A Reflection on West Point’s Graduation Ceremony

On Saturday morning, I observed the rain as cadets marched into Michie Stadium at the United States Military Academy. This brought back memories from when I graduated from West Point in 1973. The event was not just a memory refresher for a TV interview I was preparing for, but it sparked something significant: a commencement address that honestly spoke about God, duty, sacrifice, and war.

The speaker was Secretary of War Pete Hegseth. After retiring from the Pentagon, I joined the Family Research Council, eventually becoming its vice president for policy. In the summer of 2000, one of our interns was a young Princeton student, Pete Hegseth. He was intelligent, disciplined, and strongly grounded in his Christian faith.

Hegseth, a prominent television personality on Fox News and a military analyst, served his country in Iraq and Afghanistan. His background provided credibility to the 994 graduates present. He did not deliver a sanitized speech; he provided a candid account of their chosen path.

The centerpiece of Hegseth’s address was Isaiah 6:8: “Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? … Here am I! Send me.” It was fitting for graduates destined to become Army officers, some deploying soon, and facing combat.

Founded in 1802, West Point aims to produce leaders of character to defend the nation. Graduates have fought in major conflicts like the Civil War and in Iraq and Afghanistan. The motto “Duty, Honor, Country” emphasizes sacrifice over comfort or corporate success.

My graduation in 1973 during the Vietnam War was amid a troubled era. The Middle East was unstable, and Cold War competition was significant. Admiral Thomas H. Moorer addressed us as my classmates entered a transitioning Army.

Today’s world is equally dangerous and complex. Russia continues its aggression in Ukraine, China pressures Taiwan, and Iran fuels Middle Eastern violence. Autonomous drones, cyber warfare, and AI reshape battlefields rapidly. Hegseth delivered a necessary message for military culture.

Military leaders often avoid references to God or Scripture, yet combat demands consideration of courage, morality, sacrifice, and eternity. Hegseth confronted this reality head-on.

He also addressed the Pentagon’s focus on diversity programs over readiness and standards, praising a merit-based return and emphasizing “Duty, Honor, Country”. He reminded graduates that the military exists to win wars.

Combat resolves ideological questions. No framework withstands an enemy. Officers must have moral clarity, courage for incomplete decisions, and faith to lead through breaking circumstances.

Hegseth spoke of his seven children and his pride if a son answered the nation’s call. West Point represents continuity, with graduating classes joining over two centuries of service.

Graduates face machine-assisted decision-making and technologies changing warfare’s character, raising moral questions but not replacing human judgment. America needs leaders aware of war’s horrors and command’s moral responsibilities, willing to answer the ancient call: Here am I, Lord. Send me.