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View a eulogy for Nathan Hall Kniker, USMA '65, who passed away on April 2, 2020.

Nathan Hall Kniker

West Point, 1965

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Joe Barkley on April 21, 2020:

Nate Knicker -- Nate was my beast roommate in the 5th Company. There were four of us to start; Nate; me; John McClain and Jim Parker. We lived in the 49th Division in North area. Nate and I survived until graduation. Jim got turned back for math, but made it 1966.

Nate, in Beast, was "stoic." It must have been that mid -- western up -- bringing. Stoic and solid are the best words to describe him. No matter what the Squad Leaders and Platoon Leaders could not get him to smirk, cry, laugh or "ratty." He was just a solid cadet.
A story about Beast that I reminded Nate about -- we knew we put one over on Don Coleman, our Squad Leader and Reed Franks the platoon leader after the first trip to the "Boodlers" in beast.

After consuming a couple of gallons of ice-cream and a couple dozen candy bars, we had a ton of stuff left. Naturally on Monday the Squad leader and Platoon leader came through and tore the room apart looking for hidden "boodle." Every room had it and lost it -- except us!

Nate's desk was that old style double pedestal desk. Some previous occupant of the room had made on of the drawers 6 inches shorter than the space. So we hid everything behind that drawer and kept everyone supplied with "Boodle" the rest of beast. And the Squad leaders and Platoon Leaders never found it.

I reminded him of the story at the 50th reunion, the last time I saw him, and he had that quiet Midwestern laugh, but enjoyed the story.

Like too many of us, we had let too much time and distance get between us from graduation, until now.
"Well Done, Nate!"

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