tv West Point Holiday Special FOX News December 24, 2012 10:00pm-11:00pm PST
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>> thank you very much for joining us. you have been a terrific audience. [cheers and applause] >> brian: and that is why we are sending you home with goody bags filled with books and cds and presents. you will all get the same thing. >> steve: fantastic. [cheers and applause] >> gretchen: and if you would like to donate to sandy victims, there are a ton of different ways that you can help out. just head to foxandfriends.com for all of the info. >> alisyn: merry christmas, everyone, we will see you next year. [cheers and applause] welcome to fox news west
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pointed special. i'm jon scott. coming to you from west point, new york. west point is america's oldest military posted and one of our country's most fabled universities. each year more than a thousand cadets graduate here and become officers in the united states army. tonight, we will not only explore the rich history of west pointed and get a look at living traditions but also get to enjoy the music of the arm's oldest band. west point band is one of finest musical organizations. throughout the next hour we'll hear them on the field, in the hall, and on stage as they perform for the public in their annual holiday concert. >> jon: before we get to the music, let's go to washington, d.c. for a special message from general martin dempsey. chairman of the joint chiefs of
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staff and west pointed graduate. >> thanks for the opportunity to showcase this national treasure during the holidays and, of course, to hear the music of the west pointed band. the army's oldest and one of the very best. i also don't want to miss this opportunity to highlight the service and sack why create ties of the millions of servicemen and women serving our nation at home and broad during the holidays. i wish them and their families happy holidays. >> jon: thank you. holiday season would not be complete without the annual west pointed holiday concert? eisenhower hall. named for dwight eisenhower, it's one of the largest theaters in america designed to hold the entire corps of cadets. so let's get right to it. here is the west pointed band in the holiday concert performing. ♪ ♪ ♪
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and the location was chosen in 1778. >> george washington buy his first camp on the west point on the river. >> jon: general washington chose this location to stop british advancement during the war. with legislation signed by thomas jefferson, the college was established devoted to training professional leaders in warfare. now, more than 200 years later, today's cadets are well wear of legacy. >> tradition is everything here. it permeates through everything we do. our uniforms are the same as the same as when the school opened. it gives background and draw from. >> day one, everybody has their hearts to serve the country and to be inspired and motivated to serve the country.
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>> it starts with a mission to educate, train and inspire the corps of cadets so each graduate is commissioned leader of character for duty, honor and country and prepared for a self-career of service as an officer in the united states army. >> jon: as long as there have been soldiers at west point there has been a band. >> there were musicians that were field musicians, drummers that go back in the 1700s. >> military drums was primary form of communication from the revolution to the civil war and bule made a bold brilliant sound to be heard above the noise of battle. so they have marched to the beat of west point band. >> that same type of group, same
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type of music, same instrument, they still play today. ♪ ♪ >> they march from place to place and things you'll see is daily formations and they call the company and we march in formation to where we eat. are everyone keeps in step. you'll see them all marching in to the beat of a drum. cadets eat all at one time. >> jon: in addition to keeping them on precise schedule that makes up life at west point. field music group performs at football games and military reviews and parades and countless other events.
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>> jon: welcome back to fox news channel's west point holiday special. that was west point glee club. december is a special time around here. when the future army officers look forward to well deserved break from studies and training. holidays are very busy time here at west point. cadets are thinking about the emotional reunions as they go back to each of the 50 states and 33 different countries around the world. >> it's also a time to remember those that have gone before them. thousands of americans celebrating the holidays far from home. >> the holiday season reminds us about soldiers serving in harm's way. so many know what it is like to be deployed overseas and be away from the united states so we never forget that sacrifice. there is the connection of the cadet, future leader of those soldiers who are deployed.
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>> walking through the posts holiday spirit is palpable. >> the christmas season is incredibly busy. get ready for finals. >> you are not with your real family but the people around you make you feel like the holidays. you realize the people around you, like all 4,000 of us are really a family. >> there is one december tradition that everyone looks forward to. >> every year the cadets have a holiday dinner where they get to dress in best uniform and washington hall will be decorated. >> jon: washington hall is no ordinary dining hall. >> all roughly 4400 of us eat. >> christmas dinner is the best night. >> one of traditions that happens at west point is that come into the mess hall. >> they have wrapping gifts and
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some people bring lights. >> it's to decorate the christmas table. >> to make this beautiful table for us. >> one of the most amazing things is to see the thousands of cadets up to 4600, 20 minutes all of them will be served up to a great first class meal. >> it's a big family style meal. talking and getting to know your classmates. >> you laugh and have fun and talk and exchange jokes. >> it's an opportunity for cadets both young and old to bond as a unit. >> it's exciting during the holidays here. it's a lot of fun. >> jon: massive washington hall isn't the most impressive structure. one of the most awe-inspiring campuses, military academy was first in country to adopt the gothic style of architecture. core buildings form a granite
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fortress symbolic of strength to lead the army into the future. among the many great structures is the cadet chapel kha resembles a medieval fortress on the campus. >> traditionally it would be a beautiful site for it but something this majestic needs to on the hill. >> chap sell one of five on the post. each providing a spiritual home from cadets from different backgrounds. this different building took a little more than a year to complete. >> they begin work on it in april of 1809. they brought artisans that brought the cathedrals in europe over here. if they could build in it five years they would receive citizenship. they built in it 14 months. >> it sustained class is in memory of their fallen classmates. >> different classes donated
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>> jon: west point holiday special continues. we're at the united states military academy at west point where cadets spend four years studying to be leaders in america's army. just making it through fall semester to winter break is nothing short of a triumph. for the members. it's their first chance to take break as they report at the post right after high school graduation. their officially june welcome is reception day, just the start of a rigorous schedule of training and education that will continue. >> in each of four years at west
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point we're going constant campaign to develop them as leaders of character. immediately upon graduation they take on this extraordinary responsibility to command, to inspire, to lead and to serve the soldiers of the united states army. that is the primary mission at west point. >> jon: let's get back to the music of the west point band and we rejoin hudson valley holiday concert for winter game. ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪ ♪
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