3 Feb AA&F Morning Paper

Monday, February 3, 2025

1919 - Symbolizing postwar interest in integrating aviation into fleet operations, Captain George W. Steele, Jr., Class of 1900, assumes command of the Fleet Air Detachment, Atlantic Fleet. Included among the detachment's ships is the battleship Texas (BB-35), which incorporates a wooden turret-top platform from which flying experiments are carried out using Sopwith Camel aircraft at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba.

2001 - CAPT Jason Meiners '96, USMC was lost when the TAV-8 Harrier he was piloting crashed at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina. He was survived by his wife, Carol, who was three months' pregnant with their first child at the time.

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

Lt. Col. Brian Ellis, a 1993 graduate of the Naval Academy, was a proud Marine and hardworking father who would drop everything to help another person, friends said. Ellis, 53, was among the 67 victims of Wednesday night's plane crash near Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. The Charlottesville, Virginia, resident spent more than two decades in the U.S. Marine Corps and most recently worked as a senior manager at Deloitte. He was a passenger on American Airlines Flight 5342 and returning home from Kansas after a work trip, friends said. “Our hearts go out to all those who experienced loss through this devastating event,” said John Schofield, a spokesperson for the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association. “Among those on board was one of our own - Brian Ellis '93, a former Navy football player and proud graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends and the entire Naval Academy community who mourn his passing.” (The photo above, courtesy of Chad Chatlos, shows Brian Ellis, second from left, with fellow officers Ché Bolden, Mark McGinnis and Chad Chatlos a few years after graduation from the U.S. Naval Academy.)

Embark upon a once-in-a-lifetime rail odyssey across Canada's five provinces, gliding through rolling prairies, rugged lake country and the snowy peaks of the magnificent Rockies. This five-star journey features hotel stays at luxurious, historic rail properties bookending four amazing days and nights in Prestige Class aboard VIA Rail's The Canadian. This nostalgic rail experience harkens the golden age of train travel.

Please follow the link below and flip to pages 44 & 45 (pages 40 and 41 in the hard copy edition) to enjoy a full story and photo spread of the building. The article serves to continue to inform the local Annapolitan audience about who we are, what we do, and how this building is a game-changer for us AND the local community.

The USNA AA&F will continue to produce stories throughout 2025 to commemorate the service and sacrifice of Naval Academy alumni who served in the Vietnam War. These stories will be featured in Shipmate, on a dedicated webpage, on social media and YouTube. To fulfill the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association and Foundation's mission to ensure the stories of alumni valor are preserved for future generations, we deliver this content for those who stood watch during the Vietnam-era and all alumni, parents, families and friends. You are not forgotten.

 

 

September 1950 - President Truman dispatches the U.S. Military Assistance Advisory Group to Vietnam to assist the French.

1 November 1955 - President Eisenhower sends the Military Assistance Advisory Group to train the Army of the Republic of Vietnam. This is the date recognized as start of American involvement in the war recognized by the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

17 February 1960 - LCDR Roger Mullins '45 is the first Naval Academy alumni to perish during the Vietnam War when the plane he was flying crashed into Hon Chay Mountain near Da Nang.

6 January 1973 - Lt John Lindahl '65, is the final Naval Academy alumni to perish in the Vietnam War.

29 March 1973 - Final American combat troops withdrawn from Vietnam

30 April 1975 - Saigon Falls

 

144 - Naval Academy Alumni killed in action

30 - Naval Academy alumni operationally lost

39 - Alumni POWs

1 - Medal of Honor received by Naval Academy alumni (ADM James Stockdale) for Vietnam service

22 - Navy Crosses awarded to Naval Academy alumni for actions in Vietnam

1 - Distinguished Service Medal (U.S. Army) awarded to Naval Academy alumni for actions in Vietnam

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

Guidance from the Secretary of Defense: "Identity Months Dead at DoD." Our unity and purpose are instrumental to meeting the Department's warfighting mission. Efforts to divide the force – to put one group ahead of another – erode camaraderie and threaten mission execution. Going forward, DoD Components and Military Departments will not use official resources, to include man-hours, to host celebrations or events related to cultural awareness months, including National African American/Black History Month, Women's History Month, Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, Pride Month, National Hispanic Heritage Month, National Disability Employment Awareness Month, and National American Indian Heritage Month. Service members and civilians remain permitted to attend these events in an unofficial capacity outside of duty hours.

Search efforts continue in the Potomac River after an American Airlines plane with 60 passengers and four crew on board collided in midair with an Army UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter carrying three soldiers near Reagan National Airport outside Washington, D.C. District of Columbia fire and emergency officials said Thursday morning 28 bodies have been recovered from the river. Officials said they do not expect any passengers or crew survived, with efforts switching to recovery on Thursday.

