By Steve Triplett
This story begins with an invitation to attend a special event at West Point Military Academy in New York. Georgetown’s Stan and Nancy Purdy, because of their work volunteering and keeping the story of Ulysses S. Grant alive, have met many people who share the same cause.
So when a statue was to be unveiled at West Point, the Purdys were in a select group invited to see the event. The problem was it was to be held the same weekend as Grant’s birthday, which everyone knows in Georgetown is a big day with the annual Grant Days taking place. Stan Purdy has been an organizer of the local event for the past 22 years. The local Grant Association group encouraged the Purdys to make the trip to New York.
Obviously excited, the Purdys accepted the invitation. A week before they were to leave Stan became ill and it was clear they would not be able to go. The Purdys and the local group really wanted someone to represent Georgetown (Grant’s boyhood home) so Patrick Hornschemeier and his wife, Judge Margaret Clark, were asked to stand in, which they did graciously at the last moment.
“The national meeting of the Ulysses S. Grant Association started Wednesday night, went all day Thursday and Friday, and most of Saturday,” said Patrick Hornschemeier. “All day Thursday was spent at the West Point Military Academy for the dedication of the Grant Statue, tours and celebratory meals.”
West Point is about 60 miles from New York City and is on the Hudson River. The Hornschemeiers flew by plane into Newark, N.J., to begin their trip.
A group of about 30 honored invited guests were escorted around West Point and were given VIP treatment.
“We had lunch with about 4,000 cadets,” said Margaret. “It was a unique experience. Lunch was served family style where everything was passed around the table.”
The Georgetown couple toured West Point and also traveled to Grant’s Tomb in New York City in addition to other points of interest for Grant historians.
Aside from the statue and touring West Point, a highlight for the Hornschemeiers was visiting the Cottage on Mt. McGregor in up-state New York where Grant died. A memorial is maintained there. Grant suffered and died there from throat cancer.
The biggest take back from the trip was all the people that the couple met John Griffiths, Grant’s great-great grandson, was in attendance along with other Grant family members, but one of the most interesting people they met was Frances Ogasawara.
“She’s Japanese-American, she lived at the cottage as a girl and her aunt was a caretaker for the cottage. Ms. Ogasawara was interned during World War II, but was later allowed to go live with her aunt after her mother died. The aunt, who had been caretaker of the Grant Cottage for years, was also threatened with internment but the local community rose up and protested on her behalf,” said Margaret. “She played the organ at a number of churches and she was the most solid citizen you could imagine. So the FBI backed off and said she could be under house arrest. Her niece is now 93 years old. She’s an amazing lady with an interesting story.”
Of course people in Georgetown are going to ask, which statue is better?
Patrick puts it this way. “It’s different. Both statues are very well done, but the West Point statue is different. I think it captures his facial expression of sheer determination, as if he were saying ‘I’m going to put my face through that brick wall.’ ”
The landmarks like Grant’s Tomb and the Grant Cottage are open to the public and tours are offered at West Point for those who are interested in visiting and making their own determination about the statue.
