When I returned from my weekend, Bill confronted me to let me know he did not appreciate my indiscretion, which had resulted in good natured jibes throughout the weekend. Unfortunately, the tale became quite popular. The process was so typical of Bill that we all had a good laugh at the easily imagined scene. I managed to suppress my hilarity while coaching his performance, but later, when Bob Andrews asked if Bill was prepared for the job, I assured him that Bill was indeed prepared and described Bill’s practice session to Bob, Don Snider, Chan Armstrong, and Bobby Garrett. Dressed in shorts, t-shirt, and shower clogs, he strapped on his saber, donned his tar bucket, and marched around our desk issuing his commands until he was absolutely sure he had it down pat. One weekend I was going to NYC and Bill wanted to be absolutely sure that he understood the sequence of commands that he would have to execute during Saturday review as acting platoon leader. He was the personification of constancy despite his trademark comment that “it’s all relative.” He seldom talked about himself and was habitually self-effacing, always seeking to share whatever plaudits were earned by his efforts. No matter the task, Bill always was ready and willing to do whatever was required and then a bit more, whether it was prepping for inspection, critiquing our performance, or coaching me through the finer points of ordnance engineering.
As my platoon sergeant, he picked up the slack whenever the occasion required, with his usual quiet efficiency and unusual good humor.
Perhaps the utter “goodness” of his character is best exemplified in this vignette by his roommate, our companymate, Al Scarsella:īill had been a great roommate throughout firstie (senior) year. But there were often equally or more important things on his agenda, like solid, caring relationships with his companymates. True to his Pennsylvania roots, he was a member of the Pistol Club and the Skeet Club every year. To his companymates, Bill was “a little guy with a lot of scrap, who tackled everything with enthusiasm.” Not surprisingly, he boxed all fours years on the M-1 intramural team, winning one regimental championship. It’s easy to see how Company M-1 garnered the regiment’s “Best Company” award for the review. His cadet years were filled, as were those of his “runt” classmates, with the sure knowledge of the real privilege we all felt to live there-something to which our “flanker” classmates could only dream and aspire! Unconvinced? Watch the old film files of the platoons of Company M-1 at the end of a regimental review executing a “squads left” with immaculate precision to platoon-on-line for the pass-in-review. After surviving Beast Barracks in 6th New Cadet Company, he was assigned to Company M-1 in South Area. The son of a World War II veteran who had served in the European theater, Bill left Moscow, PA and joined the USMA Class of 1962.
He is buried in Fairview Memorial Park in Elmhurst Township, PA. William John “Bill” (Swartz) Scott was born Octoin Stroudsburg, PA and died at age 38 on Jin Los Angeles, CA.
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