Albert Franklin Oppel

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Charles Berg on May 2, 2002:

I regarded Al as a dear friend, even though we did not see each other for years after I left USMA for MIT. We corresponded a lot by email, and I had planned to get to AK to see him some time soon. I have been to so many funerals lately and been called upon to give so many eulogies that I have decided to try to remind people of the good times, the good memories, rather than suffering and loss. In many cases that is difficult, but with Barney he was such a dear and humorous person that it may not be. In particular, I recall the day in "Beast Barracks" when Al appeared in fatigues for a formation, wearing his steel helmet without the plastic liner. No one had instructed him how to put it on. I think now this reflects very badly on the First Class Man in charge of his platoon. But at the time there were Firsties descending on Al like ants at a picnic who had found a piece of chocolate cake! The usual drill ensued. "Mr. Oppel, What is the motto of the military academy?" Al's voice boomed, echoing from within the steel cave that came down over his face, "Every Man An Athlete, Sir". This stimulated an even faster flux of Firsties to his position. I believe I may have been at least partly responsible for his nick name, Barney. We were at Buckner, and Al was assigned to drive a 6X6 loaded with all sorts of stuff (heavy, in other words). Al parked the truck at our departure point: a hill top. We all went off in the woods for some drill or other, and when we returned to the site where Al had parked the truck . . . . there was no truck There was, however, a fairly neat, brand new trail cut through the young pines, about the width of a truck. The brakes, of course, had not held. Al, I believe was cleared of any question of negligence. But in a joking way I started calling him Barney Opelfield, a play on the name of the old great race drive, Barney Olfield. The nick name seems to have stuck. I hope my poor aging memory has this story right. In any event, best to those of us who knew Al and who will remember him dearly. And most of all, Best To Al's Family. Charles A. Berg X '55 I-2

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