Denn brothers forming military legacy
Will Denn receives his West Point diploma in 2006 while shaking hands with President George W. Bush at the graduation ceremony. Denn was the first in his family to graduate from West Point; his brother Dan Denn followed in 2008; and Ben Denn is looking forward to graduation in 2019 after committing to West Point recently.
VOORHEESVILLE — Three brothers from a small school have all been chosen by the nation’s top military academy — West Point.
Their care for each other belies the reputation of an armored soldier.
Ben Denn, a senior at Voorheesville, just became the third Denn brother — Will and Dan are the others — to chose West Point to start his career. This raises the question of whether or not military service runs in the blood of a family.
A family legacy of military service may have to do with personality or exposure, but Dan Denn told The Enterprise this week that he is not too sure. Now stationed at Fort Lewis in Tacoma, Washington as an armor officer, Denn, 28, said simply, “It just happened,” of his little brother committing to West Point.
Will and Dan Denn said that they never pressured Ben into choosing West Point — they wanted their brother to follow his heart — but Ben saw his brothers’ success, and may have aspired for something similar.
“I saw what it did for my brothers,” said Ben Denn, who was also accepted to Dartmouth College. “I discussed it with my family; they would support whatever decision I made. I wasn’t 100-percent sure, but I really thought, and decided that West Point was the best for personal growth, self-discipline, and goal setting.”
Denn’s grandfather, Will Denn Sr., served in the Battle of the Bulge in World War II. He died one month after Will Denn received his West Point acceptance letter on Sept. 11, 2001 — the day of the terrorists’ attacks.
“In general, the military is really transformative, especially West Point,” said Will Denn, 31, who is currently studying for a master’s degree in public policy at Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. “You learn the true meaning of discipline, patriotism, hard work, and ethics. I care about Ben a lot, so I was concerned about him doing something that he really wanted.”
Ben Denn said that no other school in the country has students who “would take a bullet for you.” West Point is where the “real patriots” are, he said.
Wanting to contribute to a more peaceful world, Denn says he’s also aware of the fear that comes with the possible deployment for war; West Point graduates, who have their education paid for by the government, are responsible for at least five years of active duty. “Honestly, I am scared, but that’s the price for freedom,” he said. “Freedom isn’t free.”
Wanna be like Ike? Ben Denn, a senior at Voorheesville, stands proudly below a statue of Dwight D. Eisenhower two weeks ago on the West Point campus; Eisenhower was a West Point graduate. Ben is the third Denn brother to attend West Point.
Ben is very close to his older brothers, but they may have been reluctant to discuss the specifics of warfare with him. Will Denn remembers being stressed about Dan when both brothers were serving in Afghanistan in 2010 to 2011; Will and Dan were on opposite sides of the country.
“It’s tough to share the hard times,” said Will. “But there’s many bright moments: camaraderie, pride, value, and purpose.”
West Point is hard, said Dan, locking students down with a regimen that leaves little free time over the first two years. “If you graduate, there’s a little more freedom, but you might be deployed,” he said. “It’s challenging, but you have to be willing.”
When asked if he would be ready to die or kill for the United States, Ben Denn hesitated, and then said, “I’m signing up for that, I guess.” He added that no one really knows how to answer such a difficult question, but he’s willing to give his life to his country.
The United States government needs to be the protector of the world, Denn says. “Military action is necessary at times; there are evil people who want to destroy beauty,” he said. “We have the greatest country out there — ensuring that the world is safe.”
West Point has a specific number of allotted slots for enrollment, based on congressional numbers; a member of Congress must nominate students. Only one nomination is needed, but Ben Denn got nominated by two New York politicians: Congressman Paul Tonko, of the 20th District, and Senator Kirsten Gillibrand.
Will Denn said that Ben needs to put all of himself into West Point or he won’t survive. Six weeks into his freshman year, 10-percent of Denn’s class was gone. By the time of graduation, one-third of his original class was missing.
“It’s an interesting path,” Will Denn said. “I had no idea of what the culture shock would be.”
One West Point student is just as competitive and smart as the next, Dan Denn said. “Almost everyone is just as talented as you, and that drives you to succeed,” he said. “Ben is ambitious, well-rounded, and better at academics than I was.”
Ben Denn says he’s fascinated with tank technology. He’s won three first-place awards for Model United Nations competitions — at Yale University, Brown University, and in China.
What about working for the real United Nations?
“Yeah, that’s really ambitious, but sure,” said Ben Denn. “That’s really far down the road.”
The military legacy of the Denn brothers may not have been planned, but it definitely can be felt as a blessing for the family.
“He’s super mature, such eloquence,” Will Denn said of Ben. “He stands head and shoulders above the rest.”
Dan Denn sits with an Afghani official during his deployment in Afghanistan.
Brotherly love: Ben Denn, middle, is the third Denn brother to attend West Point. Will Denn, right, graduated from Voorheesville in 2002 before graduating from West Point in 2006. Alex Denn, left, is also considering West Point. The brothers posed for this picture at Thacher Park in New Scotland.