West Point

Hearing again that cheerful Cadet March that introduced this series reminded me of a time when as kids my friends and I saw this as a realistic depiction of life at The Point with all its cool military tradition. These brief episodes were a showcase for such up-and-comers as Leonard Nimoy, Chuck Connors, Barbara, Eden, Larry Hageman and Steve McQueen, so the acting was generally quite solid. Despite Gene Roddenberry's efforts, some the plots were pretty thin, but it had an authentic look since, with full cooperation by the U.S. Army, it was filmed on location at the Academy, including firing range and bivouac sites. For a young generation raised on W W II movies and with a respect for the nation's military, it was quite satisfying. I don't think any of our group went on to the Academy, but several of us, not unexpectedly, later served in the military during wartime. Some of our commanders were definitely Academy grads, or "ring-knockers" as we called them -- somewhat enviously, I must say.