Good morning.  Let me tell you a little bit about a man I was privileged to call my friend.  I also called him “Dad.”  I’d like to start out by reading something:

“One of my earliest memories is looking up at a smiling face wearing an olive-green hat with two silver bars on it.  It looked like it was ten feet up in the air, but I could tell that it expressed love.  As I grew older, the face got closer to mine, and the hat changed and eventually disappeared, but the expression of love remained the same.

“I also remember Dad’s strength.  He would pin me to the floor when we wrestled in the living room, and I remember when he gave me boxing gloves for Christmas and then popped me in the nose when we tried them out.  His strength showed in his discipline methods as well.  It was firm and occasionally painful at the time but never excessive, and it was always accompanied by an explanation of why what I did was wrong.  That was true discipline and training, and I appreciate it now that I have children of my own.

“Dad was always the head of the home whether he was physically present or not.  He modeled authority and inspired respect through his actions, not just his words.  He placed exceptional emphasis on integrity, doing your best, and integrity again.

“As the head of the home, he made sure that we were unified as a family.  Moving around helped to keep us close.  Dad showed me that our family was important and that I was an important member.  He always emphasized doing things together.  He was there for the important events in my life despite his extremely busy schedule.  He always made time for us.  Our family was important to him.

“He was our provider.  He provided emotionally as well as financially.  He loved Mom, and it showed.  That in itself provided more security than any amount of money or things ever could.  He provided spiritually.  He trained me in God's Word at home.  He led Bible studies and Sunday school wherever we went. On numerous occasions he expressed his faith publicly in front of his superiors, peers, and subordinates.  These things combined to show that his personal walk with God was real and important.”

I originally wrote the words I just read eight years ago. I had the wonderful opportunity to share these and a few more like them with Dad in person at Christmas in 1995.  For those of you familiar with Mom and Dad’s home, you’ll find them in a frame hanging on the wall just outside their bedroom.  I thought when I wrote them that I had captured my thoughts and feelings about my father, but I have found that that is not entirely true.  Since then, and especially since he was diagnosed with cancer, I only saw Dad’s faith in God grow and become more central to his life.  Dad sent email updates as he progressed through his battle with cancer, and those updates communicated his faith and his outlook.

On February 4, 2001, less than a month after his diagnosis, Dad wrote, “We feel the support of your prayers. Our morale is high and I have no pain. The Lord's grace is bountiful and sufficient for the needs of each day. Let's pray that every step of this journey will be for His glory.”

On November 18, 2001, after what many would consider a setback in his treatment, he wrote, “More than anything, the Lord has been graciously leading [me] from a state of anxiety to a stronger trust in His love and mercy. We have His promise throughout His Word that He loves us and that He leads us through trials for His glory and our growth.”

In April 2002, after receiving news that he would be on chemotherapy for the foreseeable future, he wrote, “Thank you all for your love and prayers. We continue to be sustained by them. The Lord has a purpose in all that He does. He is a powerful and a sovereign God, who loves us in a way that we will never understand in this life.”

In his last update, written August 9^th of this year, Dad revealed that he and the doctors had decided to terminate his chemotherapy and let the cancer run its course.  Following that discussion, he wrote this:

“It is refreshing to know that God has all of this in His will and that He will provide the strength to cope with whatever lies ahead, as He has so graciously done thus far.”

Dad never asked, “Why me?”  He continually said, “God is sovereign, and He is good.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Our desire is to glorify Him.”  Many of you prayed along with us that God would heal him from the cancer.  God did not heal him in this life, but He did grant Dad 2 ½ years after his diagnosis before taking him home.  I view these last years as God’s gift to our family.  And so I echo Dad and say, “God is sovereign, and He is good.  We have so much to be thankful for.  Our desire is to glorify Him.”

Dad’s focus was on how he could share the gifts that God had given him with others.  Your presence here with us today is a testimony to his sharing of those gifts.  Many of you have told me what a strong, remarkable man and gifted leader Dad was.  I couldn’t agree more.  But I know that Dad’s strength was drawn from his personal relationship with God, and his leadership was modeled after the servant-leadership of Jesus Christ.  As I’ve reflected on Dad’s life and death over the past few days, the words of 2 Corinthians 4:5-7 stand out as characteristic of him:

For what we proclaim is not ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, with ourselves as your servants for Jesus' sake.  For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness," has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us.

