Heritage Trail at Doolittle Hall

The AOG's Heritage Trail: Celebrating the lives and accomplishments of the Long Blue Line

Class of 1960 inscription on plaque located at the entrance to the Association of Graduates' Doolittle Hall:

"We who have gone before, salute the cadets of the United States Air Force Academy. We have served our country with pride and honor. We have fought and died for her. We hold our service to our nation above all obligations. We leave our love of country and our passion for serving here with each of you. Every American is counting on you. We expect great things."

The rich heritage of the Academy lies in the accomplishments of its graduates. They are distinguished military officers, astronauts and doctors, pilots and support personnel, CEOs and entrepreneurs, lawyers and teachers, inventors, investors, ministers, government officials, coaches, and authors.

They have garnered this nation's highest awards including a Medal of Honor and numerous Air Force Crosses and Silver Stars. Academy graduates have been POWs, have saved lives, and produced victories in conflicts around the globe. Today, 168 have made the ultimate sacrifice in America's battles.

As part of the AOG's continued efforts to promote the heritage of the Academy, the Heritage Trail, located on the grounds adjacent to Doolittle Hall, is taking shape. The additions of the Class of 1959 Challenge Bridge and Class of 1970 replica of the War Memorial complement the existing plaques from other classes and natural setting of the trail, further promoting its purpose. 

"The Class of 1960 has built this walkway to pave the way for future generations of cadets to leave their footprint on our nation's history and on our Academy's heritage," reads a plaque along the path to Doolittle Hall that all appointees pass. 

The trail, which serves as a visual reminder of the lives and accomplishments of the Academy's proud Long Blue Line, is an important part of each year's in-processing.

Members of each new class arrive for in-processing to begin their Academy journey. Fittingly, the appointees' day begins at Doolittle Hall, home of the Association of Graduates. After saying good-byes to their accompanying family and friends, the appointees officially enter the United States Air Force Academy as members of the next class.

Before loading into the buses waiting to take the appointees up to the cadet area, the soon-to-be Basic Cadets walked through the Heritage Trail - a tradition initiated by the AOG.

Stopping just past the Memorial Wall (gift from the Class of 1970), a smaller version of the wall that permanently rests below the terrazzo flagpole in the cadet area, the appointees are reminded of the rich heritage of the Long Blue Line - and the ultimate sacrifice that 168 graduates have paid in service to the nation.

Graduate volunteers address the groups of appointees as they approached the Challenge Bridge, dedicated and funded by the Class of 1959.

Plaques on the bridge offer this challenge:

To each entering cadet:
The path to which you aspire has been consecrated by the blood of heroes and paved with the selfless service of countless men and women like you. If you would be worthy of this heritage:
Make integrity the bedrock value of your life
Let your actions always be guided by an unshakeable sense of duty, self-discipline and personal responsibility
Become a lifelong student of history, war, humanity and leadership
Be prepared to sacrifice everything to defend the principles upon which our nation was founded
Cross this bridge with the determination to live a life that will make all who went before proud of you.

The trailhead is marked by a plaque that reads:

"The willingness with which our young people are likely to serve in any war, no matter how justified, shall be directly proportional as to how they perceive the veterans of earlier wars were treated and appreciated by their nation." - George Washington

After reading the plaque, visitors walk down the trail and pass pedestals that recognize the Academy Distinguished Graduate Award winners. The pedestals, made of a rich granite and stunning bronze, pay tribute to Gen. (Ret.) Ronald Fogleman, '63; Harry Pearce, '64; Gen. (Ret.) Robert Oaks, '59; Dr. Paul Kaminski, '64; Lt. Gen. (Ret.) Bradley Hosmer, '59; Richard Schlosberg, '65, Col. (Ret.) Frederick Gregory, '64, Gen. (Ret.) Ronald Yates, '60, Gen. (Ret.) H.T. Johnson, '59, and Gen. (Ret.) Mike Ryan, '65.

The trail, named the Heritage Trail, is designed to leave a lasting impression of the heritage of the Air Force Academy - with cadets, graduates and visitors to the Academy.

Impressive as it is, the current trail comprises a small portion of the grander vision of the Heritage Trail.

However, the vision for the Heritage Trail includes a memorial park, which will eventually include statues and other elements recognizing Academy graduates.

There you'll see pavilions which will recognize the significant combat involvement of graduates from Vietnam up through the current war on terrorism. The pavilions would include the names of graduates who served during wars and conflicts. Walls, plaques, pedestals and statuaries are part of the park's vision.

The vision for the trail places a key importance on celebrating the lives and accomplishments of graduates - people who've graduated from the Academy and have gone on to do great things in service to their military and nation. The trail, in contrast, does not include sculptures of airplanes, jets and machinery.

While honoring the legacy of the Long Blue Line, the Heritage Trail will provide a rich opportunity for graduate classes to directly contribute to the Academy by sponsoring a portion of the trail through their class giving program. Private support continues to allow the Academy to reach new levels of excellence and has a direct impact on each cadet. Gifts also allow graduates, parents and friends to leave a legacy at the Academy, which for many has played an important role in shaping their lives.