News & Events

TOUGH AS NAILS: MEET THE LOCAL AUTHOR!

It's a tale of local girl makes good in a world reluctant to change. Braintree native Gail O'Sullivan Dwyer will be returning to her hometown for a special one-night engagement to share her personal story of succeeding at West Point despite the odds. Ms. Dwyer has recently published an autobiographical account of her experience at the military academy, and will be discussing her experience and signing copies of Tough as Nails: One Woman's Journey Through West Point at the

Thayer Public Library on Thursday, June 24, at 7:00 p.m.

The Braintree Historical Society is delighted to be hosting Ms. Dwyer, a graduate of Archbishop Williams High School ('77), as her connections to Braintree and West Point parallel those of another famous Braintree native - General Sylvanus Thayer, regarded as the "Father of West Point" for transforming it into the finest military academy in the world. Ms. Dwyer graduated from West Point in 1981, a member of the second class to admit women as cadets.

Ms. Dwyer retired from the U.S. Army Reserves as a Lieutenant Colonel in 2005, but is pleased to maintain her connections to her alma mater by serving as the school's state admissions representative in Alabama, where she currently resides. West Point is a family tradition now - her husband and two of her sons are also West Point graduates! Ms. Dwyer credits her eighteen years in Braintree as home to the family, neighbors, teachers, and friends that would teach her the "values and work ethic that would provide a foundation for life." Her stories and reminiscences are thoughtful and heartfelt - and not to be missed!