John Nicholas Calley

West Point, 1955

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Robert E. Scully - USMA 1965 on April 6, 2009:

I first met John at Fort Dix, New Jersey in 1960 while being tested for admission to USMA. 1Lt John Calley was the Officer in Charge. He noticed me as a fellow graduate of St Peter's Prep (Jersey City, NJ) because of my letter sweater. John and I struck up quite a friendship that lasted many years. He was the closest thing I had to a big brother. He always had time for me. Due in large part to his continued encouragement, advice and friendship, I entered West Point in July 1961. We became very close during my cadet years. He was my guest at several Army football games. And of course, no leave would be complete without a visit to Calley's in East Orange with a few classmates in tow. It was during that time that I met his fiancee, Anna. She was always very welcoming, and told us how much John loved to listen to our cadet stories because it renewed such fond memories of his cadet days. John and Anna attended my wedding and we remained friends thereafter, although my army assignments and civilian career took me a long way from New Jersey. John was a man of integrity and character. He had that Irish "gift of the gab", and was a lot of fun to be with. John was family, and I miss him.

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