Joe Ray

July 15, 2002 - Cincinnati Enquirer

PARIS — As a West Point cadet and former exchange student in Saint Cyr, Cheviot native David Ausman is well aware of the contributions of the French army to world history.

But he probably never dreamed he’d become part of that history, as he did Sunday when he was among the first U.S. soldiers to participate in the Bastille Day parade since 1945.

Mr. Ausman, a soccer standout who graduated from Walnut Hills High School in 1999, took part in the joint bicentennial celebration between the French military academy and U.S. Military Academy in Saint Cyr by helping to lead more than 4,000 French troops down the Champs-Elysies.

Mr. Ausman, who will be a fourth-year cadet in the fall, was an exchange student at Saint Cyr between August and December of 2001. He said he was proud to return to France for the bicentennial events: “The West Point cadets studying at Saint Cyr are completely integrated into their program, and it gave me a strong knowledge of the French army.”

In President Jacques Chirac’s annual Bastille Day interview, he opened by deflecting the first question to instead “offer words of friendship to the West Point cadets who are celebrating their bicentennial with the cadets of Saint Cyr.” The event, however, was marred by an assassination attempt on Mr. Chirac as he was reviewing the troops. No one was injured.

All 168 West Point cadets on the trip made special efforts to clear their schedules so they could take part in the events in France.

Senior cadet Tracey Coleman, a French and Spanish major and French military history buff, lit up when speaking about taking part in the events, “This is all I could dream of — this is history — I made sure I had room on my summer schedule so I could come.”

The historical significance of marching in the Bastille Day parade was not lost on the cadets. Each one made reference to what an honor it was to take part in the parade, but never mentioned the word “duty” — instead, words like “privilege” and “opportunity” came up over and over again.

As part of the joint celebration, Saint Cyr cadets spent 10 days in the U.S. The French cadets were the first foreigners to ever participate in West Point’s graduation ceremony. The West Point cadets will likewise participate in Saint Cyr’s graduation ceremony, La Triomphe.

The history between the two schools is intertwined. Two hundred years ago, Thomas Jefferson signed into law the measures necessary to create the first U.S. military school at West Point. Jonathan Williams, West Point’s first superintendent and grandnephew of Benjamin Franklin, heavily promoted the study of French, as the majority of military understanding and theory at that time came from Europe, particularly France.

Later, 1808 graduate Sylvanus Thayer was directed by the U.S. secretary of war to visit European schools and military institutions. He returned with French textbooks, which became the core of West Point’s library.

Today, the schools remain closely linked as 10 Saint Cyr students a year are sent for two months of study at West Point, and two West Point cadets spend a semester in Coetquodan, home of Saint Cyr.