Dad leaves a legacy of servant-leadership and relying on God’s power. That is how he would want to be remembered.  And for those of us who know and love him best, we will.

But Dad was never one to dwell on the past.  Even when he was approaching death, he continued to focus on where he was going.  His intensely personal relationship with and faith in Jesus Christ saturated his life and his outlook.  Dad’s perspective was eternal.  As a young boy, he placed his faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for his sins to provide the way for him to spend eternity with God.  That decision affected the rest of his life here on earth, and those who are Christians believe that it continues to affect his life in heaven.

If you take nothing else away from my thoughts this morning, consider these important questions:

1. What do I believe about Jesus Christ?

2. Whose glory am I concerned about – mine or God’s?

3. What saturates my life and my outlook?

Dad’s answers to these questions were evident by the way he lived.  To me, his life and his death present a challenge to take every minute I’ve got left on this earth and make it count for the glory of God.

Lieutenant General Graves' funeral service took place at mid morning today in the Cadet Chapel, under low gray skies and with a steady rain beating against the stained-glass windows.  During the service, a number of speakers eulogized our 54th Superintendent, all of them stressing both his strength of will and deep humility.   The speakers included MAJ Gregory Graves, who offered a moving "Tribute to My Father," and Don Snider, Class of '62, whose "Reflections of a Colleague" were insightful and inspirational.

When the Cadet Glee Club sang "Precious Lord, Take My Hand" and the "Alma Mater," I couldn't help thinking of the stock comparison--"They sang like angels."  In this case, though, they were martial angels.  They lifted the heart and mind to a warrior's heaven.

After the service, with the rain still falling steadily, we formed in a long line behind the hearse, the band, and an honor guard of cadets under arms to walk down the hill and north on Washington Road to the cemetery, where a graveside service was held.  The prayers for General Graves were punctuated by howitzers on Trophy Point booming out a farewell fifteen-gun salute.  A little later there came a rifle salute.  Then the bugler played "Taps."  Then it was over.

The Long Gray Line has lost a very good man, a Distinguished Graduate who lived his life in accordance with the values that we all revere--Duty, Honor, Country.

Pre-dawn rains pelted the West Point area on Tuesday, 23 September 2003, and only diminished slightly as graduates, family and friends assembled quietly at Herbert Hall awaiting transportation to funeral services at the Cadet Chapel.  By 9 am the rains still persisted as the busses departed.  At the chapel, resplendent with battle flags, the stained glass windows remained dark due to the storm clouds overhead.  Several Plebe ushers stood stiffly in full dress gray over white near the pews reserved for the family of LTG (Retired) Howard Dwayne Graves '61, the 54th Superintendent of West Point, who had died at College Station, Texas, on 13 September.  Muffled drums were heard outside, and the Cadet Glee Club silently filed in to fill the seats to either side of the altar.  Then honors were heard, followed by a slow rendition of "Army Blue."  As the chapel organ rendered the processional, a casket draped in a rain-soaked flag was escorted to the front of the chapel by two equally rain-soaked soldiers.  Chaplain Tatum offered words of welcome and a prayer while the glee club moved in front of the altar to sing "Precious Lord, Take My Hand."

After a scripture reading, during which the rain poured down and thunder rumbled in the distance, Howard's son Gregory '88, an active duty major, spoke of his Dad's love tempered with discipline and noted that wherever they were stationed, his Dad always conducted Bible study and taught Sunday School.  He was followed by Dr. Don Snider '62, who spoke as a colleague. He recalled that personal notes from Howard always were styled "Gracie and I," in recognition of their loving partnership; that the former superintendent shocked a Russian leader by observing that SCUD missiles posed little threat to American troops assembling for the first Gulf War; and how his handling of the infamous "fondling incident" was headlined "Wisdom at West Point" by the New York Times.  To him, Howard Graves was a gracious, humble man of God with a disciplined intellect who did not care who received the credit for what was accomplished.

