What? Not bright enough to understand? To a lay person, a West Point appointment sounds just like a full ride scholarship and whatever you want to say, Ben Carson is a lay person as he did not serve. So what a 17 year old Ben Carson thought of a full ride scholarship become enshrined in his memory as just that. You're criticizing a 17 year old kid's understanding of the world. Ben Carson has just been repeating the story for 40 plus years. There is a cost (which makes your understanding questionable) and that cost is your time. Now for the vast majority of candidates, they intend to make the service their home so they may not consider it a cost but it is not free. You could say that some people get lucky. They do their time at the academy but cannot take the military assignment because of cutbacks, accidents, or something else. They get a great education, a degree, and no obligatory military service. Once again, that sounds just like a full ride scholarship doesn't it....to a lay person.
Originally Posted by JD Barleycorn
A bunch of nonsense designed to conceal that fact that Carson lied.
As noted, the academies don't offer full scholarships, because that implies that some people are paying some or all of their tuition.
In fact, there is no tuition paid by anyone, because all cadets and midshipmen are PAID to attend the academies - half the base pay of a second lieutenant.
Even if that wasn't clear to a 17 year old Ben Carson, he didn't write the book (or repeat the story) as a 17 year old. He was in his 40s and older when he made the claim about a scholarship. Didn't he do any research about West Point and how you get admitted?
And how do you get around the fib about Westmoreland offering him a full scholarship?
Westmoreland never would have said that because no military officer has that power. The best they can do is write you a letter of recommendation.
ALL military academy appointments come from the political branches. You must be nominated by a Congressman, Senator, or the President. Then the academies accept you.
So, the whole story is nonsense.