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View a eulogy for Salvatore Simplicio Corma, USMA '08, who passed away on April 29, 2010.

Salvatore Simplicio Corma

West Point, 2008

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Prof. Paul Springer on December 10, 2010:

As educators, we're not supposed to have favorites in our classes, and I'd like to believe that West Point faculty do a good job of maintaining objectivity. But sometimes, a special cadet comes along that makes that objectivity difficult. Sal Corma was one such cadet, a fact that makes his loss so much harder to bear.

Sal was a cow when he joined my History of the Military Art class, one of only two in that section of firsties. Most cows find that situation fairly uncomfortable, and while they might strive for excellence on their written work, they often remain fairly subdued in the class discussions. Sal wasn't the most talkative cadet in that section-far from it. Most of the firsties in Mil Art tend to regard the class as a hazing experience, and they often marginalize the few cows in the course. But whenever Sal would speak, even the firsties would fall silent, absorbing his insights and accepting them. I would look around the room, and see them nodding along, and think to myself "Here, in a room full of leaders, this young man is still managing to stand out." Sal always demonstrated a confident, charismatic demeanor. He was the kind of cadet that I would refer to while describing West Point to outsiders. He was the type of young leader that would renew anybody's patriotism, their dedication, and their belief in the future of the country.

Sal was one of the few cadets that would visit my office regularly, without any particular reason for stopping by. He liked to go back over some of our discussions, and expand upon his understanding of military history. He was also the first cow to invite me for an evening at the Cow Club-an interesting experience for a brand-new faculty member, and a fairly rare invitation given the infrequency of the Cow Club being open. After our class time together was done, we remained in frequent contact-he was just that kind of a person. I wound up writing a recommendation for him to come back to West Point as a faculty member, should he desire to do so in the future. I believe future classes of cadets would have benefitted enormously by learning from him.

The last time I saw Sal in person was at the Class of 2008 graduation. I was part of the faculty processional, which had only been done once before. The faculty were seated to the side of the cadet student body, in such a way that cadets would pass near us after they had crossed the stage. A few smiled as they passed, a couple saluted. Most simply moved in an orderly fashion and returned to their seats. In contrast, Sal climbed through three rows of faculty to shake my hand, regardless of the effect upon military discipline and seating order. It was just the kind of gesture he felt perfectly comfortable doing, and it's a memory that I will treasure forever.

We are all poorer for the loss of Sal, in ways that can't even be imagined. I take solace in the fact that he died doing what he always wanted to do, but nothing can replace such a special young man. My heart extends to his family and friends, and I hope to one day see him again when my life comes to a close. I am forever proud to have had him as a student, a friend, and a colleague.

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