As we head into our Alumni Homecoming Weekend, we would like to take a moment to honor one of the most distinguished alumni in the Academy's 114-year history. We announced in October 3rd's Weekly Warrior that General William Crouch, a dedicated board member and a foremost exemplar of the Academy's values, had passed away at the age of 83. This week, as we contemplate the Academy's Long Gray Line, it is only fitting that we spotlight the tremendous life and impact of General Crouch on the Academy and the world at large.
We begin with a tribute from Barry Shreiar, Chairman of the Academy's Board of Trustees.
A WARRIOR HAS FALLEN
The Army and Navy Academy lost a member of its long gray line. William W. Crouch, General, US Army (RET), served as the Battalion Commander at The Army and Navy Academy in 1959 and as the Vice Chief of staff for the US Army 1997-1998. He served on the Board of Trustees for the Academy starting in 2013 and served as the Board’s Vice Chairman.
The above accomplishments, which include his last service on active duty to our nation and his service to our Academy, highlight a lifetime of duty, leadership, and commitment. General Crouch was a superlative example of the fulfilment of our Academy’s mission. We forge virtuous young men for life. Every aspect of his life stood as an example of this.
For those of us that knew Gen. Crouch you were gifted with his presence, his spirit, decency, and careful intellect. When you are in the presence of a great man you sense it like the intensity from a bright light. It commands your attention, and you are made better from the time you are there. This was every moment with General Crouch.
Those of you that were not fortunate enough to have met him, you did know him. He was our values. A man of Honor, Integrity, Respect, Commitment, Gratitude, and Courage. If you understand these values you know General Couch.
His last full act of devotion to our Academy, to each of us, was to bring all of us together to reflect on what he stood for - what we stand for.
Personally, General Crouch had a profound effect on my life in the 11 years I knew him. I spoke to him frequently and his guidance for me as Chairman of the Board of Trustees was immeasurable.
The news of General Crouch’s passing brought me to think of a well-known quote on war from Heraclitus. It reads:
“Out of every one hundred men, ten shouldn’t be there eighty are just targets, nine are the real fighters, and we are lucky to have them,
For they make the battle. Ah, but the one, one is a warrior, and he will
bring the others back”
General Crouch was THE ONE.
Barry R. Shreiar Chairman of the Board of Trustees The Army and Navy Academy
Major General Peggy C. Combs, President of the Army and Navy Academy, wrote the following, recounting General Crouch's extraordinary accomplishments during his service in the United States Army.
A VIRTUOUS SERVANT LEADER
Our distinguished and most prestigious alumnus General William W. Crouch was a man who personified human excellence in word, character, and deed. He was among a rare breed of military officers, just 0.4%, who earned the rank of four-star General. His career was marked by exemplary leadership, valor, selflessness, and love of country. Battle-proven in the fields of Vietnam as a cavalry troop commander, he was awarded the Silver Star for heroism and gallantry in action. He exposed himself to intense hostile fire on numerous occasions as he led his men to defeat the enemy. As a selfless man of honor, he would serve with distinction in the most challenging positions our Army and our nation have to offer, commanding Soldiers at every level from platoon to Army.
General Crouch began his service in 1963 as a cavalry platoon leader in the 5th Infantry Division. He went on to command four companies, two of which were cavalry troops, in combat. His subsequent commands included terms as the Regimental Commander, 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment; Commanding General of the 5th Infantry Division; Commanding General of the Eighth United States Army; Chief of Staff United Nations Command/Combined Forces Command and United States Forces Korea; Commander Allied Land Force Central Europe, and Commander in Chief US Army Europe.
Following his illustrious record of accomplishment in command tenure, wherein he built national security relationships and led forces around the globe, he was selected to serve as the 27th Vice Chief of Staff of the Army from 1997 until his retirement in 1998. In addition to the aforementioned Silver Star, his exemplary leadership and record of service earned him the Defense Distinguished Service Medal, the Army Distinguished Service Medal, the Legion of Merit, and the Bronze Star. There are no words to adequately capture the breadth and depth of his selfless service to our nation.
