John Lawrence Schick

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Tommy West on November 12, 2004:

Johnny and I were part of the young crowd that graced West Point going back to the middle thirtys when we lived with our parents in North Area. We were part of an army, even in those days, called Sam's Army after Sam France. Sam was a little older and was the General in charge. Johnny came next and I think he was a sergeant. I know it couldn't have been higher because my brother, who is two years older, was a lieutenant. Our fathers were Captains for sure. Then they moved and we moved only to return in the mid fortys. Our fathers had become Colonels by then and we were no longer in Sam's Army. But we did go to high school together and play football together. He was a year older and got all the girls. We would ride to school together in his Model A Ford with the rumble seat in the back and we thought we were "COOL" although the word didn't exist in those days. But those days ended in 1949 when he graduated and left me with another year to do. The next year I caught up with him and we both were in Prep school, Johnny at Braden?s or Sullies and me at Stewart Field. The rest is history as we entered in 1951 with the Class of 1955 and once again were in a different Army, one that would last a career for both of us. The two years in prep school must have paid off because he graduated 138 in our Class and was one of Patton's boys in the Armor. Me..I was almost ranked into Infantry and became a flyboy for the Army. The long and short of it was that we didn't see much of each other except for reunions. I remember our last "mini" reunion in Destin, Florida when I last saw Johnny and Ellen. They both looked GREAT and we had a great time talking about the old days in Sam's Army....so long ago. Little did I know then, or he for that matter, that big "C" was just around the corner. Like the true trooper that he was he fought it until the last. I'll miss you old friend but..... I?ll see you on the other side... where there is no need for armys. Tommy:)

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