18 August Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, 18 August 2026

1944 - In an attack on a Japanese convoy in the waters off Luzon, Philippines, the submarine Rasher (SS-269) sinks four ships and damages a fifth.

 

1965 - Operation Starlite, one of the more successful amphibious operations of the Vietnam War, commences as the Seventh Fleet Amphibious Ready Group lands Marines near Chu Lai, South Vietnam, to thwart a Viet Cong regiment’s attempt to take the city. The cruiser Galveston (CLG-3) and two destroyers provide gunfire support as Marines are put ashore by helicopters from amphibious assault ship Iwo Jima (LPH-2). The weeklong battle results in the death of more than 900 enemy troops.

 

1894 - LT Freeman Crosby, Class of 1870, USN was lost when the whaleboat he was aboard capsized and sank off the coast of Washington. He was commanding officer of the steamer McArthur (1874), which was owned by the United States Coast and Geodetic Survey; he and the crew were engaged in coastal survey and charting work. Freeman was survived by his wife and two sons. He is not listed in Memorial Hall with his classmates; we are actively working with the Naval Academy to correct this oversight. Other alumni lost on this day are listed at Virtual Memorial Hall.

 

Content in “Today in Navy, Marine Corps and USNA Memorial Hall History” is generously provided by our partners and fellow alumni at the Naval History and Heritage Command and the Run to Honor SIG, which supplies the USNA Memorial Hall content. We are grateful for their partnership in preserving and sharing this history, and the Daily Shipmate is proud to serve as a distribution platform. You can learn more or provide feedback through their respective websites hyperlinked above.

Academy & Graduate happenings

The Naval Academy Athletic Association (NAAA) and USAA have extended their historic partnership for an additional 10 years, continuing a longstanding relationship built on shared values of service, leadership and commitment to those who serve. As part of the expanded partnership, USAA has been named the Anchor Partner of Navy Athletics, the highest level of corporate partnership within the Naval Academy Athletic Association. Beginning with the 2026-27 academic year, the USAA logo will appear on jerseys for 30 Navy varsity sports, providing a visible representation of the continued collaboration between two organizations with deep connections to the military community.

In case you missed it: The debut episode of From the Seawall, our new monthly vlogcast series, is now available. John Schofield welcomes Tim Ogden ’95, a U.S. Naval Academy graduate and CEO of Blue Ivy, for an engaging discussion on entrepreneurship, leadership, resilience and the lasting impact of a Naval Academy education. And we're just getting started. With a new episode every month and an exciting roster of guests already lined up, From the Seawall is set to become a destination for meaningful conversations and inspiring stories from across the Naval Academy community. Watch the premiere episode by clicking on the yellow play button above.

Calling all regular members of the USNA Alumni Association: In May 2027, ADM Mark Ferguson III '78, USN (Ret.), chair of the USNA Alumni Association Board of Trustees, will complete six years on the Board. The nomination window for chair candidates from the alumni community to replace Ferguson on the Board opens on 1 August and closes on 1 September 2026. The Board chair serves a term of three years, and is eligible for a second term of three years. The next chair will serve on the Board from May 2027 to May 2030. Any regular member of the Alumni Association can nominate any regular member for chair – self nominations are permitted. Regular members should use the nomination form at the link below to make their nominations by 1 September 2026.

 

Per the Board's bylaws, the Board's Nominating committee will consider all nominees and select a single nominee for approval by the Board at the fall 2026 meeting in November. As always, we encourage nominees who represent our alumni community's great variety of experience and background. Make your voice heard in our community by nominating a worthy member to be chair. Please contact the Board Secretary Wes Huey ’87. with questions and comments.

From the Podcast Fleet

Season 6, Episode 2. Here we go. As we recorded Ep. 2, the first day of classes of the 2026-2027 academic year were just getting underway. So, Plebe Summer is done. Athletic competitions are underway. And the first football game and Distinguished Graduate weekend is just around the corner. Chris and John talk about welcoming the class of 2030 to the FAC to engage them about membership, the Class of 2028 and their 2 for 7 experience last week and the Class of 2027 and challenges that await them this year and in the Fleet and Marine Corps beyond. We talk about the new Leadership Institute Director position at USNA, which was advertised last week. We also break down "YP Next" and the autonomous training and collaboration USNA worked into its summer training regimen. And we're way excited to talk about the new "Alumni Pre-game," our pre-game get-togethers for every home game this season. Up first - September 5th from 11:30am to 1:30pm at the FAC for the Towson game. We'll have a live pod with guests from the two reunion classes ('81 and '96) and some other awesome guests. And, as always, there will be food and drink. So come be a pre-gamer at the FAC and help us usher in the new season. And our alum interview this week is with Nathan Getty '08. Nathan and his wife, Lindsay, join the pod to talk about their company, Story Sprouts. Find it at storysprouts.co for more info, but Lindsay and Nathan are making books as collectibles for your life events and memories. It's an awesome concept and a great way of having paper remembrances if you're trying to get out of the digital world. They're giving a discount code - SINGSECOND - on your order. Check out their site and listen to their interview. That and more on the best Alumni Association & Foundation podcast in the land. Beat Army. Always.

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Government & Military News

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy’s deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of 17 August 2026, based on Navy and public data. In cases in which a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

USS Benfold leaves Japan after returning from power failure repairs

USS Benfold (DDG-65) departed Yokosuka, Japan, on 17 August after completing repairs related to an engineering casualty that left the guided-missile destroyer without power for four days in the South China Sea. Power loss affected air conditioning, potable water, galleys and crew facilities before the ship was towed to Subic Bay, Philippines, for repairs. Power was restored 30 July, with all repairs completed by 7 August. Benfold had been operating with the George Washington Carrier Strike Group, which provided support during the outage. It remains unclear whether the destroyer will rejoin the strike group as it continues its deployment.

Local, Education & other academy news

2026 Male Survivor Webinar #2 - Survivor Advocacy Network

The Survivor Advocacy Network hopes you'll join us for our second Male Survivor Webinar on Tuesday, 22 September at 7:00 p.m. ET. Join presenters Anthony Riello, MSW, LICSW, and Colleen Moriarty-Anctil, LADC, LICSW

 

This webinar is open to all MEN who have attended a service academy or who have participated in any other commissioning program regardless of completion/graduation/commissioning status and who have experienced unwanted or negative sexual experience(s).

 

In this session, we will explore the different ways that MST can happen to or affect men, sociocultural components (gender role expectations) affecting male survivors, and several healing modalities that men can access. This webinar will be presented by Tony Riello, MSW, LCSW, and Colleen Morierity-Anctil, LADC, LICSW, who are professional counselors at the Worcester, MA Vet Center.

Naval Academy Athletics News and results

Walk and talk with Navy men's soccer captain Nate Stewart ahead of the Mids' season opener at UC San Diego on Thursday night at 10 p.m. ET. Stewart shares his goals for the team in 2026 and gives an inside look at this year's squad. The Midshipmen will cap their road trip against San Diego State on Sunday before their home opener next Friday against George Washington. Watch the video above to experience the full interview.

Today's matchups:

None

Star Series matchups:

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