#Empty chair honors fallen cadet at West Point graduation

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An empty chair sits among the other graduating cadets holding a portrait of U.S. Military Academy cadet Christopher James Morgan.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst

The US Military Academy paid a touching tribute to fallen cadet Christopher “C.J.” Morgan Saturday at what would have been his commencement ceremony.

A white folding chair in the front row was set aside for the 22-year-old wrestling standout who was killed in a training exercise in 2019. A framed photo of the young man in parade dress rested on the seat.

“C.J. was an outstanding cadet athlete, an exemplar of West Point values,” said Lt. Gen. Daryl A. Williams, the academy’s superintendent. “We miss him.”

President Trump added to the accolades in his speech to the graduates.

“Today, we remember an extraordinary cadet who made the supreme sacrifice in an accident last year: C.J. Morgan,” Trump said. “C.J. was something very special.”

The cadet’s father Christopher, a Secret Service agent, was present for the ceremony, Trump said.

“A tough guy. Great guy. Great son, who is looking down right now,” Trump said.

Christopher Morgan once served on President Bill Clinton’s protective detail, and Clinton spoke at the slain cadet’s funeral last June.