Thursday, 10 September 2026

This week's editions of Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation Morning Paper are brought to you by Otterson Wealth Advisors and Naval Academy graduate Caleb Cronic '11. Otterson Wealth Advisors of Raymond James is not just a team. It's a vast resource of financial knowledge, with each member bringing their unique expertise to your financial success. Caleb Cronic '11, financial advisor and Naval Academy graduate, is a CIMA-certified pro. His strategic prowess is your asset working towards your financial goals. Ready to begin to your journey? Otterson Wealth Advisors … your goals, our expertise.

Happy 3rd Birthday, Fluegel Alumni Center!

“Our partnership with the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association in Annapolis has become an important and enduring part of Blue Water Advisors, and the Fluegel Alumni Center has become a natural home for bringing that partnership to life. While it is a first-class venue, what keeps us coming back is much more than the facility—it is the people, the team, the shared mission, and the connection to the Naval Academy community. Blue Water is built around helping senior leaders thoughtfully navigate the next chapter of their careers, and there are few places better suited for those conversations than the Fluegel Center. We are grateful for the partnership and proud to continue building this enduring relationship as we come together year after year to serve the career progression needs of so many senior leaders.”

— Mike Wallace, CEO, Blue Water Advisors

Today in Navy And Marine Corps History

1945 - Midway (CVB-41), the first of the large aircraft carriers built reflecting wartime experience, is placed in commission. In terms of displacement, it is the largest warship built by the U.S. Navy to date.

1960 - Charles F. Adams (DDG-2) is commissioned, becoming the first “keel up” missile destroyer built for the U.S. Navy. It is the first of a class of 16 ships.

1961 - The cruiser Long Beach (CG [N]-9) is commissioned. It is the world’s first nuclear-powered surface warship and the first warship armed entirely with missiles.

1987 - In the first battleship deployment of Pioneer remotely piloted vehicles, VC-6's Detachment 1 embarks aboard the battleship Iowa (BB-61).

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.

In Memoriam from usna memorial hall

1946 - LCDR Frank Davis ’42, USN

Davis was lost when the plane he was piloting crashed into the Mediterranean Sea near Malta. He was executive officer of Torpedo Squadron (VT) 75 and operating from USS Franklin D. Roosevelt (CVB 43). Frank was son of a Navy officer (who was Class of 1914 and retired a VADM) and was born in Annapolis. Following his class’s early graduation in December 1941, he was “for several years” fire control officer aboard USS New York (BB 34), participating in the North African invasion and convoy duty in the North Atlantic. He received his wings a year before his death. Frank was survived by his father and two brothers.

Read profile

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

Academy & Graduate happenings

The stories, voices and faces of the fallen 14 — honoring their legacy

This year, we're proud to introduce a new digital experience through ShipmateMagazine.com, bringing together the stories, voices and faces of our fallen 14. Through archival articles, personal reflections and new stories shared by family members, classmates and friends, this special collection offers a deeper look at the lives behind the names. Twenty-five years later, their legacy continues to inspire generations of leaders, service members and Naval Academy graduates. By preserving their stories and sharing the memories of those who knew them best, we can ensure their courage, character and sacrifice are remembered not just on anniversaries, but for years to come.

This new website is part of a new shipmatemagazine.com, which we will launch in January 2027. As a perfect complement to the immortal Shipmate Magazine, shipmatemagazine.com will host more multimedia storytelling content, deliver that content in a timelier fashion and advance our storytelling abilities so we can better connect with the alumni, parent and midshipmen audiences in the future. We hope this 9/11 special remembrance helps keep the legacies alive of those who gave all and the warfighters who answered the call to serve.

watch the sneak peek video

visit the website

Remembering American Airlines pilot CAPT Burlingame ’71, 25 years after 9/11

This week marks 25 years since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. Among the thousands of victims was CAPT Charles Burlingame ’71, III, USN (Ret.) an American Airlines pilot who, as a child, built four-engine planes out of wood. Burlingame graduated from Anaheim High School in 1967 and joined the U.S. Naval Academy. He graduated in 1971 with a degree in aeronautical engineering, became a Navy fighter pilot, and graduated with honors from the Navy’s Top Gun school at Miramar. On 11 September 2001, Burlingame was piloting American Airlines Flight 77. It departed Washington Dulles International Airport at 8:20 a.m., bound for Los Angeles.

learn more

In Honor of a Shipmate, honoring DeConto ’79

CAPT Gerald Deconto ’79, USN, was one of 14 Naval Academy graduates lost on 11 September 2001. As USS Lake Erie, where he served as pre-commissioning executive officer, approaches its decommissioning later this month, we invite you to read the poem above, written in memory of a shipmate whose legacy of service and sacrifice continues to inspire.

