26 August Daily Shipmate

Wednesday, 26 August 2026

1839 - The revenue cutter Washington discovers the Spanish slave ship Amistad lying at anchor near Montauk Point, New York. The ship, which had been seized by its Black captives and sailed around the North Atlantic for two months, was captured. The slaves were sent to New Haven, Connecticut, to stand trial for piracy and the murder of two members of Amistad’s crew. The ensuing trial galvanizes the swelling abolitionist movement in the United States and the case eventually reaches the Supreme Court, where former President John Quincy Adams argues it. The slaves are eventually acquitted and most return to Africa as free men and women.

 

1961 - Iwo Jima (LPH-2), the first of a class of amphibious assault ships capable of launching landing craft and operating helicopters for the transport of Marines, is commissioned.

 

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.

Other alumni lost on this day are listed at Virtual Memorial Hall.

Academy & Graduate happenings

Tune in to FOX & Friends this morning as Steve Doocy visits the U.S. Naval Academy for a special “Back to School at the Service Academies” feature. You won’t want to miss his interviews with USNA leadership, visit aboard a Yard Patrol craft, learning about how midshipmen are integrating robotics and autonomous systems into their training and iconic shots from T-Court detailing how USNA develops future warfighters morally, mentally and physically. News segments run based on current events. The segment is scheduled to air between 8:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. ET on FOX NEWS. The Air Force Academy was featured in a similar segment earlier this week. It ran in Daily Shipmate and can be found at the link below.

If you're in Annapolis this weekend, please consider supporting Run to Honor, a mission dedicated to honoring U.S. Naval Academy alumni who were killed in action or during military operations. Visit our tent on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. to learn about the mission, meet the team, and honor the lives of our 10 featured honorees. Then, come out on Sunday and cheer on the runners as they carry these stories of service and sacrifice through the streets of Annapolis.

 

With a donation of any amount, you'll receive a commemorative dog tag honoring one of our 10 honorees. You can also make a contribution through the official donation page and view the individuals and organizations supporting this effort at the link below. Join us as we remember and honor the USNA alumni who gave their lives in service to our nation.

Kick off the 2026 Navy football season with fellow Navy blue and gold fans, alumni, family and friends before the Midshipmen take on Towson! Join us at the Fluegel Alumni Center for an afternoon of great food, game day spirit and Navy camaraderie. Enjoy light bites, a cashless bar and a live recording of the Sing Second podcast featuring special guests you won't want to miss.

 

Alumni, guests and attendees of all ages are all welcome and walk-ins are still welcome. Light bites will be provided, and a cashless bar will be available. The event will also feature a live recording of the Sing Second Podcast with special guests RADM Mike Manazir ’81, USN (Ret.), Navy Football alumnus Joe Person ’07, Class of ’96 President Bill Pennington ’96, and Capital Gazette Sports Editor and Anchors Aweigh Podcast co-host Bill Wagner. Don't forget: Guests who register by the deadline will receive a complimentary drink ticket (21+ only). Remember to show your QR code at the door to redeem your drink ticket.

 

Don't miss this chance to rally with the Navy family before kickoff. Wear your Navy colors, bring your spirit and help cheer the Midshipmen on to victory. GO NAVY!

As National Make-A-Will Month comes to a close, there is still time to take an important step toward securing your legacy. Whether you are creating your first will or reviewing an existing estate plan, now is an ideal time to ensure your intentions reflect the people and institutions that matter most to you. We are deeply grateful to the alumni, parents, and friends who have chosen to include the U.S. Naval Academy in their estate plans. Your commitment helps strengthen the Academy and support future generations of midshipmen.

Thank you for investing in the future of the Brigade.

From the Podcast Fleet

Brig Gen Charles Duke ’57, USAF (Ret.), made history as the youngest person ever to walk on the Moon. Today, he is the last living Naval Academy graduate who can tell us firsthand what it was like to stand on the lunar surface. Plus, find out what he did that made mission control upset. That makes this more than a podcast episode. It is a firsthand account from one of the few people who can tell us what it took to travel from Annapolis to Apollo 16 and leave his footprints on another world. As our next Voices from Orbit episode prepares to take flight, take time to hear the story that began this new pod series. This is Naval Academy history. This is American history. It deserves to be heard. Do not let that opportunity fly past you.

Last week, the Naval Academy Athletic Association announced an extension of its sponsorship agreement with USAA. This expanded agreement is highlighted by USAA being named an "Anchor Partner." We take an in-depth look at the sponsorship partnership by talking to Navy athletic director Michael Kelly and Chris Curtin, chief marketing officer for USAA.

