2LT Justin Free ’23 received the LTG (R) Robert F. Foley ’63 Scholarship of Honor at West Point.
This award is given to a West Point graduate who has navigated through difficult challenges and continued to excel in Intellectual, Military, and Physical developmental pillars, despite those challenges. The honor also serves as a homage to U.S. Army LTG (R) Robert Foley ’63, a decorated recipient of the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroic actions during the Vietnam War on November 5, 1966.
In December of 2020, Free learned he had Stage 4 Hodgkins Lymphoma in his chest and neck and underwent chemotherapy treatments at Walter Reed. Because of Covid restrictions, he was able to continue classes online while undergoing treatment, sometimes taking class during his chemotherapy sessions. He battled through additional radiation treatment and surgeries and prevailed through it all.
Free has made a full recovery and graduated on December 19 during the December graduation ceremony in Eisenhower Hall at 2 p.m. He will serve as a Signal Officer in the U.S. Army.
