My name is Carol Grant. I'm a member of the NH West Point Parents Club and it is in this capacity that I met Mrs. Cecelia Mozden, Jim's mother. The Parents Club had received a bequest in a will, with the Club voting to use the money to publish a book about New Hampshire's West Pointers, called "The New Hampshire Register of West Point Graduates"
It would contain pictures and biographies of all West Point graduates who were either born in or appointed from New Hampshire. As a history teacher, I volunteered to do the project --- which led to my contact with Mrs. Mozden. Using a list of NH West Pointers provided me by the Association of Graduates, and using the last address on file for these graduates, I began sending out hundreds and hundreds of letters to the NH graduates.
I discovered that Capt. James Peter Mozden had died and was buried in Claremont, NH I dialed Information for the phone number of anyone named Mozden in the Claremont area. I was given two numbers. I dialed the first and Mrs. Cecelia Mozden answered. This would be the first of many phone conversations we had.
I told her about the NH Register of West Point Graduates and asked her if she'd provide me information about Jim for the Register. She said that she'd love to do it and that nothing would give her greater pleasure. She said that she was so happy that her son would have a page in the Register and that his service to his country would be forever remembered.
That first phone conversation lasted over an hour. She talked about her son while I listened and took notes. Towards the end of that conversation, she told me about Jim's death during the winter of 1973. She told me how the honor guard from Ft. Devens, Mass. couldn't get through the blizzard to reach St. Mary's Cemetery in Claremont, getting only as far as Manchester.
Mrs. Mozden was crying as she told me about it. She told me of her deep gratitude to her son's West Point classmates who had come from so far to Jim's funeral and who then filled in for the honor guard to fold the flag from the casket and present one to her.
She told me how much her son loved having graduated from West Point, how much his classmates meant to him, and how much he loved serving his country as an Army officer. Mrs. Mozden then told me how, even after all these years, it has continued to be a source of pain and anguish to her that her son, who so loved his country, was denied by the blizzard, his full military honors - the Taps and rifle volley salute which he had earned by his service to his country. She said that she's never been able to think about it all these years, without the pain of it being overwhelming to her.
She then asked me if I could do something to finally get her son the full military honors which the Blizzard of 1973 had denied him. She was crying to hard. I wished that I could reach through the phone to try to comfort her. I told her that I'd try, that I'd make some phone calls and send some letters. That wasn't enough for her. She said that if I could do The NH Register, I could surely get her son his full military honors. She said,-- her exact words were, "I want you to promise me that you'll make it happen." We had know each other for only a little over an hour, but her pain was coming through the phone so strongly. I made her the promise.
We had many phone conversations after that. I wrote her about what information I needed about Jim for the NH Register and she promptly sent me the information. In our phone conversations, she always talked about the military honors. She always wanted up-dates on anything I had done. When I told her that Jim's West Point Class of 1964 was having a re-union in 1999, she selected 1999 as our target date. She said that it would give me more time to make sure it was done right. That it was done right was very important to her.
I enjoyed our phone conversations. Sometimes when my phone rang, I would just know that it would be Mrs. Mozden asking for an up-date. Then the time came when she stopped answering her phone. I didn't know if she was sick, in the hospital, away from the phone or on vacation. Her regular calls to me also stopped. Because her son receiving full military honors was so important to her, I knew that she would eventually call, so I continued to work on the project so I'd have a lot to tell her when she did call. But time went by and she never called.
I knew from a letter she had written me that Jim's Uncle Peter was a doctor in Boston so I tracked him down and told him about the honors for Jim and about my not having been able to contact Mrs. Mozden for quite some some and about her regular calls to me having abruptly stopped. He told me about her death. I was stunned and very saddened. Mrs. Mozden had been SO HAPPY and EXCITED about Jim getting his full military honors. It was so important to her and now, she wouldn't be there for them.
My promise to her was constantly on my mind. It was very important that the promise to Mrs. Mozden be kept. As I continued to work towards the honors, I've felt like Mrs. Mozden has been looking down and nodding and smiling.
I'm so grateful to everyone who have helped to make this day happen for Mrs. Mozden, Capt. Mozden, and the Mozden family-- to the honor guard from Ft. Drum, N.Y., who will render the military honors to Capt. Mozden, -- to all of Capt. Mozden's West Point classmates, esp. LTG Richard Chilcoat, Bob Magruder, and Will Brucker, who have been very important in making all of this happen. Will did all of those beautiful programs you're all holding. -- To the Claremont National Guard who, to honor Capt. Mozden, marched in today's parade, -- to the Stevens High School Band and Chorus for the music which truly enriches these honors, and a special recognition and thank you
to Stevens High School sophmore Kevin Knapp, who will play Taps at the graveside honors.
Today, -- this day that Mrs. Mozden waited so long for and wanted so very much for her son, --- this day that Captain James Peter Mozden is finally getting the full military honors that he earned and so richly deserves, -- on this day, Mrs. Mozden is surely looking down and is very pleased and very happy.
Carol A. Grant
NH West Point Parents Club
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