View a eulogy for John Franklin Passafiume, USMA '55, who passed away on April 28, 2012.
John Franklin Passafiume
West Point, 1955
Be Thou At Peace
Posted by Bill Edwards on May 29, 2012:
| In late 1956, I was a platoon leader in the First Armored Division at Fort Polk, LA. We were undergoing our annual training tests. The tests were staged at the North Fort Polk training area. This area is also an impact area for heavy weapons and close air support exercises. My umpire was another 2d Lt, from the Fourth Armored Division at Fort Hood, Texas. So arrived Pass to grade me and my platoon. One 2d Lt grading another! Oh well, that's another story. After several days of follwing me aroud in another jeep, Pass called me on the radio and wanted to discuss something and asked for us to pull off the road. After several minutes of being parked side by side, Pass suddenly turned white and pointed at the ground between our vehicles. Lo and behold! There were a couple of unexploded 4.2" warheads in the ground. We very carefully wound our ways back onto the road and breathed a sigh of relief. Well we escaped that one! Pass was undoubtedly one of the very best and would always be someone you would wish to emulate. |
 admin |
West-Point.Org (WP-ORG), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides an online communications infrastructure that enable graduates, parents, and friends of the military academy to maintain and strengthen the associations that bind us together. We will provide this community any requested support, consistent with this purpose, as quickly and efficiently as possible. WP-ORG is funded by the generosity of member contributions. Our communication services are provided in cooperation with the AOG (independent of USMA) and are operated by volunteers serving the Long Gray Line. For questions or comments, please email us at feedback@west-point.org.