Following his inspiring career of service to the Nation, General Crouch gave of his time and talent to Army and Navy Academy through his service on our board of trustees. He was awarded the Academy’s Golden “A” Award for distinguished alumni in 1999 and received the Distinguished Warrior Award in 2017 in honor of his lifetime achievements and unwavering commitment and service to the Academy. His inspiring leadership endures here at the Academy through the General William W. Crouch Distinguished Leadership Award. It is awarded each semester to Cadets who serve in a leadership position of platoon sergeant or higher and have achieved a semester GPA of 3.3 or higher, and a citizenship grade of excellent or outstanding during each grading period.
General Crouch’s legacy to all of us is the personification and example of all we stand for at Army and Navy Academy: Honor Integrity, Respect, Responsibility, Compassion and Gratitude. When asked “what defines a virtuous man,” the answer is simple: General William W. Crouch, Army and Navy Academy Class of 1959.
“As a leader entrusted with your soldiers’ lives and your nation’s security, you always have to find the wherewithal to solve whatever problem or situation that you’re confronting, and to be able to inspire others to succeed.” – General William W. Crouch
Major General Peggy C. Combs, USA (Retired) 16th President Army and Navy Academy
Homecoming/Alumni Weekend is this weekend! As you register for events, please make sure we have the first and last names of all attendees.
Alumni
Please RSVP for Alumni events here. The alumni golf outing has been moved to the Executive course at Lakehouse in San Marcos, formerly St. Mark Executive, at 1556 Camino Del Arroyo Drive, San Marcos, CA 92078. Tee time for the first group is at 10:19, with all other groups following in roughly 8-minute increments.
All alums and parents are welcome to attend ANAPA's Oktoberfest celebration on Saturday, October 19th, at 7:30 PM. Please register here for this paid event. This was a huge event last year and we are looking forward to a repeat success with the addition of our alumni!
Also, this weekend, as part of the JPA, the Cadet's capstone Service Learning Project is heavily involved with homeless veterans. We are collecting blankets, jackets, socks, and other clothing items to positively impact veterans who are currently struggling. If you would like to contribute, please drop items this weekend inside Davis Hall or at Duffield Sports Center before and during the parade. For more information, contact Sanjay Swaroop, Battalion Executive Officer 2024-25.
Warrior Football currently sits at 5-2 heading into Homecoming/Alumni Weekend against Victory Christian. If unable to attend, catch your Warriors on YouTube Friday night at 7 pm on the Academy YouTube channel. We will be also honoring our senior fall athletes prior to the game and faculty recognition at halftime.
Warrior Cross Country has a league Cluster on Friday at Kit Carson Park at 3 pm. Warriors look to make a huge statement in the Pacific League.
Alumni and parents are welcome to join Warrior Water Polo for a very special home game tomorrow at 3PM against Valley Center. The team is currently is in the top 8 for Division 3 heading into a home match against Escondido next week.
Our Hockey team is exceeding expectations with new players wanting to join the program weekly. Last weekend brought a major win over cross-town rival Pacific Ridge.
Spread the word! As we speed into enrollment season for the 2025-2026 school year, our Admissions team is busy hosting Open Houses on campus and Meet and Greets across the state.
Our next Open House is this weekend, Saturday, October 24 from 10 am -12 pm. This is followed by a Meet and Greet in Newport Beach at Cucina Enoteca on October 24th from 4-7 pm
Current families and alums are welcomed and encouraged to join our Meet and Greets. This is a great opportunity to build the Academy community by sharing your stories with prospective Warrior families.
UPCOMING DATES TO REMEMBER
Oct 18 - 3-4 pm College Fair in Duffield
Oct 18-20 - Homecoming/Alumni Weekend (Closed Weekend for Cadets and Families)
Oct 20 - 8-10 am Service Academy/JROTC Expo
Oct 25 - Coffee and Colors with the President
Oct 28 - John Maffucci Day
Oct 30 - 3-6 pm, Fall Festival
Nov 11 - 11 am -12 pm Veterans Day Military Review
Army and Navy Academy, 2605 Carlsbad Blvd., Carlsbad, CA 92008, USA, 888.762.2338
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