After a rendition of the hymn "It Is Well With My Soul," reflections delivered by retired USAR Chaplain Andrew Seidel '63 on a reading from Mark 10:35-45 underscored the concept of the servant leader who seeks "not to be served but to serve."  After the hymn "To God Be The Glory," the glee club again moved in front of the altar to sing the "Alma Mater."  Following a brief benediction, family and friends exited the chapel to follow the casket to the cemetery.  The band, an honor guard platoon of cadets, and the colors accompanied the hearse bearing the casket down Stony Lonesome Road, formerly Mills Road, to Washington Road and the cemetery.  Hundreds of mourners, under umbrellas, made the slow trek to the burial plot near the Anderson Fountain.  The cadet honor guard in their raincoats and white hats, the firing party, and the band already had taken their places.  After the family was seated, the band began to play a dirge-like rendition of the Official West Point March as the casket, draped with a dry flag protected by clear plastic, was respectfully carried by six soldiers to the small canopy sheltering the grave site.

After brief prayers, a howitzer battery rendered a fifteen-gun salute, the commander of the cadet honor guard ordered the firing of three volleys, Taps was played-followed by the "Alma Mater"-and the flag was meticulously folded.  BG Kaufman presented the flag to Mrs. Graves "on behalf of a grateful nation" and a card was presented with the words, "On behalf of Howard's many classmates in attendance, the Association of Graduates, and the Long Gray Line, please accept our love, respect and sympathy for all that you and Howard have done."  By 11:35 the ceremony was complete, and all, save one, began to move toward the busses to return to Herbert Hall.

Among those attending were GEN Gordon Sullivan (former Chief of Staff of the Army and President, AUSA); LTG & Mrs. Christman '65 (former Superintendent); LTG Robert Flowers (Commander, Corps of Engineers); LTG Stroup '62 (VP, AUSA); LTG & Mrs. McFarren '66 (former Commandant); BG Galloway '57 (former Dean); and Mrs. Joan Schmieder (LTG Graves' secretary for the five years he was Superintendent).

In addition to serving as Superintendent from 1991 to 1996, LTG Graves was Vice Director of the Joint Staff (1986-87); Commandant of the Army War College (1987-89); and Assistant to the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff (1989-91).  In Viet Nam, he initially was an engineer operations officer and then served as the assistant division engineer for the 1st Cavalry Division (Airmobile).  The second man in his class, he spent 1961-64 studying at Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar and 1970-73 teaching in the Department of Social Sciences. 

As I begin I want to thank personally the Glee Club for being here this morning.  You add so much to this martial celebration and, as well, you remind us on this particular day that the Academy’s future is bright, indeed.

But just now, in our grief, when we are most sure that Love will not suffice, I know Howard would remind us that it will do so anyway.

By JOHN LeBAS
Eagle Staff Writer

Howard Graves, who rose from a poor West Texas
childhood to three-star Army general and later
chancellor of the Texas A&M University System,
died Saturday after a long battle with cancer.

Graves, 64, was surrounded by family at home
when he passed away peacefully late Saturday
afternoon, said his pastor, the Rev. Dwight
Edwards.

“He was ready to go; we knew it,” Edwards said.
“We had a wonderful talk a week ago about him
going to see the Lord and what that would mean.
There was complete peace.”

Graves retired two weeks ago as chancellor, a post he’d held since 1999. He said his 2 1/2-year fight against cancer that started in his abdomen and spread to his lungs prevented him from working any longer.

He was diagnosed nearly halfway into his tenure but stayed on the job despite rounds of chemotherapy, radiation and surgery aimed at destroying the cancer. He often credited his staff with keeping his schedule flexible around treatment and rest times and spoke openly about how the disease deepened his already-strong Christian faith.

In early August, Graves announced he was abandoning treatment and would let the cancer take its course.

Graves’ family issued a statement shortly after his death: “We would like to thank those who have prayed for Howard and have expressed their support and concern for him and for our family. He died peacefully, and we know that he is now rejoicing with his Savior, Jesus Christ, and that he will be for eternity.”

Graves took over as chancellor in August 1999. It was a time of growth and relative prosperity for the A&M System and its flagship campus in College Station.

Under Graves, the system developed and implemented the Integrative Plan. Much like A&M’s Vision 2020, the plan established benchmarks for performance, stating that the system’s universities and agencies would be among the nation’s best within two decades. The plan spelled out the goals of greater internal collaboration and a heightened role in helping the state meet its higher education needs.

