David Bernstein, USMA '01

Posted by MAJ Pete Kilner USMA 1990 on October 26, 2003:

It breaks my heart to hear of Dave's death. He was an exceptional person, and I feel privileged to have known him. I was Dave's Philosophy P in the fall of 1998 and his Cow English P in the spring of 2000, and we kept in touch even when we didn't have classes together. Our discussions--on topics like morality, professional ethics, cadet life, even theology--were always interesting and challenging. He was a remarkably mature and morally aware person. I remember feeling quite honored when he asked me to write his recommendation for the Rhodes Scholarship. I remember warning him that I wouldn't write anything that I didn't truly believe; he said he wouldn't expect anything else from me. Here are some excerpts from that letter: "Among the hundreds of West Point cadets that I have taught and known, David Bernstein stands out in my mind as the one who will most likely make a great and positive impact on our world." "He takes very seriously his duty to prepare himself to serve his country. He is exceptionally self-driven, yet he is not at all self-centered." "He is dedicated to improving himself so he can best serve others." Dave was truly among our nation's best and brightest. I am sure that his legacy will live on in the soldiers he trained and inspired, and in the lives he touched. Be thou at peace, Brother. We'll rally again on the ultimate high ground. Thank you for serving God and Country. To Dave's parents, thank you for raising such a good man.

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