From the Podcast Fleet

Anchors Aweigh podcast: Mike James breaks down the Navy Football season opener

Mike James, publisher of The Mid Report and color commentator for the Navy Football Radio Network, will be the opening segment guest on the Anchors Aweigh podcast throughout the season. We review the Navy football season opening victory over Towson. Reid Sigmon, Navy Senior Deputy Director of Athletics, joins the pod to discuss the enhancements and new amenities at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium. Our Weekly Report highlights Navy water polo and women's soccer.

listen to this podcast episode

Government & Military News

Airman runs 2,977 miles honoring 9/11 victims

At Fort Rucker, Alabama, Air Force Capt. Hanna Born trains the next generation of rotary-wing aviators in the TH-1H training helicopter. Outside the cockpit, she is leading a personal mission to honor the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks by running 2,977 miles — one mile for each person killed that day. Born, an instructor pilot assigned to the 23rd Flying Training Squadron, launched the effort on Sept. 11, 2025, with the goal of carrying their stories forward to the 25th anniversary of the attacks. Her mother, retired Air Force Brig. Gen. Dana H. Born, graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1983 and served in senior leadership roles throughout her 30-year career, including dean of the faculty at the academy. Her father, retired Marine Corps LtCol Tim Born ’75, graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and served 21 years on active duty.

read this story

Roosevelt deployment to utilize lessons learned from Lincoln, Navy’s top brass say

The two top officers of the U.S. Navy released a video Tuesday assuring sailors aboard USS Theodore Roosevelt that their impending deployment would incorporate valuable lessons learned from USS Abraham Lincoln’s historic deployment to the Middle East. Following the Lincolns’ nearly 10-month deployment that saw 264 days without a port visit, Chief of Naval Operations ADM Daryl Caudle and Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Perryman said the Roosevelt will maximize its loadout of food and hygiene products before setting sail, among other improvements. “As one carrier returns home, we listen to its sailors and families,” Perryman said in the video. “We capture what works and what didn’t and we make it better the next time.”

read this story

Local, Education & other academy news

The Rams’ new long snapper is special

Joe Cardona ’15 is the Rams’ long snapper for the next two years after being signed by LA this past offseason, and he’s good, very good. So good, in fact, that he’s now the third-highest-paid long snapper in the league. While a salary of $1.725 million doesn’t seem like a whole lot in a sport where almost all players are making over a million dollars a year, it’s a raise of more than $300,000, or about 20%, and it will surely impact the Cardone family. The position of long snapper is about as glamorous in football terms as is the bass player in the house band at your local bar. Nobody notices them until they make a mistake. In fact, I’d be willing to bet 98% of all football fans couldn’t name two long snappers in the league, and probably 97% couldn’t name the one playing on their own team, but they’re important.

Driven to Serve: How Searcy ’08 turned Navy service into clean energy strategy at GM

Navy service helped shape the career path of Taylor Searcy ’08, a Naval Academy graduate who now leads clean energy strategy efforts at General Motors. As a Surface Warfare Officer aboard USS Lassen (DDG 82), Searcy learned lessons in leadership, teamwork and decision-making that continue to guide his work today. Those experiences, combined with firsthand exposure to energy challenges around the world, inspired his transition into sustainability and clean energy. Today, he helps GM balance reliability, affordability and innovation as the company advances cleaner energy solutions and explores the growing connection between transportation and the power grid.

From the Alumni/Family Health and Wellness committee

To all Alumni/Families, especially those who have had or now have cancer, or who are Vietnam Veterans, please do the following for your spouse and your family:

1st - Please take a total of six to eight minutes to file a “Letter of Intent,” VA Form 21-0966, Intent to File a Claim for Compensation and/or Pension, or Survivors Pension and/or DIC, which establishes an effective date to which retroactively you will receive any benefits, any compensation due, if you make a formal claim during the following year and the VA approves it.

Your 6 to 8 minutes: Call 1-800-827-1000 (Monday to Friday 8 a.m. to 9 p.m. Eastern Time)

( https://www.va.gov/contact-us/ )

when the voice gives options – press 1, press 2, 3, 4… Press ZERO to speak with an agent.

and say to the agent: “I want to File a Letter of Intent.”

