Margaret Corbin Rededication Ceremony

In May I had the pleasure of taking my first trip to the United States Military Academy at West Point and it was an honor to be at that historic site in order to celebrate a historic woman. For those of you unable to join us at the Margaret Corbin Rededication Ceremony, I wanted to share some of the special moments and remarks from the event.

View a photo gallery of the rededication ceremony       

When more than 200 of us gathered at the West Point Cemetery on the morning of May 1, we could not have asked for a more beautiful day to celebrate the legacy of this brave patriot. Attendees filled the historic Old Cadet Chapel for the ceremony which was arranged by the New York State Officers Club. While it was a ceremony they had hosted at West Point for the past 92 years, this year’s ceremony had added meaning after recent developments revealed Margaret was not in fact buried on the grounds as it had been believed since 1926. In partnership with Army National Military Cemeteries and the U.S. Military Academy, the DAR set out to make this year’s ceremony extra special with the purpose of rededicating Margaret’s valor and re-committing ourselves to celebrating her legacy regardless of where she may be buried.

Jennifer Minus, President of the New York State Officers Club, led the remarks with a brief history of Margaret Corbin as well as the history of her monument at West Point. She then brought us up to the present addressing the current situation:

“Although we now know that Margaret Corbin was not reinterred here in the West Point Cemetery in 1926, we think (hope!) that our intrepid committee was just slightly off in locating her original resting place. With new information and technology, the DAR is committed to reviewing all of the original source material and hopefully finding new information not available in 1926 to ensure the true facts of Margaret Corbin’s life are part of our nation’s history. It is important to remember that Margaret Corbin’s life and actions are not a story; they are not folklore – she was an actual woman who lived, fought, and was recognized by name in Congressional acts and War Department correspondence up to 1790. Margaret Cochran Corbin: military spouse, military widow, wounded warrior, prisoner of war, disabled veteran; an inspiration to serve.”

Karen Durham-Aguilera then followed COL Ryan’s remarks. Ms. Durham-Aguilera is the Executive Director of Army National Military Cemeteries, and, as such, oversees the perpetual care for Arlington National Cemetery as well as 39 Army cemeteries across the country, including the one at West Point. She recounted the events that set in motion our gathering at this ceremony, including the forensic and archaeological recovery that her organization oversaw:

“As we all have come to understand, the overall findings are that the remains were consistent with those of a man from the Colonial era and not of Molly Corbin. With these results in mind, my next engagement was with President General Dillon. We both agreed, regardless of this circumstance, Captain Molly’s story is one that is both enduring and compelling. The absolutely right thing to do was to rededicate her valor and honor her legacy with today’s ceremony. If we take a moment to reflect, the West Point Cemetery has interred many distinguished soldiers, Medal of Honor recipients and notable leaders in recognition of their heroic actions or valor. Yet, Captain Molly was the first woman laid to rest here with full military honors. And just like those I mentioned, her place in history was earned and not given. Nearly 250 years after the Battle of Fort Washington, her bravery and legacy as one of the first women to fire an artillery cannon in the defense of our nation, continues to transcend and inspire women in military service even today.”

At the conclusion of the ceremony, we followed the U.S. Military Academy Honor Guard procession outside to the Margaret Corbin Monument. After rededication remarks, two Past New York State Officers Club Presidents, Betty DeVries and Priscilla Davis, along with three Cadets from the Class of 2018 (who are also DAR members) Leslie Frankland, Haley Robinette and Blake Warnock, helped to unveil the newly refurbished monument. We then placed a wreath at the monument and the Honor Guard presented honors with three volleys of shots fired and the playing of Taps. It was a beautiful and meaningful ceremony and an experience I will not soon forget.

We are so pleased that the story of Margaret Corbin was shared in an Associated Press article just a couple days before our rededication ceremony and it was picked up by many national outlets including ABC News, FOX News, The Washington Post, The Army Times, local outlets and even some international outlets such as the Daily Mail in the UK and The Japan Times. The article highlights the ongoing mystery of where Margaret Corbin’s remains may actually be and the efforts of the DAR to find her grave while shining new light on the heroine. You can read the article here: “Where’s Capt. Molly? Search on for Revolutionary hero grave”