Father Matt on the Saving of the Crest

The West Point Class of 1986 crest has a remarkable story of preservation, thanks to two classmates and a skilled craftsman. Father Matt Pawlikowski ’86, the Catholic chaplain to the United States Corps of Cadets, joins us to explain how our class crest found its way from storage in Eisenhower Hall to the Catholic rectory at West Point. When the crest was removed from display to make room for newer classes, it may have ended up in the disposal pile. Father Matt discusses the crest's history, the restoration process, and plans to display it at our reunion, where classmates and families will have an opportunity to see it and take photographs. What began as a piece of class memorabilia has become another reminder of the enduring connections within the Long Gray Line.