The new Cadet under pressure

Thayer2

Bill Thayer
5-Year Member
Joined
Aug 24, 2010
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4
One of the hardest things for a New Cadet or a Plebe is to keep your sanity under all the pressure. The advice very frequently heard — and it's good, as far as it goes — is to try to see the funny side, the ridiculous in things as much as you can. When I was a Cadet, I had a tough time doing it, and looking back, it was the single preponderant factor in my not making it thru my 4th Class year.

Written by a Cadet during his days at West Point, week by week on the heels of what he was living thru, the Diary of Ducrot Pepys immediately became a Corps favorite: it has helped many cadets put things into perspective and keep their sanity. I wish I had known of it and read it before my own time as a Cadet.

Last month, on investigation, I discovered that (a) the little book was not online anywhere, and (b) it is out of copyright. I've therefore rushed to put it on my West Point site. Although it sits among a pile of other more sober books and articles on the Academy, it still may be the most useful thing for a plebe, a candidate, and even a young person considering applying — who can get a feel for the aggravations, ahead of time.... A few things have changed, of course, but not that much.
 
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Your first post 2 years ago says you attended the Air Force Academy.
 
Last month, on investigation, I discovered that (a) the little book was not online anywhere, and (b) it is out of copyright.

Google it. Amazon and about 3 other sites have it.
 
Your first post 2 years ago says you attended the Air Force Academy.

Yes, I did. See my bio. I'm not the clearest writer.

Hmm, I try to be helpful — the book is NOT on GoogleBooks, except as teases, and Amazon means a purchase (think before you write) — and, here at least, I get a barrage of unpleasantness for my trouble. Most of the books on my West Point site are not online elsewhere: Waugh, the Cadet Chapel, etc. (Cullum's Register is, although as membra disjecta.)
 
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Yes, I did. See my bio I'm not the clearest writer.

Hmm, I try to be helpful — the book is NOT on GoogleBooks, except as teases, and Amazon means a purchase (think before you write) — and, here at least, I get a barrage of unpleasantness for my trouble. Most of the books on my West Point site are not online elsewhere: Waugh, the Cadet Chapel, etc. (Cullum's Register is, although as membra disjecta.)

You have posted 3 times, all 3 have been to advertise your own website.

JMS did think before he posted, and was correct.

Your complaining about getting unpleasantness for your trouble, your 3 posts are not in response to any question and serve only to promote your website, this is not the place to do that.
 
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If you consider the above to be a barrage of unpleasantness, your skin must be diaphanous.

I've sampled the diary of Ducrot Pepys on the website you are promoting. Apart from the mild emulation of Samuel Pepys I don't find much literary merit there. It appears to have been written as an inside joke for the author's pals.
 
Literary merit, you're right. Not much. As I mentioned in my initial post, it's intended as help for new cadets under pressure, for which a couple of generations of West Pointers can vouch. It doesn't emulate Pepys in the least, by the way, other than the nod to the famous diarist's name.

Promoting a website. I do admit it's on my website. However, I derive no income, no academic credit or anything else from it. The site is meant to be useful; and succeeds, to judge from my mail. If a resource is a good one, and germane to the topic of this board, why not share it. I'da done the same had it been someone else's. Other than USMA's site of course and the group of site under the AOG, it's the best out there for that particular niche.

Things can always be better, though. When I came onboard, I hoped that I would find people to steer me with helpful suggestions for what I might put online for our Cadets at USMA, that they might not find online already of course; of course the USMA Library has everything — but only so many exemplars of even the most useful book; whereas online access means unlimited access, and removes pressure from the Cadet who gets to the Library and finds that the print copy is on loan to someone else. When that didn't happen, and after looking at a number of posts, I went away; coming back only because I believe in my heart that I had something valuable to contribute.

No, Ducrot is not on GoogleBooks, other than as a "preview" in one case, and "no preview" at all as another. Remove those it's just not there.

Finally, diaphanous, not usually, no. But the person who wrote the silly comment about the Naval Academy (complete with misspelling) meant to be insulting, and there too, someone was successful. Accusing people of lying is not decent when there's not the slightest ground for it, and a cursory reading of my profile on board or on my bio page, linked there, would have prevented you from making an embarrassing mistake, both rude and stupid.

You're not setting a good example for prospective Cadets at any Academy.

I'm out of here, of course.
 
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That's what I'm talkin about.

***************************************

Mr. Ducrot Pepys

p8 SEPTEMBER 27, 1940 . . . .

MONDAY. Hied myself to practice class formations today where I was to march a section to French. Considerably chagrined to find my section marching back. Severely reprimanded by all and sundry. So home to pry my chin out of my collar. Sat up to an excellent supper. And so to bed.

TUESDAY. Attended Gym today. The man who stood beside me starting to scream and cry out when shown the stall bars under the impression he was going to be tortured. He was right. Next, to a very interesting parade. I was so unfortunate as to hit my full dress hat with my rifle, knocking it to the ground. Fear both it and me are permanently bent. Upon casting up my accounts am greatly overjoyed to find that I am worth $3.98. Feeling humorous dashed into my house screaming "Here comes the Tac". With difficulty induced my wives to come out of the lockers. Could not understand the French lesson until I discovered the pages listed were in the grammar not the Dictionary. So to bed.

WEDNESDAY. Feeling exceedingly well today. Went to the club this afternoon there sat late talking to friends. Hear that there is an unmarked grave in the K Co. sinks where lies what is left of a plebe who threw the glass back. Took no note of the passage of time and was not quite in time for first call. I must either become more punctual or more supple.

THURSDAY. Am beginning to worry about one of my wives. Discovered him blitzing his finger-nails this morning. While I am writing this he stands in front of the mirror with a great smile doing the manual with a window stick. Nothing else of note today.

FRIDAY. My sane wife greatly depressed by Academics today. The other just sits and whistles and says "I don't care." A habit I find disturbing. I shall take my bayonet to bed tonight. Dropped my rifle today at parade but with great presence of mind fell down after it. Two first classmen knocked down in the rush of yearlings vieing to aid me from the field.

SATURDAY. Today is a most distressing day. The morning room inspection went very badly. Realize now it was not wise to put my rifle in the laundry bag because it was rusty. I forgot the Tac is in the habit of smiting the bag with his fist. He cursed and swore most horribly. He said they would have to repave the area before I got off it. My sane wife overjoyed to find he is but .8 deficient in Mathematics, a science I find hateful. The other could not be persuaded to come out of his red comforter to even find out what his grades were. So we beat him severely until he arose roaring.

SUNDAY. A day of rest for all, even plebes. Slept all day, troubled by fearful dreams. Dreampt I was the only plebe in West Point. Awoke screaming.
 
Thanks very much to EDelahanty for the preview/sample of the book. You can be sure I'll waste no time reading it!
The pillow fight is great stuff!
 
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