Fil-Am to graduate this weekend at West Point

By Mortz C. Ortigoza

A Filipino – American whose mother came from M’lang, Cotabato Province will graduate this Sunday (Saturday in the U.S) at the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York.

Cadet First Class Eli Arzaga Eichenberger, 22, will be part of the 950 first class cadets of Class 2018 who will join The Long Gray Line at the commencement to be held at 10 a.m in Michie Stadium, USMA.

MINDANAO'S PRIDE - Graduating United States Military Academy's First Class Cadet Eli Arzaga Eichenberger, 22, poses with his
mom Fely Arzaga of M'lang , Cotabato Province.

Before the Class of 2018 get their diploma and shake the hand of graduation speaker Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph F. Dunford, Jr., they were part four years ago of 15, 060 applicants (composed of 11, 725 men and 3,335 women ) where 1,223  were admitted but eventually reduced to 950 graduates who cut their teeth academically and survived the regimental trainings at the 16, 080 acres military school’s campus founded in March 16, 1802 near the bank of Hudson River in Orange County.

Eichenberger, a multi-awarded karate champion of the USMA, hailed from Texas State.

Fely Arzaga Eichenberger, the sister of Mrs. Luz Arzaga Pornel of M’lang town, said that Eli started his elementary at Canyon Creek Christian Academy, Richardson, Texas and high school at L. V. Berkner High School at the same place and state before joining the Academy that produced legendary alumni like Douglas MacArthur (Class of 1903), George S. Patton (1909), Dwight D. Eisenhower and Omar Bradley (both of Class of 1915) of the World War – II’s fame, General Norman Schwarzkopf ( Class of 1956) who was the commander of Allied Forces in the invasion of Iraq,  and General David Petraeus (Class of 1974) who was the brain behind the Petraeus Counter Insurgency Doctrine in the Iraq War.

The USMA, according to the The Register of Graduates, has produced just under 65,000 alumni included two U.S Presidents in Union Army General Ulyssis Grant and World War II hero Army Five-Star General Dwight Eisenhower, the president of the Confederate States of America, Jefferson Davis; and three foreign heads of state: Anastasio Somoza Debayle of Nicaragua, Fidel V. Ramos of the Philippines, and José María Figueres of Costa Rica.

Mrs Eichenberger immigrated to the U.S in 1992 and married a veteran  commissioned air force officer Mark Eichenberger who is now retired.

Fely and her family used to live in Barangay Bunawan, Tulunan Cotabato Province but joined many Christians who evacuated in the middle of 1970s and made the rustic M’lang town their permanent residence during the perilous uprising of the Moro National Liberation Front in their village.

The first Filipino-American who hailed from Mindanao and graduated at the The Point in 2011 was Uzi Ibrahim whose Tausog father and Christian mother came from Jolo and eventually became U.S citizens

Eli’s younger brother Abram has joined the Marine boot camp as requirement for his enlistment to the United States Marine Corps.

The USMC has two  Marine Corps Recruit Depots (MCRD) in Parris Island, South Carolina and San Diego, California.

After the commencement on Sunday (Saturday in the U.S), Eli will be commissioned as Second Lieutenant in the Army.
 Since 1959, USMA allowed its cadets who are eligible for an interservice commission in one of the other armed services, provided they meet that service’s eligibility standards.

AUTHOR'S INTERVIEW WITH ANOTHER ALUMNUS OF THE WEST POINT: FORMER PHILIPPINES PRESIDENT FIDEL V. RAMOS. CLICK HERE

The then Fely Arzaga was a neighbor of the Ortigozas and Pamplonas when they lived near the main bridge of M’lang town in the middle of 1970s to early 1980s.

Hereunder were the warm exchanges of former neighbours the author's collated from Face Book:

Gabriel Ortigoza

April 10 at 8:28am

West Point Graduation
I got this “once in a lifetime” invitation from West Point. Yes, you read it right. United States Military Academy in West Point, New York. Eli is graduating from USMA on 26 May 2018. He is a son of Fely Eichenberger, my former neighbor in the 70s in Mlang, North Cotabato. Eli is the first “Westpointer” whose maternal root can be traced from my town of Mlang and probably the “first” from my province of North Cotabato and might even be the “first” from the whole island of Mindanao in Southern Philippines. Eli is graduating as cadet captain, a position of leadership in the Cadet Corps. Congratulations Eli. God bless your military journey.

