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I just recently attended the Founder’s Day Celebration for the US Military Academy at West Point, here in Austin, with Gen. Robert Caslen, who recently retired as West Point’s Superintendent. Most people don\u2019t know this about me, and probably wouldn\u2019t believe it; but I turned down a potential appointment to the United States Military Academy to attend The University of Texas. My choices were between those two schools and Sweetbriar College for Girls. Could you get more disparate choices? Insight into my scary brain where I couldn\u2019t decide (still can\u2019t) if I wanted to be President of the United States of a Solid Gold dancer (are y\u2019all old enough to remember that Saturday network television show?) While my Lt. Col. father couldn\u2019t have been prouder to have a daughter headed to the Academy, my mother was apoplectic that her southern belle daughter would consider trading in her petticoats and kitten heels for BDUs and combat boots.<\/p>\n
You know the old adage, \u201cif mama ain\u2019t happy ain\u2019t nobody happy\u2026\u201d? You can guess how that turned out, and how my beloved UT became my alma mater as the happy medium between serving my country and serving tea.<\/p>\n
Anyway, even though I failed to follow in my family\u2019s Army-service footsteps, I always maintained an affinity for that long grey line. (Lucky me, I did end up landing a West Point beau, and love being ensconced in all that military history and heritage as his perpetual plus 1). And while BDUs and combat attire are less than fabulous, there\u2019s nothing like the cut of those gorgeous grey wool dress uniforms that are equal parts practical (it\u2019s freezing in upstate New York) and pomp (with the epaulettes, gold buttons and plumed hats \u2013 quite the fanfare!)<\/p>\n