6 August Daily Shipmate

Thursday, 6 August 2026

1945 - The Army Air Forces B-29 Superfortress “Enola Gay” drops the first atomic bomb on Hiroshima, Japan. The weapon is actually armed by CAPT William S. “Deke” Parsons '22, USN. Among those killed in the blast at Hiroshima are two Navy prisoners of war being held in the city, LTJG Raymond Porter and Aviation Radioman Third Class Normand Brissette, a VB-87 crew shot down in late July.

 

1966 - The Navy commissions the first of a new class of patrol gunboats, Asheville (PGM-84). With small ships and craft playing an important role in naval operations in Vietnam, the PGMs see extensive service in Southeast Asia.

 

2011 - 2LT Patrick Wayland '10, USMC was lost in a training accident during swim training at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. A native of West Midland, Texas, he attended Texas Tech University for a year prior to the Naval Academy. As a final act of selfless duty, Patrick's kidney was donated to Sgt. Jacob Chadwick, USMC, saving his life. Patrick was survived by his parents, David (Run To Honor board member) and Carole, and sisters Meagan and Lisa. 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

Steve Endacott '74, a retired Navy aviator, Top Gun graduate and former instructor at what is now the Naval Aviation Warfighting Development Center in Fallon, Nevada, was honored 21 July for 30 years of service to the aviation ordnance community. Recognized during the 2026 Aviation Ordnance Managers Leadership Continuum Conference in Reno, Endacott was celebrated for leading the Navy's Conventional Ordnance Performance Evaluation (COPE) program, which assesses the performance of weapons systems used by Navy and Marine Corps aircraft during training exercises.

 

A U.S. Naval Academy graduate with a degree in aerospace engineering, Endacott flew A-7 Corsairs and F/A-18 Hornets during his Navy career before retiring in 1994. Colleagues praised his decades of technical expertise, leadership and commitment to ensuring naval aviators have the training and weapons effectiveness needed to accomplish their missions. The recognition highlighted more than 56 years of combined military and civilian service supporting naval aviation and national defense.

ICYMI: Voices from Orbit 

This week, we launched Voices from Orbit, a new podcast featuring extraordinary stories from Naval Academy alumni who helped shape space exploration.

 

In our premiere episode, Brig Gen Charlie Duke '57, USAF (Ret.) takes listeners from Lancaster, South Carolina, to Annapolis, to the surface of the moon. He shares lessons from Apollo 16, memories of spaceflight, and the surprising story of the only time he remembers feeling afraid, during a lighthearted competition dubbed the "Moon Olympics."

 

Curious what happened? Listen to the premiere episode and take a giant leap into Voices from Orbit. Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Amazon Podcasts.

We are now accepting nominations for the next Board of Trustees chair; nominations are open now through 1 September 2026 via the online nomination form. Any regular member may nominate another regular member or self-nominate for the three-year term beginning in May 2027, after ADM Mark Ferguson III '78, USN (Ret.), completes six years of service on the Board. The Board's Nominating Committee will review all submissions and recommend a candidate for Board approval in November 2026; questions may be directed to Board Secretary Wes Huey '87."

Government & Military News

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates the first Trump-class battleship could cost as much as $23.4 billion, with the total 15-ship program reaching approximately $275 billion. The proposed 35,000-ton, nuclear-powered surface combatant would be the Navy's largest warship since World War II and is designed to carry hypersonic missiles, an electromagnetic railgun, advanced missile defense systems and nuclear-armed sea-launched cruise missiles. The Trump administration has made the battleship a major shipbuilding priority, requesting $1 billion in advanced procurement funding, while Congress continues to evaluate the program alongside plans for a next-generation destroyer.

A new study of nearly 10 million veterans found notable differences in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) rates among military branches. Researchers reported that Navy veterans experienced a 15% higher rate of ALS diagnoses than Army veterans, while Marine veterans had the lowest rate, with a 22% lower rate than their Army counterparts. The findings are based on Veterans Health Administration data collected between 2000 and 2024. The study adds to ongoing efforts to understand why veterans develop ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, at higher rates than the civilian population. While researchers have not identified a specific cause, they say the branch-to-branch differences may point to unique occupational or environmental exposures associated with military service. ALS remains a rare but serious neurological disease that affects thousands of Americans each year.

Local, Education & other academy news

Join the Greater Southern Maryland Chapter of the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association for a fun night at the ballpark!

Cheer on the Southern Maryland Blue Crabs as they take on the York Revolution while enjoying an evening of fellowship with fellow alumni, family, and friends. Whether you're a longtime baseball fan or simply looking to reconnect and show your Navy spirit, this is a great opportunity to gather with the Blue & Gold community.

 

 

Let's pack the stands with Navy pride. Play ball... and Beat Army! ⚾💙💛

Naval Academy Athletics News

Come out to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium Saturday, 8 August from 2-4 p.m. to meet the team, play games, and walk away with awesome giveaways from our Navy Athletics sponsors. Fan Fest free and is presented by Lexus and Luminis Health.

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