Gabriel Ortigoza Prnl Benj Benj, lakat ka di. Maattend ta graduation ni Eli.

Prnl Benj Gabriel Ortigoza 😁😁😁 they will be coming here sa June so we are preparing for that! For now, pls represent us😂!

Gabriel Ortigoza Prnl Benj we are also going home in Mlang in June to celebrate papa’s 90th birthday. Yes, I will represent the Arzaga clan

Gabriel Ortigoza Pero mas maayo makalakat ka di. Derecho ka di sa akon sa Cali tapos lupad ta pa West Point

Prnl Benj Gabriel Ortigoza thank you! Hope to see you too in June then😊 Our being neighbors at Juson's compound go a long way, accross generations. Salamat gid e. Am a follower of your backyard organic activities, without you knowing, Galing!😊

Prnl Benj Gabriel Ortigoza for now my sked does not warrant, keep the invite open:D

Manage

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Gabriel Ortigoza Prnl Benj hahaha...I had video made an hour ago in my backyard garden but I didn’t post it yet. I was surrounded by my organic chickens

Gabriel Ortigoza Life at Juson compound was made us close as family. We play and gather mango fresh from the tree early in the morning

Gabriel Ortigoza Nang Fely, being the youngest of the Arzaga siblings, joined us during those times. But look at her now she has a son who is graduating top of his USMA class being a cadet captain.

Prnl Benj Nice! Pag amo na ni edad mo, going back to basics, is inspiring😊 Post na dayon!

Gabriel Ortigoza Prnl Benj yes Benj. Mag post ako sang damo damonpag na sa West Point na ako. Mag livefeed man ako sa facebook sa graduation proper para makita sang mga taga mlang, pilipinas kag bilog nga kalibutan

Prnl Benj Gabriel Ortigoza Oo gani, my parents were just starting off then, so they needed to leave me ila lola, but part of my blueprint was to have my life tangled up with the Ortigozas and Pamplonas😁 which is meaningful. Kag tuod ka Gab, Auntie Fel was my on...See More

Gabriel Ortigoza Prnl Benj grabi gidman ang estorya sang kabuhi sang mga Arzaga. From barangay Minapan to Mlang to Manila, America and now to West Point.

Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta Congrats Manang Fely.. Benjie relate ko ang mangoes...

Gabriel Ortigoza Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta hahaha... grabi nga pangdugos naton sang mangga sang una Ging no...dulumnpa nagapangmangga na, mga alas kwatro palang naga kahig hilamon na para makakita mangga

Prnl Benj Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta that makes me remember and miss Lola Lourdes😅pinakaaga bugtaw mangdugos mangga😂😂😂

Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta Huo Gab amo ina ang experience nga wla natilawan sng mga bta ta. Simple joy lng ang aton sng una.

Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta Huo benj gnabagat pa kita.. Haay nlng.. Pero enjoy.

Gabriel Ortigoza Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta hahaha ang bagat indi mo gid malipatan ging ba

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Gabriel Ortigoza Ako nauyatan ko santermo. Abi ko ano ang naga igpat igpat nga bilog, abi ko mangga pa, santermo na gali

Prnl Benj Ha ha si Lola Maring ginbagat, nagtalang, tawag siya "Laki, Laki" (Auntie Fely), batian ni Auntie "Meeee, Meeee" (kanding), now I thought are we just making up those stories. Never mind, they are now rural legends, and so part of us😊

Liza Mae Pamplona Acosta Ha ha salamat kay isaac sa iya mangga.

Fely Eichenberger Gabriel Ortigoza actually from Lower Bunawan at the foot sang bugtong Bukid. Ti...that is God’s plan.

Gabriel Ortigoza Fely Eichenberger ahhh Bunawan, tama. Upod kamo nila Mrs. Jacobo?

Fely Eichenberger Prnl Benj dala solo. Sometimes smells gas kay halos baliktad ang container because the other hand pulot sang manga. 🤣

Fely Eichenberger Prnl Benj Precious memories.

Gabriel Ortigoza Photo taken on 11 Nov 2009 in Fort Worth Texas where Eli was still in his school age. Eli is now graduating at USMA in West Point, NY. Congratulations.