Paralyzed West Point Cadet May Graduate
A cadet paralyzed in a motorcycle accident will be allowed to graduate from the U.S. Military Academy even though he can no longer meet the academy’s physical fitness requirements.
The academy’s superintendent, Lt. Gen. Howard D. Graves, has decided to let David Dickison graduate in May if he passes his remaining classes, Lt. Col. Bruce Bell, a West Point spokesman, said Friday.
Dickison, 21, a senior majoring in computer science, was injured in a March 16 motorcycle accident near his home in Westfield, N.J. His spinal cord was crushed, and doctors say he will be paralyzed from the waist down for life.
To graduate, a cadet is required to meet academic, military and physical requirements. Two days after the accident, Dickison was told he probably would not be allowed to graduate since he could not pass the physical test of push-ups, sit-ups and a two-mile run.
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