The only thing I take issue with is your asinine claim that being offered a scholarship to Yale "certainly" qualifies a person for West Point. That is not true and it has never been true. It is also incredibly insulting to anyone who has ever received an appointment to West Point. It is more difficult to get in to the USMA than it is to get a scholarship to Yale.
Maybe you should provide some evidence to support your claim that an offer of a scholarship to Yale automatically qualifies a person for an appointment to West Point.
I will assert that a person who graduates with a degree in psychology from Yale and gets an MD from Michigan certainly is academically qualified for the USMA. I will further assert that, barring issues in the pre-admission physical, that someone who excelled in JROTC is physically qualified for West Point.
It is more difficult to get in to the USMA than it is to get a scholarship to Yale.
Actually, that's not true. Yale accepts 6.3% of applicants and West Point accepts 9.5%.
Regardless, do you deny that a promise from the Army Chief of Staff would be insufficient for admission to the USMA?
Maybe you should provide some evidence to support your claim that an offer of a scholarship to Yale automatically qualifies a person for an appointment to West Point.
If I ever made such a claim I would provide evidence.
Nevertheless, NOBODY has claimed that General Westmoreland's offer to secure Carson a spot at West Point is untrue. All that seems to be at issue is the phraseology used by Carson.
Great point. To amplify your point my BIL had an 800 math SAT score plus a 700 plus on English. He had straight A’s in high school with one B in English. He was turned down for West Point but offered the prep school. He got an ROTC scholarship to VA tech and he was the DMG in 68. He has a BSAE, MSAE and PHD in Engineering MGMT. He was not athletic nor was he ever a Boy Scout. As you know West Point likes all around types and Eagle Scout counts.