Government & Military News

Reestablishing the warrior ethos, rebuilding America's military and reestablishing deterrence are the big three goals Secretary of War Pete Hegseth set upon taking the helm at the Pentagon in 2025. Monday at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska, the secretary told military personnel assigned to U.S. Strategic Command (STRATCOM) they are the center of America's deterrent capability. The command serves as home of the No. 1 tool that America and its War Department use to underwrite everything it does around the globe. That includes its nuclear bomber aircraft fleet, its ground deterrence capability and its nuclear submarine fleet. "It's the absolute foundation of our deterrence," Hegseth said. "I talk a lot about reviving the warrior ethos and rebuilding the military and reestablishing deterrence. Deterrence never left this place, never has, and that's a 24/7/365 responsibility that the men and women at this location live every single day; it is the absolute bedrock."

The U.S. Navy and Marine Corps will require all sailors and Marines to complete annual gas mask fit and seal training beginning this year, citing both operational readiness and compliance with grooming standards. The new policy is designed to ensure service members can maintain a proper seal on protective masks, which can be affected by facial hair. Military leaders say the requirement improves safety and preparedness in chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear environments. The move follows broader Department of Defense grooming policy updates that tightened rules surrounding facial hair and shaving waivers. Critics argue the policies could disproportionately affect service members with medical conditions that make shaving difficult.

The U.S. Navy is exploring a new anti-submarine weapon that could dramatically expand the reach of maritime patrol aircraft and drones. Known as the Silent Anvil Air-Launched Torpedo (SAA-LT), the concept combines a lightweight torpedo with a glide vehicle, allowing it to travel long distances through the air before entering the water and homing in on enemy submarines. Navy officials say the system is designed to engage targets from a safer standoff range while reducing the time the weapon spends in the water. The service is currently asking industry partners to develop prototype designs as it evaluates options for the next generation of anti-submarine warfare.

USS Abraham Lincoln to dock in Thailand next week, Thai official says

After more than nine months at sea, the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln is expected to make a port visit to Thailand next week, giving its crew a chance to rest and receive logistical support following an extended deployment. The carrier, which departed San Diego in November 2025 and was later redirected to the Middle East, has spent more than 200 consecutive days without a traditional port call, an unusually long stretch at sea. Thai officials said the visit is intended for rest and recuperation, with no military exercises planned. Abraham Lincoln carries approximately 5,000 sailors and Marines and is now headed home after completing its operational mission.

Local, Education & other academy news

Annapolis residents are getting a new look at the work underway to transform City Dock. Annapolis Mayor Jared Littmann held his first news conference as mayor Tuesday morning at the construction site to provide an update on the project. The work includes a new park and other improvements designed to better protect Downtown Annapolis from flooding. "We're doing this project to protect downtown from the regular impacts of both tidal flooding and stormwater flooding. That would be good for businesses in the long run," Littman said. "I'm a business owner, so, probably more than most, I am sympathetic to the concerns of most in the business community." The project will also bring new public spaces and park amenities to City Dock.

The Department of Veterans Affairs is encouraging veterans and their families to plan ahead through its pre-need burial eligibility program for VA national cemeteries. Launched in 2025, the National Cemetery Administration's Plan Today, Honor Forever campaign has generated record interest, with nearly 12,000 applications received in January alone. The online application process takes less than 10 minutes and helps ease the burden on families by confirming eligibility before it is needed.

 

Veterans approved for pre-need burial eligibility also gain access to a personal Veterans Legacy Memorial (VLM) page, where they can preserve their stories through photos, autobiographies, military service records, and life milestones. The content remains private until after the veteran's death and approval of a burial or memorial benefit request. The Veterans Legacy Memorial has become the nation's largest online memorial dedicated to veterans, with more than 10 million searchable pages honoring those laid to rest in VA, Department of Defense, National Park Service, state, tribal, territorial, and private cemeteries worldwide.

For many alumni, these monuments are more than historical memorials. They are part of the memories that define life on the Yard. Herndon recalls the excitement and exhaustion of the annual climb. Tamanend brings back memories of tossing coins before exams and football games. John Paul Jones' crypt evokes moments of reflection beneath the Chapel, while the Tripoli Monument and Midway Monument remind visitors of the naval heritage that shaped generations of officers. Together, these landmarks connect today's visitors and Midshipmen to those who walked the Yard decades before them. They stand as enduring reminders that while the Academy continues to evolve, the memories, traditions, and stories that have shaped generations of Naval Academy graduates remain etched in stone throughout the Yard.

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