Andrew Jackson Goodpaster

West Point, 1939

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Robert Bowers on May 18, 2005:

Memorial to General Andrew Goodpastor by Robert Bowers, age 7 Grandson of Ned Glenn USMA'39, Nephew of Bill Bowers USMA '81, Son of Brian Bowers USMA '83 General Goodpastor means a lot to me. I just heard the sad news that he passed away and I hope that I never forget what he looks like - he was one of my heroes. He was my grandpa's classmate and was the Superintendent of West Point when my uncle and my dad were cadets there. When I was born on Founders Day, he wrote to me and to my brother and told us that he was a friend of our grandpa and that he missed him. That meant a lot to me - it still does. When my uncle was killed in Iraq, he talked to me to tell me he was sorry and that my uncle and grandpa were brave men - like scouts who went ahead of the rest of us to make sure things on the other side were safe for us to follow when it was our time. When I think of General Goodpastor, I think of West Point. My mom and I rewrote this poem for him: West Point Here he was schooled in Arts Of Peace, in Discipline of War; His heart made resolute, his will subordinate To do his utmost duty at the call Of this, his country, whatso'er befall, Engraved upon our History's ample page The record of his valiant deeds are strown, Proudly his Alma Mater claims her own. May she have sons like these from age to age. adapted from original by Edward S. Holden, USMA 1870

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