13 Jan AA&F Morning Paper

Monday, January 13, 2025

1969 - In the largest amphibious assault of the Vietnam War, the Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group, supported by naval gunfire that includes the 16-inch guns of the battleship New Jersey (BB-62), puts 2,500 Marines ashore on the Batangan Peninsula, South Vietnam. Operating in concert with U.S. and South Vietnamese Army troops, the leathernecks screen some 12,000 Vietnamese civilians and kill 239 Viet Cong. (13 January–9 February)

 

1980 - CAPT Paul Klinedinst, Jr. '58, USN was killed when a mooring line parted aboard USS Howard W. Gilmore (AS 16). He was the ship's Executive Officer.

1993 - Allied aircraft, including 35 from the aircraft carrier Kitty Hawk (CVA-63), strike Iraqi missile sites in response to a violation of the southern no-fly zone. Four days later the destroyers Caron (DD-970), Hewitt (DD-966), and Stump (DD-978), operating in the Persian Gulf, launch 45 Tomahawk cruise missiles against the Zaafaraniyah nuclear fabrication facility near Baghdad.

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro named a slew of future Navy ships this week, including the new line of T-AGOS ocean surveillance ships. The new T-AGOS ocean surveillance ships will be the Explorer class, Del Toro announced Friday at the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Md. The first two ships of the class will bear the names USNS Don Walsh (T-AGOS-25) and USNS Victor Vescovo (T-AGOS-26), according to a Navy news release. Retired naval officer Don Walsh '54 was an oceanographer known for his 1960 dive to the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench with Swiss oceanographer Jacques Piccard. He also made dives to sunken battleship Bismarck and RMS Titanic. He died in November 2023. This is the first vessel named after Walsh. Sponsors for the ship include Walsh's wife and his daughter, Liz.

Secretary of the Navy Carlos Del Toro announced that a future San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock (LPD 33) will be named USS Travis Manion. Secretary Del Toro made the announcement on January 10, during a ceremony with the Travis Manion Foundation. The future USS Travis Manion honors Silver Star recipient, 1st Lieutenant Travis Manion and his service. The future LPD 33 will be the first Navy vessel named for Travis Manion. “The San Antonio-class amphibious ship represents the combined power of the Navy and Marine Corps team and relies on the seamless integration of Sailors and Marines working together,” said Del Toro. “Here, at his alma mater, I am proud to announce that the next San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock, LPD 33, will be named USS Travis Manion, serving as a symbol of courage, bravery, and selfless service for all who follow in her wake.”

The US Naval Academy Alumni Association is excited to announce an important health webinar on women's health, led by Dr. Amanda Johnson. The live webinar will take place on the 23rd of January @ 7:00 pm EST. The topic of the webinar will be focused on women's health issues. Dr. Johnson will lead a women's health 101 discussion followed by a brief discussion on women's health as it relates to combat and deployments. The last part of the webinar will be Q and A. Amanda Johnson, MD, FACOG is the Director of Reproductive Health within the Office of Women's Health in the Veterans Health Administration.  In this role, Dr. Johnson oversees the delivery and quality of women's and reproductive health care for Veterans across the lifespan throughout VA systems. Dr. Johnson will be joined by Dr. Heather O'Beirne Kelly, PhD, United States Naval Academy Director of Wellness and Prevention. Please send questions to [email protected] regarding this webinar.

Check out this vignette with Board of Trustees member Jim Schwab '88.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

Secretary of the Navy, Carlos Del Toro, commenced the first of many celebrations in 2025 of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps 250th birthdays at the 10th Annual Commodore Stephen Decatur Celebration on Jan. 9, 2025. Hosted by the White House Historical Association (WHHA), the gathering at the Historic Decatur House brought together many notable guests, including some of Commodore Decatur's descendants and The Honorable John Dalton, the 70th Secretary of the Navy. The event also paid tribute to the legacy of former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, whose life and leadership continue to inspire the Navy and Marine Corps. A memorial service for President Carter had been held earlier in the day.

