leadership in a branch of your choice for graduate school or for a dramatic New National Endeavor like space your prospects are excellent for a full and successful career for West Point has helped to make some of the great leaders of our history Grant Lee persing Eisenhower Bradley MacArthur West Morland Ed White and Frank Borman Pioneers in space can you qualify for the point you'll never know until you try of course it's not an easy decision to make the challenge is a big one but thousands of leaders of men have marched in the long Gray Line before you if you make it you like them will know all your life that you've developed the very best that's in you West Point it begins with a young man and it ends with a leader

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