Be ready to provide name, address, email address, date of birth, SSN.

The agent will file the Letter of Intent. Done.

Many people have received thousands of dollars more because they filed the Letter of Intent.

There is no cost to filing a Letter of Intent and no penalty.

2nd – To file a formal VA claim within one year, please click the link below, select a local VA accredited representative, make a phone call, make a 20-minute appointment, and this person will reduce your time spent by 95% filing a VA claim. https://www.va.gov/get-help-from-accredited-representative/find-rep/?address=29801&lat=33.561542&long=-81.72237&distance=50&page=1&perPage=10&sort=distance_asc&type=veteran_service_officer

• Accredited VSO representative.

under…Use my location

Please type in “your Zip Code” … hit “SEARCH” … results may include County Veterans Service Officers … make a phone call and say purpose – “filing a VA claim.”

This local VA accredited representative will work with you, for free, and coordinate all VA requirements, such as answering questions, clarifying VA correspondence, producing a formal VA claim within one year, identifying medical records, or completing a required VA Compensation and Pension (C&P) exam(s).

Naval Academy Athletics News and results

Navy Letterwinners and former athletes — Come reconnect with your former teammates during Homecoming Weekend!

You and your guest(s) are invited to join us on Saturday, 24 October, for the Navy Letterwinners Breakfast in the 1984 Team Meeting Room at the Ron Terwilliger '63 Center for Student-Athletes, Ricketts Hall. Light breakfast and drinks (coffee, tea, and juice) will be available from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 a.m. ET. All former varsity and club athletes, receiving this email, are invited! Please RSVP for the Navy Letterwinners Breakfast by 14 October 2026. If you have any questions or need additional assistance, please contact Caitlin Kane at ckane@usna.edu.

rsvp here

Home cooking for the rookies

Former Navy standout and Pittsburgh native Eli Heidenreich ’26 is already making an impact with the Steelers, and not just on the field. Before training camp, the rookie running back invited his fellow Steelers newcomers to his family’s home outside Pittsburgh for a team dinner designed to build camaraderie and connection. The Heidenreich family hosted the gathering, serving a home-cooked meal and giving players from across the country a taste of Pittsburgh hospitality. Heidenreich said the idea stemmed from lessons learned at the Naval Academy about the importance of strong teams, while teammates praised the event for helping the rookie class bond.

read this story

Today's matchups:

Women's Soccer at Towson - Towson, Md. - 6:00 p.m.

Yesterday’s results:

Folds of Honor Collegiate - (Women's Golf) - 11th/12
Folds of Honor Collegiate - (Men's Golf) - 14th/14

Army-Navy Star Series matchups:

25 Sept. - Sprint Football - Annapolis - 6 p.m.
26 Sept. - M. Rugby - Annapolis - 11 a.m.
3-4 Oct. - M. Golf - West Point - 9 a.m. / 9 a.m.
9 Oct. - W. Soccer - Chester, Pa. - 4 p.m.
9 Oct. - Volleyball - West Point - 7 p.m.
9 Oct. - M. Soccer - Chester, Pa. - 7 p.m.
17 Oct. - W. Cross Country - Annapolis - TBA
17 Oct. - M. Cross Country - Annapolis - TBA
17 Oct. - Volleyball - Annapolis - 4 p.m.
31 Oct. - W. Rugby - Annapolis - 11 a.m.
12 Dec. - Football - East Rutherford, N.J. - 3 p.m.
6 Feb. - Gymnastics - West Point - TBA
6 Feb. - Rifle - Annapolis - 9 a.m.
10 April - W. Tennis - West Point - TBA
17 April - M. Tennis - West Point - 1 p.m.
17 April - M. Lacrosse - Annapolis - TBA
17 April - W. Lacrosse - West Point - TBA

More Star Series games will be announced here.

