Posted by BGen RM Ong (Ret) on August 12, 2024:

I remember Bud Bucha -- but only as a Cadet. And only during his first two years at West Point. This is because I was two years his senior. Bud and I were together in the Varsity Swimming Team -- he was one of the swimmers, while I was the Team Manager. So we shared the same workplace for 3 hours a day -- almost every day -- and thus I got to know him really well during that time. From Day One, Bud was evidently a fantastic swimmer -- and his specialties were the Butterfly and Freestyle. There were other classmates recruited by Coach Jack Ryan -- who were just as good as Bud -- and together they formed an incredible Plebe Team that overshadowed even the Varsity swimmers of the upper 3 Classes! The following Year, the Plebes joined the ARMY Swim Team that finally defeated the NAVY Swim Team! That 2nd Year began with everyone seeing Bud wearing academic STARS on his Cadet uniform. It was a surprise for all of us to learn that Bud's excellence in the swimming pool were evenly matched by his performance in the classroom! During his 2nd Year, there was also an abrupt change in Bud's quiet demeanor. His new personality soon showed an abundance of LEADERSHIP qualities. When he was not in the pool, he was cheering his teammates onward to work harder, swim faster, and endure longer. And he was the first to congratulate them, each time they improved on their performance. In June 1963, I said goodbye to West Point -- to begin my career with the Philippine Army. I also left the Army Swim Team in good hands, comfortable in the knowledge that my teammates had not yet reached their full potential. Many, many years later, I learned that Captain Paul Bucha was a recipient of the Medal of Honor. But somehow, I was NOT really surprised. Well done, Bud! Be thou at peace! And now, here is my final salute to my Plebe, my friend, my teammate -- and my hero! Brigadier General Ramon M. Ong (Retired) Armed Forces of the Philippines USMA 1963

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