Honor Award Returned
By Eddy Kovsky, Checkpoints, Fall 2004
An old military bowl has returned to the Academy, compliments of an Internet search.
The Honor Bowl, first awarded to Maj. Mack Thies, ‘64, was rededicated during a ceremony at the Academy October 8, 2004. Thies was the Cadet Wing’s honor chairman for 1964.
In a short ceremony before the noon meal in Mitchell Hall, Col. (Ret.) Rodney Wells, President of the Class of 1964, returned the Honor Bowl award to the Cadet Wing for safekeeping.
“No value is held in higher esteem by the Class of 1964, or for that matter the Long Blue Line, than honor,” said Colonel Wells. “I am here today to return this bowl to its place of honor: To you, the cadets of the United States Air Force Academy.”
Every year the Academy’s honor chairman is presented with an award. In 1964, the award was a silver bowl engraved with Thies’ name. The award was spotted on eBay by a member of the Class of 1967, who recovered it and returned it to the Cadet Wing. The Honor Division plans on displaying the bowl in the Honor Hall under glass as a permanent memorial.
“It took a mysterious path; we don’t really know how it ended up on eBay,” said Lt. Col. Kenneth Yaphe, ‘85, Honor Division Deputy Chief. “It disappeared before our time, about 40 years ago. It could have ended up in an estate sale or sitting in someone’s attic. We don’t really know.”
Each year the Wing Honor Chairman, a first class cadet, was awarded this bowl for their performance throughout the year. Now, the chairman is awarded an “Eagle and Fledglings” statue.
“It was a surprise that it ended up on eBay,” said C1C Nate Renes, the current wing honor chairman. “We as a Cadet Wing felt privileged that Colonel Wells decided to give the bowl back and return it to a place of honor. This presentation to the Cadet Wing by the graduates of 1964 reaffirmed that the graduate community trusts the cadets to be stewards of the code, uphold the integrity of the institution, and be leaders of character.”
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