European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - May 13, 1990, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Lek mass Izi to mourners and an Honor guard attend the burial of Gen. James m. Gavin the most recent hero to be buried at West Points modest  acres of history Hahn wed ground at West pointy Mike Hendricks associated press a Small cemetery overlooking the Hudson River at West Point n.y., is hallowed ground for americans fighting men. The modest . Military Academy s Post cemetery is probably the Only burial ground that holds the Graves of soldiers who fought in every War from the revolution to Vietnam. There Are soldiers buried there who were killed by arrows Musket balls Viet Cong ambush and space capsule fires. Fifteen Are medal of Honor winners. The 420-acre, 60,000-grave Arlington National cemetery May be More expansive and the Battlefield cemetery at Gettysburg May reflect the terrible toll of a single Battle. But there is unmatched history and glory preserved in 1 the 14-acre West Point cemetery where american soldiers i were being buried 82 years before the first Soldier was interred at Arlington. James m. Gavin a highly decorated world War ii general was the most recent War hero to be buried there. Gavin who led american paratroopers in the a Day invasion of Normandy the Battle of the bulge and Aerial attacks on nazi held Holland was buried in late february l with full military honors including an Honor guard from his old outfit the 82nd airborne div. Gavin lies alongside such american soldiers As George Armstrong Custer the legendary Indian fighter killed on june 25,1876, along with 200 soldiers of the 7th cavalry in the Battle of the Little big Horn Gen. Winfield Scott hero from the War of 1812 and the commander of Union forces at the opening of the civil War Robert Anderson who defended fort Sumter in the opening Battle of the civil War and astronaut Edward White the first american to walk in space who died during a Flash fire aboard the Apollo i space capsule. A certainly its got to be the most varied and comprehensive military cemetery in the nation Quot says Stephen Grove the Academy historian. A with unknown soldiers from the revolution and people like Gavin and Custer it has tremendous variety and diversity. Quot outside of Arlington it has the most distinguished collection of military people in the United states in one spot. It has tremendous solemn Ness. Walking through the cemetery is like going through pages of history. You come across name after name of people you be read  the oldest grave at the cemetery belongs to Dominick Trant a revolutionary War Soldier who died at the fort in 1782. During the revolutionary War West Point was a crucial outpost because it controlled traffic on the Hudson River North of new York City. George Washington warned that the British could split the colonies and win the War quickly if they captured West Point. It was West Point that Benedict Arnold plotted to turn Over to the British when he betrayed the american cause. With All its history and tradition being buried at West Point is a High Honor for officers who graduated from the military Academy. Gavin who called West Point his Quot spartan Mother Quot chose the Post cemetery Over Arlington As his burial place. Quot i think most of the family would have preferred that he be buried at Arlington but it was always his desire to be buried at West Point Quot says Gavin a Nephew col. Barrie e. Zais who also graduated from the military Academy. Quot he was very close to West  burial is limited to West Point graduates soldiers serving at the Academy Post at the time of their death and their immediate family members. Among the War heroes buried at West Point Are a Daniel Butterfield the civil War general credited with composing the traditional taps Bugle Call in july 1862 to Honor his fallen soldiers in the seven Days Battle. A David Marcus a 1924 West Point graduate who was one of the founders of the modern israeli army. Marcus served As the supreme commander of the jewish Force Jerusalem area after world War ii and is buried beneath a Pink Granite Tombstone imported from Israel. A maj. Gen. George Sykes and maj. Gen. John Buford jr., who both commanded Union troops at the Battle of Gettysburg. A Lucius Clay the army general who directed the Berlin Airlift in 1948-�?T49 and later served As ambassador to West Germany. A Dennis Mahan Michie class of 1892, army a first football coach and Captain of the team who was killed in Cuba during the Spanish american War. A Martin Mayer the technical sergeant who taught physical education at the military Academy for a Hal Century and became the subject of the movie classic the Long Gray line. A Paul Bunker class of 1903, who was the Only army football player to be proclaimed All America at two different positions. Bunker Rose to the rank of colonel and died in a japanese pow Camp during world War ii a maj. Gen. Robert l. Howze who won a medal of Honor for his heroics fighting Sioux indians in 1891 a Margaret Quot Captain Molly Quot Corbin who took Over a Cannon after her husband was mortally wounded during the Battle of fort Washington in the revolutionary War the epitaphs provide fascinating and powerful historical footnotes. The Story of Thomas Selfridge the nation s first military Pilot to die in a plane crash is told on one Tombstone Selfridge Quot gave up his life in the service of his country at fort myer va., sept. 17,1908 in falling with the first government  Selfridge a 26-year-old first lieutenant was experimenting with Orville Wright at the time Selfridge fab in Michigan is named after him Walter Schulze s tragic Story is told on his Tombstone Schulze the 138th Quot Aero Squadron Quot Captain was killed on june 28,1919, in a plane crash in Germany As he was returning from delivering word to the american troops East of the Rhine River that world War i had officially ended one Tombstone with chinese characters stands Over the grave of Ying Hsing Wen a 1909 West Point graduate who went on to be a lieutenant general in the chinese army. One of the most poignant tombstones stands Over the grave shared by 1st it. John a. Fera class of 1966, who was killed two years later in Vietnam and his father maj Milo a. Fera who served in world War ii and Korea the Cost of the Vietnam War is eloquently told in Row after Row of White Marble tombstones in the newest Section of the cemetery. The first of 274 West Point graduates to die in Vietnam William Frew train Iii is buried at the cemetery. According to the epitaph train was killed in an ambush on june 16, 1962. A few paces away Tombstone after Tombstone tells the toll of Vietnam on a generation Donald Francis Vancook jr., graduated 1968, killed in action 1969. William f. Little Iii graduated 1968, killed in action 1969. James a. Gaiser graduated 1968, killed in action 1969. Robert f. Serio jr., graduated 1964, killed in action 1968. Harry l. Tham graduated 1969, killed in action 1972. Raymond j enners graduated 1967, killed in action 1968. Frank g. Oliver ii graduated 1969, killed in action 1972. Charles Hemingway graduated 1965, killed in action 1967.sunday, May 13, 1990 the stars and stripes a a a Page 13