WEST POINT, N.Y. — It started out as a dream. It turned into a nightmare. But eventually, Danny Stack found his new lifestyle as comfortable as taking a nap.

The 2003 Ironton St. Joseph Central Catholic High School grad was excited when he earned an appointment to attend West Point.

Stack wasn’t so sure about his choice upon arrival, but all that has changed in the last two and a half years.

“Of course, I was scared when I first came to West Point,” Stack said. “I knew it was going to be rough and I had no idea what exactly to expect.”

The first six and a half weeks were basic training that molded the new servicemen. He said the subsequent years were “just annoying because the upperclassmen were in charge of me. Actually, most of the bad memories are purged in my brain and I only remember the obstacles I’ve overcome, the friends I’ve made and the teamwork it took to get the job done.”

But Stack survived his freshman or “plebe” year. He continued to grow physically, academically and emotionally. He learned to mesh his social life inside West Point with an infrequent social life outside the institution.

“This continued growth could be correlated to the fact that as I get older, I become more of a leader at West Point and there are many more people who look up to me,” Stack said. “I want to be a role model for them so I can continue to strive to do my best.”

While at St. Joseph, Stack played basketball, baseball and soccer along with other activities such as the variety show. He said his participation in athletics as well as his education background helped him adjust to life at West Point more readily than others.

“Academically, St. Joseph challenged me and gave me a chance to excel,” Stack said. “Ironically, my class sizes here at West Point are similar to the ones at St. Joseph. I think both schools understand the importance of class participation to promote a professional relationship to foster learning.

“Honestly, I don’t think I was good enough to be a three-sport athlete in a large public school; therefore, I would have had to focus on just one sport. As a result, I would have only been athletic in that one particular sport.”

Stack said that the opportunity to play other sports at St. Joseph helped in his overall development, something some of the cadets lacked upon their arrival.

“I’m better prepared all-around physically than those other cadets who just played one sport in high school. Right now, I’m ready to run a marathon or a 100-meter dash, and I’ll do fine at either of them,” Stack said.

“I won’t break any records, though.”

Stack will have a five-year commitment to the Army after graduation from West Point. He hopes to join the aviation branch and fly helicopters or possible go into military intelligence or infantry.

“Right now, I have a good chance of getting into aviation,” said the former St. Joe Flyer.

If Stack gets into aviation, he’ll spend one and one-half years at Fort Rucker in Alabama. After that, he might try medical school or go to graduate school - all on the Army’s nickel - and return to West Point as a teacher.

The final option is to leave the Army and return to civilian life.

“I came to West Point for the education, prestige and the challenge,” Stack said. “However, the old saying up here is that you come to West Point for the wrong reasons but stay/survive for the right ones.

“I have learned a lot about myself and done things I thought I never would. I want to use this to lead others, inspire those under me and serve my nation.”

Spoken like a true soldier.