USNA and AA&F Events

SEPTEMBER

10 Sep - GSMC Blue Crabs Baseball - Regency Furniture Stadium
10-13 Sep - Annapolis Songwriters Festival, Annapolis, MD
11 Sep - Friday night event - the Parent Club of So FL and the Palm Beach Chapter are planning a no-host social; details are forthcoming
12 Sep - Navy @ Florida Atlantic University, Boca Raton, FL - purchase tickets for the tailgate/game/parking with the Palm Beach Chapter
13 Sep - Travis Manion Foundation 5K - Navy/Marine Corps Stadium - 11 a.m.
17 – 20 Sep - Class of 1986 40th Reunion
18-19 Sep - Friends of Navy Sailing (FONS) Weekend 2026, USNA - Invite
19 Sep - Fall Southern Maryland USNA Bourbon Night - Tobacco Barn Distillery $10 Drinks - 4:30 p.m. - 6:30 p.m. ET (24460 Hollywood Rd, Hollywood, MD 20636)
22 Sep - UK–US Quantum Security Forum - U.S. Naval Academy - All Day.
22 Sep - The Survivor Advocacy Network Male Survivor Webinar - 7:00 p.m. ET - (Registration)
25 Sep - Tailgate registration - NAVY vs. UAB | myUSNA.com
25 Sep - Navy @ University of Alabama Birmingham, Birmingham, AL
30 Sep - USNA Entrepreneurs Fall Speaker Series - Army Navy Country Club - 5 - 8 p.m.

OCTOBER

1 – 4 Oct - Class of 1966 60th Reunion
1 - Oct - Beat Air Force Pep Rally, TBD
2 —3 Oct - USNA '85 NAPS Reunion - Newport, Rhode Island
3 Oct - Navy @ Air Force, Colorado Springs, CO
3 Oct - Navy-Air Force Tailgate - 7 a.m. and Football game 10 a.m. kickoff - registration and tickets - (Link) - For more information about the pre-game events the CO chapter is organizing, go to Events | Colorado Chapter
8 - 11 Oct - Class of 1971 55th Reunion
8 – 10 Oct - President's Circle Weekend
8 – 11 Oct - Annapolis Power Boat Show
9 Oct - Fall Formal Parade, Worden Field
10 Oct - Navy vs. Tulsa Alumni Pregame - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET - Fluegel Alumni Center - Registration info coming soon!
10 Oct - Navy vs Tulsa University, NMCMS
14 Oct - GSMC Social & Business Mtg. Brudergarten - 5 - 6 p.m. Brudergarten - Link
15 Oct - Corpus Christi Recent Grad Social
16 Oct - Alamo Chapter + NAPC of South Texas Roadshow
17 Oct - Navy @ University of Texas San Antonio, San Antonio TX
17 Oct - Navy vs. UTSA US Naval Academy Alumni - Tailgate Tickets
22 – 23 Oct - Service Academy Career Conference, Denton, TX
23 – 25 Oct - Class of 1956 70th Reunion
23 – 25 Oct - Class of 1976 50th Reunion
23 – 25 Oct - Class of 1991 35th Reunion
23 – 25 Oct - Class of 2001 25th Reunion
23 – 25 Oct - Class of 2006 20th Reunion
23 Oct - Anchors Away Golf Tournament
23 Oct - Naval Academy Athletic Foundation Policy Review Mtg - TBD
24 Oct - U.S. Naval Academy Homecoming
24 Oct - Navy vs. North Texas - Welcome Home Open House - 11:30 a.m. - 1:30 p.m. ET - Fluegel Alumni Center - Registration info coming soon!
24 Oct - Navy vs North Texas University, NMCMS
31 Oct - Navy vs Notre Dame, Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, MA

NOVEMBER

4 Nov - Council of Class Presidents Meeting
5 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Fall Board of Trustees Cmte. Mtgs
5—7 Nov - NAPS 50 Year Reunion for first class with women -Newport RI
6 Nov - Naval Academy Athletic Foundation Executive Committee Mtg - TBD
6 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Fall Board of Trustees Meeting
6 – 8 Nov - Class of 2021 5th Reunion
6 – 8 Nov - Class of 2016 10th Reunion
6 – 8 Nov - Class of 2011 15th Reunion
7 Nov - Honor Our Fallen Heroes Events
7 Nov - Navy vs Temple University, NMCMS
19 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Fall Board of Directors Meeting
20 Nov - Naval Academy Athletic Foundation Fall Trustee Meeting
20 - 21 Nov - USNA Glee Club w/ St Louis Symphony Orchestra, Powell Hall, St. Louis - 7:30 p.m.
21 Nov - Navy vs Memphis University, NMCMS
28 Nov - Navy @ University of North Carolina Charlotte, Charlotte, NC
28 Nov - Navy Football vs Charlotte 49ers Tailgate | myUSNA.com

DECEMBER

5 Dec - American Conference Championship Game
12 Dec - Army Navy, Met Life Stadium, Rutherford, NJ

USNA AA&F resources & Links

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Keel Laid for Future USS John E. Kilmer

17 August Daily Shipmate