Graves was a visiting professor at the University of Texas’ Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs when he was tapped for the chancellor position. The one-time Rhodes Scholar — who was named a distinguished West Point graduate in 2001 — brought a reputation as a consensus builder and a leadership style that emphasized a team approach to major policy decisions.

“I have had numerous bosses in my career,” said Jerry Gaston, his deputy chancellor for four years. “And two that stand out as the finest men I could imagine are [former A&M President] Ray Bowen and Howard Graves.”

Graves was credited with fostering a greater cohesiveness among the sprawling system’s many parts and guiding the organization around a potentially devastating round of budget cuts this year. He championed the importance of higher education to the future of Texas and, while he said the A&M System should play a key role, he worked with the state’s other chancellors on such projects as homeland security.

He also worked with the Legislature to create four-year universities in Killeen and San Antonio and oversaw legislation that will allow Texas A&M University-Texarkana to become a four-year university. Under Graves, the system launched a program to train thousands more teachers and expanded its Health Science Center to include five schools.

“All of us mourn the passing of Howard Graves,” Mark Yudof, chancellor of the University of Texas System, said in a statement. “His courage and honor throughout his leadership of the Texas A&M System are an enduring legacy. Chancellor Graves was a genteel, compassionate man whose dedication to education and commitment to students will be missed by us all in higher education and in the state.”

The system enjoyed strong growth during Graves’ tenure: Enrollment surged by some 10,000 students to 98,000, and the budget swelled by hundreds of millions of dollars, surpassing $2.5 billion.

Graves liked to cite another statistic to illustrate the system’s reach. Through teaching and service programs, he said, the A&M System touches about four million people a year.

“Howard Graves was the epitome of public service, a man who dedicated his entire life to giving back to others,” Gov. Rick Perry said in a statement. “From serving our country in the U.S. Army to serving our state as chancellor of the Texas A&M University System, his life was always about helping others and never about himself. I was honored to have called him a friend. Anita and I will keep Gracie and their family in our hearts and prayers.”

As a high-schooler in Amarillo, Graves yearned to attend Texas A&M. But his ROTC instructor steered him toward the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, and his parents took out a loan to send him on his way.

Graves performed well at West Point, where he was captain of the debate team, and after his 1961 graduation studied at Oxford University. He became a decorated Army officer, commanding engineers early in his career and advancing to high-level duties in Washington, D.C.

He capped his 35-year Army service in 1996 as superintendent of his alma mater. The three-star general also worked as assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, negotiated arms control treaties and served as commandant of the U.S. Army War College.

At West Point, Graves took over an institution in transition. His predecessor, Lt. Gen. David Palmer, had succeeded where previous superintendents tried but failed — he did away with the academy’s “fourth-class” system, which emphasized hardship for first-year cadets.

Rather than abandon the drastic move, Graves embraced it, said those who worked under him at the academy.

“I think General Graves recognized that what his predecessor had done was historic and important,” said Col. Patrick Toffler, the academy’s director of policy, planning and analysis during Graves’ tenure. “He had the humility and the grace to recognize the best thing he could do was carry on.”

Graves also managed to persuade Congress not to drastically scale back West Point’s size during the post-Cold War push toward a smaller military, said Toffler, now director of the Research & Studies Partnership at the academy.

Longtime academy historian Steve Grove said Graves was picked in part to provide stability during his five years as superintendent. He implemented a value system for the cadets, emphasizing honor and consideration of others as “bedrock values,” Grove said.

And when faced with a sexual misconduct incident involving cadets — when a few males groped females before a football game — Graves broke the story to The New York Times. The paper rewarded his forthrightness with a glowing editorial.

“In the early 1990s, it was difficult times for the academy, but he did well,” Grove said.

Though commanding West Point could be stressful and time-consuming — complete with late-night phone calls, social commitments and visits from heads of state — Graves and his family took the challenges in stride, Toffler said.

“The Graveses handled it just beautifully,” he said. “He may have been stressed inside, but he never came to the office with the weight of the world on his shoulders.”

Graves is survived by his wife, Gracie. The couple moved last year from the chancellor’s residence near Texas A&M to a house in College Station to ease her transition after he was gone.

He also is survived by a son and daughter, Gregory Howard Graves and Gigi Renee Kail, and five grandchildren.