Ring Melt

I saw the pictures but what was the point of this? Why are they melting their rings?
 
I saw the pictures but what was the point of this? Why are they melting their rings?

The description for the album says it:

"It is a wonderful tradition that physically and symbolically ties the new graduates to the members of the Long Gray Line."
 
The description for the album says it:

"It is a wonderful tradition that physically and symbolically ties the new graduates to the members of the Long Gray Line."

Definitely one of the coolest traditions of any of the academies. :thumb:
 
The description for the album says it:

"It is a wonderful tradition that physically and symbolically ties the new graduates to the members of the Long Gray Line."

Well thats an interesting tradition. I wouldn't have expected this. The Corps is definitely a special place
 
Melted Rings

Most of the rings that are melted are from grads that have passed away.

There is also a display in the library covering a lot of the rings through out the years that were donated by the families of the fallen.

Our class is notified each time a member has passed. The remembrance of each classmate and general sense of loss is actually the remarkable part of the process.
 
12th Annual West Point Memorial Class Ring Melt

My father was a 1953 West Point graduate. Sadly he passed in June 2010 and was buried with honors at Arlington National Cemetary in September 2010. My family and I have honored his wish to donate his class ring for this year's Ring Melt. I admit I had reservations about donating his ring because it does mean alot to my family. However my father's life was the military and he generously donated till his death to many military causes that benefited soldiers throughout the world. He was extremely devoted to his fellow servicemen and women and lived his life by the codes and beliefs instilled in him at West Point. I realized that donating his ring for future cadets was his way of passing on the same tradition he lived his life by. The long gray line. I am honored to be the family representative at the ring melt ceremony and look forward to sharing my father's memorabilia with the representative cadets. My father would have been so proud. Duty, Honor, Country!
 
It's wonderful that you donated the ring. My will directs that my ring jewels stay with my family, but that the body goes to the Ring Melt.
 
Ring

We had the stone removed from the ring before it was donated. I was to accompany my mother to the ceremony but she is too ill to attend. I know it will be an emotional time for me but I can suck it up for my father. I will walk away with a better understanding of what it means to to be a cadet in the USMA.
 
CGA has something similar as well, where rings from the "50-year ago" class of 1962 (what they call the "Link In The Chain") are melted and added to the gold for the class of 2012 rings.

http://www.uscga1962.org/link_chain/link_ringLegacy.htm

West Point started doing it in 2002, not sure when CGA or USNA began.

(Can we call it a "tradition" if it's only 10 years old?)

https://community.usna.com/SSLPage.aspx?pid=493

USNA started in 2005....following big brother's lead, as usual :wink:
 
Carolm,
My son is a 2013 cadet and is in the process of placing his ring order. I am so touched by your post and your family's contribution to a tradition that my son is honored to be a part of. Thank you and may the memory of your father live with each of the cadets who are benefitting from his service to our country and your generousity.
<3
 
so, are we settled then that this is a:

nascent tradition started at the USMA in 2002? :biggrin:
 
Another13mom:
My father had discussed with my mother that if he should pass sooner than later, he wanted his ring donated at the 2012 ceremony because it would be included in the batch for the class of 2013; the 60th anniversay of his graduation from the USMA. It's hard to let the ring go BUT we know of it's importance to the cadets who follow in his footsteps. It's so nice to know the gift is truely appreciated.
 
Yes, as far as tradition at West Point goes, this one was just started yesterday. Carolm, thank you for your family’s contribution to the Long Gray Line.

When my husband was working as a funeral director he presided over the services of a few academy grads. One family in particular honored the wishes of the deceased by burying the ring with the individual. My husband took great delight in coming home and informing me of this, knowing that I would completely freak out. Which I did. “Didn’t they know about the ring melt program? Didn’t they know about the collection in the library? Didn’t they want to pass it on to future generations, knowing what the ring represents? Now it’s gone forever!” The answers were yes, yes, and no. The ring was such a part of him that the family could not imagine separating the two. Honoring his wish was of course the only proper thing to do. When I think about it now, it kind of warms my heart…..those rings really do mean something important!
 
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