Remembering

I was driving to work in Austin, Texas when I heard the DJ on the radio say that a plane had crashed into one of the towers of the World Trade Center. By the time I got to my office the second plane had hit the other tower. I stood in the break room with my co-workers staring at the television in silent amazement as first the South and then the North Tower collapsed. Soon after, the United States would enter into its longest war.

Now, on the tenth anniversary of that dark day, we’re acutely aware of how our lives have changed. Personally, I avoid air travel whenever possible. Not so much out of consternation due to “what if” scenarios, but because of the miserable experience that flying has become in the wake of the “security” measures now in place. Our porous borders and, more significantly, our government’s steadfast refusal to do anything about them, are a cause for much concern. Most disturbing of all is the constant parade of new entries onto our eulogy pages.

It’s easy to pass only an occasional thought to those fighting our wars; after all, it’s happening far from home. Easy, unless someone deployed is a friend or a member of our family. They too are far from home. They work far from home. They fight far from home. They die far from home.

Today will see a media blitz of remembrances and memorials. It would do us all well to not become hardened or feel saturated to the point that we turn away. There’s not much I can write here that hasn’t already been said or written over the past ten years. September 11, 2001 has earned its place in the American Lexicon of Infamy as simply, “Nine-Eleven”.

“We need to move on”, some say. Yes, we do. But some also equate moving on with forgetting what brought us here. As a nation, that’s a course of action we cannot abide. As Santayana wrote, “Those who cannot remember the past…”

We cannot afford to forget what happened on 9/11. As we move forward let’s not forget those who died so horribly that day. Let’s not forget the passengers on the planes, or those killed in the buildings and on the ground, or those who are still dying, both at home and in far off lands, as a direct result of those attacks ten years ago.

Let’s remember.

~ Dempsey

Fund Drive 29

Dear members of WP-ORG,

Please let me welcome new WP-ORG subscribers since our last fund drive. Some of you are graduates, some are Army or Navy parents, and some are members of our many service-related lists. Allow me to personally welcome each of you.

As most of our subscribers know, WP-ORG services are funded by your donations to our semi-annual fund drives. Today marks the beginning of our 29th drive since WP-ORG’s inception during the mid ’90s.

Should you wonder what constitutes an “acceptable” donation amount, our answer is now as it’s always been: donate in accordance with the value you receive from the services provided by WP-ORG, but not more than you can comfortably afford.

WP-ORG is an independent volunteer organization completely separate from the United States Military Academy and its Association of Graduates (AOG), although at times we work very closely with both of them. We currently serve and support approximately 30,000 members from the USMA class year groups, parents of current cadets and midshipmen, and West Point societies and parent clubs as well as other special interest groups that are a part of our community.

We are governed by a volunteer board of advisors. Brief biographical sketches of the current members of the WP-ORG Board of Advisors may be seen here.

Our budget for the next six months is $104,010. It may be reviewed here.

We are cognizant that these may be difficult financial times for some and therefore we have made a concerted effort to keep our budgeting requirements as austere as possible. Our past 18 fund drive requirements may be viewed here.

Some may wonder why they should donate. An explanation may be found here.

As in previous drives, you may make a secure donation by using your credit card here.

Or you may donate by check made payable to WP-ORG and sent to:

WP-ORG
3800 Buffalo Mountain Road SW
Willis, Virginia 24380-5082

Please be sure to indicate your affiliation and/or year group on your check.

Regardless of the donation method you choose, WP-ORG is recognized by the IRS as a 501(C)(3) Non-Profit Organization. 100% of your donation is tax deductible. For those who may need it, our EIN is: 51-03877132. Remember that you may earmark part or all of your United Way donation to WP-ORG.

The authorization may be found here.

WP-ORG’s privacy policy is here.

Thank you for your support! You are WP-ORG. Your donations make WP-ORG possible.

If you receive more than one copy of this message, it only means that you have more than one e-mail address registered with WP-ORG.

Dempsey Darrow
USMA1975, “Courage and Drive”
CEO WP-ORG, Inc.

Happy Holidays!

As the end of another year approaches with breakneck speed, those of us at WP-ORG are inclined to reflect upon our blessings. Among those are this little experiment of ours and the people who make it go on a daily basis, either through their own “elbow grease” or through the generosity of their wallets.

As we celebrate the holidays give a thought – or, if you’re so inclined, a prayer – to the troops and others who can’t be home with family and loved ones.

On behalf of the WP-ORG Board of Advisors and all who make WP-ORG what it is, Happy Holidays!

On a personal note let me say, politically incorrectly and unashamedly non-generically: Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

I’ll leave you with this: (yes, it was Thanksgiving, but the message is unmistakable and appropriate).

~ Dempsey

Happy Thanksgiving!

On behalf of all of us here at WP-ORG I’d like to say a heartfelt Thank You to all the volunteers who give countless hours of their time to make this endeavor a success. Thanks to all of you who gave to our last fund drive and ensured our future for the next six months.

To those of you far from home, those who have loved ones who are absent or who walk the path of danger in keeping our country free, Godspeed.

 

Happy Thanksgiving!

 

For the Board,

Dempsey Darrow

USMA1975, “Courage and Drive”

CEO WP-ORG, Inc.

Names Added to Ranger Memorial

Jack Price is, of course, CFO of WP-ORG (mentioned in the article as West-Point.Org):

“CPT(R) Jack Price, of West-Point.Org, talked about the years-long process to locate, investigate and bring the names of Ranger USMA
graduates to the monument. West-Point.Org is a nonprofit organization connecting thousands of USMA graduates, parents and friends of West Point.

‘The (West Point graduating) classes in the early 60s suffered some pretty serious casualties in Vietnam, high numbers of losses,’ said the captain, who was a graduate of the class of 1964.

‘There was a movement in those early classes to do what we’ve done today, but they were having a difficult time getting organized and raising the funds. The West Point community has an organization called West-Point.Org run by graduates and they brought the tools to the table to allow this mission to be accomplished.’”

Read the entire article here.

~ Dempsey