By Erika Norton, WPAOG Senior Multimedia Journalist 

With pride and tradition in every step, Old Grads proudly marched alongside the Class of 2029 as the newest members of the Long Gray Line completed their 12-mile journey from Lake Frederick to West Point, marking the end of Cadet Basic Training and the beginning of their first academic year.

Over 350 West Point graduates and nearly 100 members of the 50-Year Affiliate Class of 1979 joined the march on Monday, August 11, to grip hands with the future Army leaders in a powerful moment of connection across generations. 

The March Back begins before sunrise and is the culmination of six weeks of Cadet Basic Training, a rigorous program that trains new cadets in basic military skills and prepares them for entry into the Corps of Cadets. The Class of 2029 reported to West Point for Reception Day on June 30.

This was the thirteenth March Back for Jeff Meek from the West Point Class of 1990. 

“It’s so much fun talking to the new cadets,” Meek said. “Everytime you hear something in the news about the new generation, come and talk to these guys and gals. They’re phenomenal and so much more than I ever was at that same age. It is just amazing what they are able to accomplish. They’re an inspiration.”

Like many grad marchers, Meek has marched back with family members and friends. First-time marchers and grad couple Patrick Carrillo and Allie Carrillo from the Class of 2011 marched back with their nephew. They said it was fun to come back and reflect on their time at West Point, especially the good times. 

Along this 12-mile journey, cadets are able to hear from graduates about their experience at West Point and while things like technology and military innovations may have changed, West Point’s core values and mission have not. 

“The core values of what you’re taught here will stay with you: be a great teammate, be a servant leader, take care of each other, and always put the mission first, no matter where it is, whether in the military or corporate America,” Otto Leone ’91 told a group of cadets he marched alongside. “This will stay with you the rest of your life.”

Cadets were especially eager to hear from one of the oldest grad marchers, Den Benchoff, from the Class of 1962. 

Benchoff has done six March Backs, including one with his grandson and one with his grand nephew. He was marching with Company H2, the company he was in as a cadet. 

“It’s fun to come back and kind of set the example for the new cadets,” Benchoff said.

As is tradition, the Class of 2029 displayed a banner featuring their newly created class motto, “Hold The Line,” for the first time. Grad marchers David Polly and Fred Schwien are part of their 50-Year Affiliation Class, the Class of 1979, whose motto is “Top of the Line.”

“The 50-Year Affiliation is really a pretty cool program,” Polly said. “We didn’t have that. Our 50-Year class would have been 1929, and just to think about that is pretty incredible. Yesterday at Lake Frederick, getting a chance to talk to the cadets was pretty special.”

Class of 2016 graduate Bryan Wolak marched with his brother Michael, a cadet in the Class of 2029. While everyone was waiting to begin the final leg of the march, Wolak shared his thoughts with a group of cadets. 

“What’s on a lot of our minds is, what is going to happen to this country once we’re gone? What is the state of our country going to be after the leaders we know—our classmates—are gone?” Wolak said. “But after getting to talk with and interact with you all, and just see your motivation and discipline, I’m not worried at all about the future of our country. I can rest easy knowing that the United States is in good hands.”