Posted by Michael McGurk on May 31, 2024:

Rudolph St. Peter Damien Samuel '85 No. 42602 A-AEaC/ Feb 25, 1963 -- Jun 8, 1988 A-AEaC/ Died in Germany Interred in Our Lady of Mercy, Doral Florida. Rudolph St. Peter Damien Samuel, born in Kingston, Jamaica in 1963 to Adolph and Violet Samuel. Sadly, he lost his father in 1967 in Jamaica. Rudolph moved to the United States with his mother and two brothers, Paul and Andrew. Rudolph attended junior and senior years of high school at Miami Central Senior High, class of 1981. Rudolph was a member of the National Honor Society and the Science Club. He was a football player and participated in the Boy Scouts and the Civil Air Patrol. In July 1981, Rudolph began Cadet Basic Training "Beast Barracks" as a member of 3rd Company. Rudy excelled at West Point, quickly adapting and thriving at the Academy. After summer training, he began his Plebe year in Company E2 "Brew Dogs" with roommates Mike Bagg and Michael McGurk. His year started with a bang as during Re-organization week he was made Head Minute Caller while his roommate Mike was named Head Mail Carrier. These duties led to numerous visits by the upper-class to "assist" Rudy with improving his performance, generating more than a few "4th Class Performance Reports." These experiences helped bonded the roommates as life-long friends. The trio soon adjusted to the rhythms of freshman year: long days in class, long nights of studying with the occasional movie in South Auditorium or dances at Cullum Hall. Rudy played on the company sports teams and along with his roommates joined the Theater Arts Guild, not because of a strong interest in theater, but rather to avoid the many parades of the football season. Rudy also joined the Tactics Club, as well as being a four-year member in the Student Conference on US Affairs. After plebe year Rudy went to Camp Buckner for Cadet Field Training and then assigned to the G3 "Gophers" for the next 3 years. Rudy continued to excel at school with strong interest in Military Science and all things of a military historic nature. His roommate Eric Benson said: "A fun story is that he hated to run. I bribed him with ice cream. If he would run with me to Lee Gate and back, I promised him a pint of Heavenly Hash Ice Cream from Boodlers. This happened twice a week and [it] was the best money I ever spent." Rudy was also a strong rule follower, which garnered him the nickname "Rudy Regs." If you ever needed to know the rules and the reference, Rudy was your man. He could be found often reading about his favorite generals and battles. He was well prepared for his career in the Army, spending a fair portion of his cadet pay to subscribe to Janes Military Encyclopedia, which profiled the latest military equipment worldwide. Early on Rudy wanted to branch Armor to be a tanker and he got his wish. Following graduation from West Point in May 1985, Rudy attended the Armor Officer Basic Course at Fort Knox, Kentucky. After completing AOBC, Rudy was assigned to the famed 3rd Armored Division in Germany, where he served as 2nd Platoon Leader, A Troop, 3rd Squadron, 12th Cavalry Regiment, at Armstrong Barracks, BAA1/4dingen, Germany. His Commander, Sean MacFarland fondly remembers attending Mass with Rudy in the chapel in BAA1/4dingen. Captain MacFarland was extremely confident in Rudy, selecting him to be in charge of OP Alpha in the Fulda Gap, a critical observation post to warn of a Warsaw Pact attack during the Cold War. The other units, 11th Armored Cavalry Regiment, didn't make it easy for Rudy as he was an outsider from the 3rd Armored Divisional CAV unit. Rudy remained calm and did a great job with his platoon and it reflected well on the whole Troop. Private First Class Lawrence Stivers served as Lieutenant Samuel's driver during his time in A Troop. A new Soldier, fresh from training, Rudy made an impression: "I was a new PFC, 3 months out of OSUT when I was assigned. Some things I remember about him: In the field during maneuvers the Lieutenant was a cool customer. No matter how hectic/chaotic our training was, and no matter how crazy I thought all the activities were- I would take a peek to the rear of the track- LT always was super calm. Often I'd see him with a half goofy looking grin. When were in the field, he'd give me free reign to operate the track as I saw fit. He'd tell me a direction and I would go there. That trust he showed in my abilities inspired me to be the best track driver in the troop. He always made me feel that we were "a team." 15 years later, when I was assigned my first platoon to lead, I would ask myself "what would Rudy do?" in whatever leadership situation I found myself in. I tried to emulate his leadership style in the platoons I was assigned to lead. On June 8, 1988 Rudolph was tragically lost in a motor vehicle accident in Germany. His USMA 1985 classmate and roommate in Germany, Matt Hayes, led the memorial service for 1LT Samuel which was widely attended. Rudy was much respected in his unit and his loss, so young, was deeply felt by all. Rudolph St. Peter Damien Samuel was a Soldier's Soldier. A leader and devoted student of the military art, he was committed to the welfare of his unit and his troopers. His friendship with his classmates was deep and thoughtful. Rudy was loved and remains much in our thoughts. For Excellence We Strive, '85

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