As Michigan celebrates the 4th of July, some reported to West Point as new cadets

WEST POINT, N.Y. — To many Americans, the Fourth of July has become a day off from work, and a chance to grill some hot dogs, light some sparklers and unfold lawn chairs to watch, or maybe even set off, some fireworks.

At the U.S. Military Academy, the place that Gen. George Washington once called the most important strategic location in America, and where about 1,200 young men and women representing communities nationwide annually report, the celebration often means more.

West Point — which is far from Michigan, and seems even farther away for the families of the 27 new cadets from Michigan who arrived last week for cadet basic training — often doesn’t register among Americans as a crucial place in Revolutionary War history.

Last week, when the new cadets arrived, they got 60 seconds — or 90 seconds if the officer in charge was feeling generous — to say goodbye to their loved ones before their hardship began. The Army buzzed their hair, stripped them of their first names and started the process of introducing them to the Corps of Cadets, if they make it.

July 4, of course, is the day that the Second Continental Congress adopted the Declaration of Independence, explaining to the world why 13 colonies considered themselves sovereign states, no longer subject to British rule. To this cause, each signer pledged his life, fortune and honor.

Saturday, the academy class of 2027 marched in uniform onto Trophy Point, looking shocked and uncertain, because, for the most part, they were still adjusting to their new lives there. In the past few years, previous classes of new cadets didn’t get to celebrate the holiday because the event was canceled as a result of the pandemic, and last year, despite being broadcast on national TV, the festivities were almost entirely rained out.

This year, the West Point community was there, on blankets crowding the area to hear a concert by the West Point Band and watch the pyrotechnics over the Hudson River.

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West Point was built along the Hudson at an S-shaped turn that was difficult for ships to navigate. The west side juts out, forming a point. Thaddeus Kosciuszko — a name Detroiters are familiar with because there’s a statue of him downtown — designed the fort.

If unguarded, British ships could have sailed the Hudson and cut New England off from the other colonies and crushed the rebellion. To prevent that, the Americans extended an 80-ton chain — the Great Chain, as it’s now called — across the waterway.

In 1802, President Thomas Jefferson established the military academy at the fort, which is still an active Army post.

Since then, the academy has produced military leaders who have protected Americans through war and peace. Among its graduates are two presidents: Ulysses S. Grant, who, during the Civil War, helped save the Union from being torn apart; and Dwight Eisenhower, who, during World War II, helped deliver Europe from fascism.

Monuments to fallen soldiers and patriotic sayings — like the academy’s most recent graduating class’ motto, "Freedom Is Not Free" — dot West Point’s grounds. They are reminders why Americans fought for independence and celebrate it.

For a few moments Saturday, the new cadets experienced the freedom to enjoy themselves.

They jumped up and down to "I’m Good," singing that they were "feelin’ alright" and having the best night of their lives. They swayed to "America the Beautiful," with their arms around each other, and they got to watch the colorful fireworks — imitations of the real ordnance they may one day see.

You won’t ever see any social media photos of their celebration — at least not from the new cadets. They aren’t allowed to have phones or cameras or anything except what the Army issues them. But on this holiday, you can feel what they do about their country — and why they sought to serve it.

Contact Frank Witsil: 313-222-5022 or fwitsil@freepress.com.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: A July 4th celebration at one of America's most 'strategic' locations