Alfred Anthony “Al” Cini was born on 20 Mar 1931 on Staten Island, NY, the sec­ond son of Mario and Rina Cini, both of whom were born in Italy and came to the United States to become citizens. He grew up on Staten Island, along with his elder broth­er Edgar and his younger sister Janet. His father, like many immigrants, worked hard to realize the American Dream and founded and ran Cini’s Four Corner Hardware and Industrial Supply, a Staten Island landmark for many years. Al attended St. Peter’s High School and graduated in 1948. From there he went to Manhattan College in New York City, commuting each day by ferry and subway. He had completed three years to­wards his civil engineering degree when he received an appointment to West Point from Congressman James Murphy of the 16th New York Congressional District.

At West Point he was assigned to Company K-2. While he had little difficulty with the academics, his cadet career was challenged by the need to pass the annual PT test. Al was always slightly built and, while over six feet tall, his weight as a cadet was always at or under 160 pounds. His determination to succeed, despite his physi­cal limitation, enabled him to pass the test each year, and in doing so, earned him the respect of his companymates. While at the Academy, he was active in church activities and was an acolyte at the Catholic Chapel for two years. He was also the assistant cir­culation manager for Bugle Notes. Few of his friends from K-2 will ever forget the hospi­tality and the Italian cooking they enjoyed while visiting the Cini home on Richmond Road in Staten Island.

Following graduation, Al attended the Artillery and Guided Missile Officers Basic Course at Ft. Sill, OK, and Airborne course number six at Ft. Benning, GA. He then joined the 4055th SU of the 1st Guided Missile Brigade at Ft. Bliss, TX. In 1958–59, he attended the Intermediate Artillery Officers Course at Ft. Bliss. His next assignment was with the 81st Artillery in Erlangen, Germany, commanding the first Corporal Missile Battery assigned to Europe. In 1962, he was assigned as an as­sistant professor of military science and Reserve Officer Training Corps advisor at Santa Clara University. While there, he met his future wife, Kathleen Belski. They were married on 29 Aug 1964 in San Jose, CA, and lived there until Al was sent to Vietnam in 1965. He served with the Military Assistance Command as an advisor to the Vietnamese Army and was awarded the Combat Infantryman Badge and the Bronze Star for meritorious service in combat operations. Al was selected for the Command & General Staff College at Ft. Leavenworth, KS, but during his Vietnam tour he began to show the symptoms of a neu­rological disease. In spite of the illness, he completed the course in the top third of his class. Upon graduation, he was assigned to the Intelligence Command in Ft. Hollabird. While a difficult period for the Cinis, Al and Kathleen were blessed with the birth of their son Michael in July 1967. In January 1968, Al was assigned to the Medical Holding Company at Walter Reed Army Hospital. The disease persisted, however, and Al lost the use of his arms and legs. He was discharged from the Army with 100% service-connected disability in June 1968.

Following his discharge, Al showed the same grit and determination which had enabled him to overcome physical limita­tions at West Point. The family moved first to Miami, and then returned to San Jose. With the aid of a lift-equipped van, they traveled extensively throughout California. They lived in San Jose from 1969 to 1988 while raising their son Michael. Al attended the University of Santa Clara for several se­mesters and volunteered as a tutor for sev­eral years at a local high school. They had an active social life and in 1983 hosted a reunion of a group of officers with whom Al had served at Ft. Bliss. The reunion then became a bi-annual event for this group of “Black Bears,” with Al as the charter mem­ber. The disease continued to take a slow but unrelenting toll on Al’s health, and in 1988 he was admitted to the V.A. Medical Center in San Mateo, CA. His determina­tion to continue his fight for life was high­lighted by his comments to visiting friends that he was not yet ready to “check out of the net.” He lost his long fight on 29 Sep 1991. He is survived by his wife Kathleen and son Michael.

His friends and classmates will remem­ber Al for both his cheerful and helpful demeanor and his de­termination to live up to the principles laid down first by his par­ents, then his church, and finally West Point and the Army.

Be thou at peace