Richard Allen Chilcoat

West Point, 1964

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Jack Price on March 23, 2010:

During the last command cycle of First Class year, it happened that I was jerked out of the mystical land of the Lost Fifties, where I was most happy, and told by my TAC that I was going to the 8 1/2 division, Brigade HQ, and be an Assistant to the Brigade Activities Officer. Life was going to get complicated! It had become pretty widely known that I had Tammy, an 8 1/2 foot boa constrictor, and I guess my TAC thought that she belonged in the 8 1/2 division, which also happened to be Brigade HQ with Chilly. Plus, it got me off HIS roster! Well, I didn't think it gentlemanly to slip Tammy into Chilly's barracks, when it might reflect so poorly on the Brigade Commander, were she to be found. So, I went to see Chilly. About three sentences into my presentation, Chilly got the drift of where this was heading, put his hand on my shoulder, looked me in the eye, and said "Jack, I don't want to know." So, I shut up. Chilly spent the next three months with a boa constrictor nest about 25 feet above his bunk, and never questioned the long line of cadets going up the stairs to visit Tammy after meals. After all, the Activities Officer DID have event tickets to sell! The closest Tammy came to discovery was when she got caught trying to slither out of my metal desk, and was wedged in, with 18 inches of her head waving around the room. MAJ Kinney, one of our EE instructors was a friend, and came down that night with power tools. Chilly knew when to sleep. Well, both Chilly and Tammy are on the far side now, and I hope she has a squeeze for her good buddy and protector! We owe you Chilly. You were a great general, but a better friend! Jack & Tammy

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