LOCAL, EDUCATION & OTHER ACADEMY NEWS

U.S. Navy Cmdr. James Koffi relieved U.S. Navy Cmdr. Chance Smith as commanding officer of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Truxtun (DDG 103) during a change of command ceremony here, Jan. 9, 2025. Friends, family, and honored military guests gathered to bid Commander Smith fair winds and following seas after a successful tour on Truxtun. Retired U.S. Navy Capt. Frank Castellano, the director of Navigation, Seamanship & Ship Handling at Mariner Skills Training Center Atlantic, was the guest speaker at the event. Koffi is a native of Memphis, TN and graduated from the United States Naval Academy in 2007 through the Naval Academy Preparatory School, with a Bachelor of Science in Political Science. He holds a master's degree in operations research from the Naval Postgraduate School.

NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS NEWS & RESULTS

Weekend Results

 

Women's Swimming & Diving at Princeton - L 104 - 249

Men's Swimming & Diving at Princeton - L 107 - 246

Women's Swimming & Diving - vs Kenyon - W 178-175

Men's Swimming & Diving vs Kenyon - W 285 - 66

Women's Basketball v Loyola - W 63 - 59

Men's Basketball at Loyola, Maryland - L 75-74

Men's Gymnastics at West Point Open - 3rd place

Men's Squash v Middlebury - L 5-4

Men's Track & Field v Princeton - L 75 - 104

Women's Track & Field v Princeton - L 75 - 104

 

 

Men's Squash v Williams - Annapolis, Md. - L 2-7

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

JANUARY

13 Jan - So. Mississippi Chapter & NAPC of Mississippi roadshow - Biloxi, MS

14 Jan - Louisiana Chapter & NAPC of Louisiana roadshow - Metairie, LA

15 Jan - Atlanta Chapter & NAPC of Georgia roadshow - Atlanta, GA

23 Jan - AA&F Women's Health Webinar - Zoom - 7 p.m. EST

 

FEBRUARY

6 Feb - USNA Ship Selection

15 Feb - Commissioning Week 101, Fluegel

21 Feb - 85th Brigade Boxing Finals

27 Feb - Naval Academy Entrepreneurs event, Fluegel, 5 - 9 p.m.

27 Feb - Astronaut Convocation, USNA

 

MARCH

7-16 Mar - USNA Spring Break

12-13 Mar - SACC Atlanta

21 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Award Ceremony and Dinner, USNA (T)

22 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Leadership Panel, Mahan, USNA

27-29 Mar - Naval Academy Minority Association, (NAMA) Leadership Forum

30-31 Mar - Volunteer Leader Summit

 

APRIL

5 Apr - Annapolis Cup - USNA v St. John's Croquet Match

10-12 Apr - Class of 1955 - 70th Reunion

11 Apr - Athletic & Scholarship Programs Spring Meeting - Fluegel Alumni Center

24 Apr - AA&F Vietnam Legacy of Valor Series Speaker Event - FAC

24-27 Apr - Class of 1970 - 55th Reunion

25 Apr - Council of Class Presidents Spring Meeting, Fluegel, TBD

25 Apr - USNA Dedication Parade, Worden Field

30 Apr - USNA Capstone Day

30 Apr - USNA Foundation Spring Board of Directors Welcome Reception

 

MAY

1 May - USNA Foundation Spring Board of Directors Meeting, Fluegel

6-8 May - Class of 1957 - 70th Reunion

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring Board of Trustees Meeting, Fluegel

8-9 May - SACC Washington DC

14 May - Class of 2028 Herndon Climb

21 May - Blue Angels CFR Event - Hospital Point, USNA

22 May - Color Parade, Worden Field

22 May - USNA Prizes & Awards, Alumni Hall, 2 p.m.

23 May - Class of 2025 Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, NMCMS

 

25 Jun - Athletic & Scholarship Program Pre-I Day Reception, Fluegel

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029