LOCAL, EDUCATION & OTHER ACADEMY NEWS

U.S. Senators Katie Britt (R-Ala.) and Ted Cruz (R-Texas), along with U.S. Representative Keith Self (R-Texas), have introduced the Maintaining Academy Culture and Assuring Retention of Tradition, Honor, and Unity of the Republic (MACARTHUR) Act in response to the United States Military Academy at West Point's decision to remove the phrase “Duty, Honor, Country” from its mission statement. The legislation seeks to reinstate the historic phrase, which has been a defining principle of the institution for over a century. The phrase “Duty, Honor, Country” was first associated with West Point in 1898 and became a deeply ingrained part of the academy's culture following General Douglas MacArthur's 1962 farewell address to the Corps of Cadets. The phrase was officially incorporated into West Point's mission statement in 1998. However, in March 2024, academy leadership revised the statement, replacing it with broader references to Army Values.

David Robinson reflected on his unexpected basketball journey at the U.S. Naval Academy, where a late growth spurt transformed him into a dominant force and future NBA star. He had a hell of a career in the NBA, but at one point, he wasn't sure he would be a basketball player. Before he went to college, Robinson actually committed to the military—actually, it was the Navy. And there he started his college basketball career, at the U.S. Naval Academy. Robinson had a limited role in his freshman season, but his growth spurt grew from a 6'7" freshman to a 7'1" sophomore, completely transforming his game.

NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS NEWS & RESULTS

With even less margin for error than in prior years due to the new four-counter scoring system, the Navy men's gymnastics team turned in a near flawless meet on Saturday afternoon with the 2025 Star on the line versus service academy rival Army. Faced with competing in the hostile confines of the Black Knights' Gross Sports Center and trailing by 0.55 points at the mid-way mark of the six-event contest, the Mids calmly and confidently posted a season-high point total to come from behind and defeat Army for the seventh straight Star Meet, 314.60 to 311.90. Over the final three events, the vault, parallel bars and high bars, Navy out-scored Army by 3.25 points.

Weekend Results

 

Wrestling at Bucknell - W 27-9

 

 

Men's Tennis v LIU - W 6-1

Women's Tennis at Liberty - L 6-1

Men's & Women's Swimming & Diving at Bucknell Invitational - No Team Score

Men's Lacrosse at High Point - W 14 - 10

Men's Tennis v Saint Joseph's - W 6-1

Men's Squash v Rochester - L 5-4

Men's Basketball v Bucknell - L 75 - 85

Women's Basketball at Bucknell - W 79-75

 

 

Women's Tennis v George Washington - L 2 - 5

Men's Squash v Hobart - W 9-0

Army Leads 9-7. (Navy - M Rugby, M Cross Country, Football, Gymnastics, Rifle, Men's Indoor Track & Field, Women's indoor Track & Field; Army - Volleyball, Sprint Football, Golf, M Soccer, W Soccer, W Cross Country, W Rugby, Men's Swim and Dive, Women's Swim and Dive)

REMAINING STAR MATCHUPS

 

15 Feb - Women's Basketball - Annapolis - 11 a.m.

15 Feb - Men's Basketball - Annapolis - 1:30 p.m.

15 Feb - Wrestling - West Point - TBA

15-16 Mar - Baseball - Annapolis - TBA

5 Apr - Women's Outdoor Track & Field - Annapolis - TBA

5 Apr - Men's Outdoor Track & Field - Annapolis - TBA

5 Apr - Women's Tennis - West Point - 10  a.m.

12 Apr - Men's Tennis - West Point - 1 p.m.

12 Apr - W. Lacrosse - West Point - 12:30 p.m.

12 Apr - M. Lacrosse - Annapolis - TBA

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

FEBRUARY

6 Feb - USNA Ship Selection

15 Feb - Commissioning Week 101, Fluegel

21 Feb - 85th Brigade Boxing Finals

21 Feb - Louisville Chapter + NAPC of Kentucky Roadshow - Louisville, KY (**in support of Navy Men's Gymnastics competing at the Winter Cup Feb 21-23)

22 Feb - Indianapolis Chapter + NAPC of Indiana Roadshow - Fishers, IN)

23 Feb - Cincinnati Chapter + NAPC of Greater Cincinnati Roadshow - West Chester, OH

24 Feb - Columbus Chapter + NAPC of Central Ohio Roadshow - Dublin, OH

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

22 Mar - Distinguished Graduate Leadership Panel, Mahan, USNA

22 Mar - Annual Gathering for USNA Women - 1 p.m. @ Hopper Hall

22 Mar - Fencing (club) Alumni Meet - Dahlgren Hall

26 Mar - Alumni Mentoring Program (AMP) Class of 2025 enrollment

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

30-31 Mar - Volunteer Leader Summit

 

APRIL

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

5 Apr - Women's Lacrosse Alumni Appreciation Day (Home Game vs. Holy Cross)

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

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

11-12 Apr - Men's Soccer Alumni Weekend

12 Apr - Navy Letterwinners Association Army/Navy Men's Lacrosse Tailgate

23 April - Bonds of Gold Ceremony

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 BOD meeting, Fluegel

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

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring BOT 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 Naval Academy Graduation and Commissioning Ceremony, NMCMS

 

17-18 Jun - Entrepreneur Summit - Fluegel

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

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029