TAPS: Supplemental Details / Cullum Files
Guidelines to support future memorial articles in TAPS and suggested content for your Cullum file.
Documents & Details for Cullum File and Memorial Articles
We encourage every graduate to submit a self-prepared draft memorial article or, at the very least, supply supplementary biographical information in list format, including personal memories and reflections. Fill out as much as you can.
Memorial Article Team
WPAOG’s Memorial Articles team can offer support regarding research and organizing a Memorial Article.
Contact information:
Suggested details for writing a memorial article:
(Headings drop down to a full list when clicking the +)
Life before West Point:
- Date and place of birth.
- Family background—military connection and/or lifestyle that helped prepare you for West Point.
- High School—name, city, and state.
- Prior College—name, city, and state.
- Why did you want to attend West Point?
Cadet Life:
- Special achievements or incidents as a cadet that tell more about you as a person.
- What significant values, experiences, or instruction were carried over to your life after graduation?
Active Duty Period:
- Branch
- Assignments; if the answer to c. below is yes, disregard.
- Is your Register information current and complete?
- Significant assignments and achievements.
- Date you left military service.
- Did you retire?
- Place of retirement.
- Rank at retirement; specify if active, guard or reserve.
Civilian Employment after Military Service:
- Career field.
- Postgraduate schools attended, and degrees were attained.
- Position/s held—significant achievement/s.
- Date you left civilian employment.
- Did you retire?
- Current address—city and state.
Family Life:
- Date and place of marriage.
- Name of spouse.
- Name of children.
Life after Retirement:
- Interests, hobbies, membership in community and religious organizations, pursuits, and accomplishments.
- Reflection on your life—you as a person as you want to be remembered.
Additional sources of information about you and your life.
- Family members.
- Classmates.
- Friends.
- Is there anything not covered above that you would like to share?
Suggested Documents
- First Orders
- Announcements – Wedding, Children, Degrees Obtained, Job Promotion, Hire, or Achievement
- Change of Station
- Change in Rank Professional Photos
- Newspaper or Magazine Clippings
- Self-Written Biography
- Press Releases
- Awards Received
- Covers of Published Books
- Resume
- Vital Stats Sheet
- Genealogical Information …about you and other family members who attended the Academy
- Your DD214 (or other military document of service and discharge/release status) is mandatory to verify eligibility for interment at West Point.
The DD214 is required to establish/confirm eligibility and service information and is needed for reference in ordering government headstones. Information on obtaining the DD214, if you do not have it available, is located at: http://www.archives.gov/veterans/military-service-records/#emergency. Download and fill out the second page of the SF-180 form from the pdf icon.