lyn , ▁New ▁York ▁on ▁ 7 ▁June ▁ 1 8 9 8 , ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁John ▁J . ▁Case y , ▁a ▁pl umb ing ▁and ▁he ating ▁contract or , ▁and ▁Margaret ▁L . ▁Case y . ▁John ' s ▁grand par ents ▁were ▁imm igr ants ▁from ▁Ireland ▁and ▁England . ▁His ▁grand father ▁served ▁on ▁the ▁Union ▁side ▁in ▁the ▁American ▁Civil ▁War ▁and ▁was ▁killed ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁Sh il oh . ▁Margaret ' s ▁parents ▁were ▁Irish ▁imm igr ants ▁who ▁settled ▁in ▁Pennsylvania . ▁ ▁Hugh ▁Case y ▁was ▁educated ▁at ▁Man ual ▁Training ▁High ▁School ▁from ▁ 1 9 1 0 ▁to ▁ 1 9 1 4 , ▁gradu ating ▁at ▁the ▁age ▁of ▁ 1 5 . ▁He ▁won ▁a ▁New ▁York ▁State ▁scholar ship ▁and ▁entered ▁Brook lyn ▁Poly techn ic ▁Institute , ▁where ▁he ▁studied ▁civil ▁engineering . ▁After ▁a ▁year ▁there , ▁he ▁took ▁a ▁compet itive ▁exam ination ▁for ▁the ▁U . S . ▁Military ▁Academy ▁at ▁West ▁Point ▁held ▁by ▁Congress man ▁Daniel ▁J . ▁Griff in , ▁the ▁chairman ▁of ▁the ▁House ▁Committee ▁on ▁Military ▁Affairs , ▁ranking ▁first ▁out ▁of ▁ 6 2 ▁applic ants ▁for ▁the ▁appointment . ▁To ▁enter , ▁Case y ▁claimed ▁to ▁be ▁slightly ▁older , ▁adopt ing ▁his ▁brother ' s ▁ 7 ▁June ▁birth day . ▁ ▁Case y ▁entered ▁West ▁Point ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 5 , ▁where ▁his ▁best ▁friend ▁and ▁ro omm ate ▁was ▁Lu