Barnett tours home of ‘Father of West Point’
National Commander Dale Barnett has his photo taken by the portrait of Sylvanus Thayer, often called the "Father of West Point."

Barnett tours home of ‘Father of West Point’

During National Commander Dale Barnett’s visit to Massachusetts in early April, American Legion Post 86 of Braintree had a surprise for the former history teacher and West Point graduate.

Called the “birthplace of presidents” – John Adams and John Quincy Adams were born there – Braintree is the home of Brig. Gen. Sylvanus Thayer, an early superintendent of the U.S. Military Academy.

Hearing that Barnett would be in the area, Post 86 arranged for him to tour Thayer’s birthplace and Thayer Academy, a private college preparatory school established by a bequest from the general in 1871.

“They prepared an incredible program with just a week’s notice,” Barnett said. “It’s evident the post makes a difference in that community.”

Born in Braintree on June 9, 1785, Thayer – often called the “Father of West Point” – is best known for his work reorganizing the U.S. Military Academy, where he established a curriculum and traditions still in use today. Barnett graduated from West Point in 1974.

“It certainly brought back memories of my time there,” Barnett said. “I sometimes joke that Sylvanus Thayer made my life pretty miserable for four years. He was big into engineering and discipline. At times I associate him with a great deal of pain, but also a great deal of reverence and honor.”

Barnett, who taught U.S. history in Georgia public schools for years, enjoyed learning about Braintree’s ties to the founding fathers and establishment of the Army.

“We’ve got a lot of history in this town,” said James Gullage, commander of Post 86. “It was a quick visit, but we thought the national commander would enjoy it.”

At the Braintree Town Hall, Barnett met with Mayor Joseph Sullivan and Town Clerk James Casey, an Army Reserve veteran and Post 86 member. Officials also brought out the birth records of the nation’s second and sixth presidents (John Adams, born 1735, and John Quincy Adams, born 1767), as well as John Hancock (born 1737) and Thayer. As the president of the Second Continental Congress, Hancock signed George Washington’s commission as “general and commander in chief of the army of the united colonies.”

During his visit, Barnett had a photograph taken with Thayer’s portrait at the town library and walked to the general’s restored home. There, he helped raise a new U.S. flag donated by Post 86 to the Braintree Historical Society, which owns and operates the site.

Barnett’s guides at the Thayer birthplace were Edith Weinberg, clerk of the Braintree Historical Society and an Adams descendant, and Gail Burns, director.

“There were about 25 or 30 members of Post 86 there in uniform,” said Jake Comer, past national commander of The American Legion (1987-1988) and member of Fogg Robert Post 78 in Hyde Park. “We were so impressed by what they did. It turned out to be a highlight of the weekend.”

Braintree’s Post 86 was chartered July 1, 1919. Its post home is the town’s old Union School, built in 1869 and Braintree’s oldest municipal building. Post 86 sponsors an American Legion Baseball team and is active in numerous Legion family programs, including Boys State, Girls State and the Oratorical Contest.