On May 19, Grad Week at the United States Military Academy kicked off with the annual wreath-laying at Thayer Statue, a review of the Corps of Cadets, and class reunions for the classes of 1951, 1956, and 1976—all events, of course, leading up to graduation for the Class of 2026.
Standing on the Plain in front of the cadets, six members of the Long Gray Line received the Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) on May 19: Mr. Michael C. Mewhinney ’66, COL (R) B. Hudson Berrey ’72, Mr. Vincent Viola ’77, GEN (R) Vincent K. Brooks ’80, GEN (R) Bob Brown ’81, and GEN (R) Darryl A. Williams ’83. They were joined by Kathy Medaris Widmer ’83, a 2025 Distinguished Graduate who was unable to receive her award last year.
“These seven graduates are exemplars of Duty, Honor, Country,” noted COL (R) Mark Bieger ’91, the President and CEO of the West Point Association of Graduates, during his remarks in the Mess Hall after the full brigade review. He was followed by Lieutenant General Steven Gilland ’90, the 61st Superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy, who thanked the seven Distinguished Graduates for their “continued example of excellence, character, and selfless service to the nation.”
“It was the idea of selfless service and that sense of purpose that drew me to the Academy,” said Brown, who was recruited by then-Army Basketball Coach Mike Krzyzewski ’69 and brought that same sense of selfless service to every command he had, including as commanding general of the U.S. Army Pacific, when he led the implementation of Multi-Domain Operations in the Pacific and pioneered the Multi-Domain Task Force concept.
“My father served in Vietnam, my brother was in the Marine Corps, all my children were raised in the military—one served in the 101st and my youngest is still serving as a Green Beret,” said Williams, himself a 41-year steward in the Profession of Arms. “Receiving the Distinguished Graduate Award brings a great sense of gratitude and humility, but also pride—for my father, for my family, for my kids, and now my grandkids, who got to experience the event.”
Presented annually since 1992, the DGA is given to graduates of the U.S. Military Academy whose character, distinguished service, and stature draw wholesome comparison to the qualities for which West Point strives, in keeping with its motto: “Duty, Honor, Country.”
“Duty, Honor, Country has fashioned my whole existence,” said Mewhinney, who has demonstrated these values through nearly six decades of distinguished military service, extraordinary business achievement, and transformative philanthropic leadership in support of the United States Military Academy. “I really feel like West Point is the jewel of the United States,” he said.
As the Corps marched past them during the review, the seven Distinguished Graduates stood as living reminders to each cadet, especially those members of the Class of 2026, that the values they are learning at West Point will continue to shape his or her life of service long after graduation.
