— Army General Martin Dempsey, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, in a commencement address to the 2012 graduates of his alma mater, John S. Burke Catholic High School, at West Point on June 9.
“I actually got the telegram from West Point on June 29th, 1970 that said simply: Congratulations, you are appointed to the West Point class of 1974. Be here at 08:00 on the 1st of July. Now frankly, I didn't really want to go, but I decided to give it a try for the summer anyway at the request of my mother.”