2 May Daily Shipmate

Friday, May 2, 2025

1942 - Seaman First Class Charles Holzmueller, Jr. '44, USN was killed in action when USS Cythera (PY 126) was sunk off the coast of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina. Only two of the seventy one officers and crew aboard survived; they were rescued by the attacking U-boat and taken as prisoners of war. Charles had resigned after his plebe year (June 1941), and rejoined the Navy in early 1942. He was a native of Milford, Delaware, and was survived by his parents and two sisters.

 

1945 - During the bitter ground fighting on Okinawa, Japan, Hospital Apprentice Second Class Robert E. Bush was administering plasma to a wounded Marine when Japanese soldiers attacked his position. Using his pistol and a carbine he found nearby, the corpsman beat back the enemy, killing six attackers despite losing an eye in the engagement. He refused treatment for his own wounds until sure the Marine he tended was evacuated. For his actions above and beyond the call of duty, Bush was awarded the Medal of Honor.

 

1946 - Marines from Treasure Island Marine Barracks, under the command of Warrant Officer Charles L. Buckner, aided in suppressing the three-day prison riot at Alcatraz Penitentiary in San Francisco Bay. WO Buckner, a veteran of the Bougainville and Guam campaigns, ably led his force of Marines without suffering a single casualty.

 

1975 - The Navy selected Northrop's YF-17, a competitor in a U.S. Air Force design competition for a new fighter. This marked the birth of the F/A-18 Hornet.

ACADEMY & GRADUATE HAPPENINGS

The 50th Vice President of the United States, James David “JD” Vance, is scheduled to address the Naval Academy's Class of 2025 during the graduation and commissioning ceremony on Friday, May 23, that begins at 9 a.m. at the Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in Annapolis. This event is not open to the public.

A dramatic shift for the better has taken place in the surface warfare community in the past seven years. Following the ship collisions in 2017, mariner skills training centers (MSTCs) and Surface Warfare Schools Command (SWSC) began to implement far more baseline training for junior officers. The additional training comes through the Basic Division Officer Course, Advanced Division Officer Course, and Officer of the Deck (OOD) Phases 1 and 2 courses. While results from these courses are positive, surface warfare officers (SWOs) must continue to improve the training pipeline.

The U.S. Naval Academy (USNA) hosted the 14th annual yard-wide Capstone Day, Wednesday, April 30. Over 280 projects and 150 formal presentations took place during this day-long event reflecting months of technical rigor, collaboration, and leadership in action. For the 1st Class (senior) midshipmen presenting their projects, Capstone Day is a culminating event that represents a full year of innovation, teamwork, and diligent research to provide real-world solutions with direct relevance to the fleet and beyond.

GOVERNMENT & MILITARY NEWS

Secretary of the Navy John Phelan visited major South Korean shipyards this week amid strengthening maritime cooperation between the United States and the Republic of Korea. The visit comes as the Trump administration seeks to revitalize the domestic shipbuilding industry with potential support from Korea. This visit marks Phelan's first tour of the Indo-Pacific region and aligns with broader initiatives supporting America's maritime dominance.

Military personnel officials believe troops' quality of life has seen a noticeable uptick in the last few months thanks to congressional initiatives last year, but they still see areas in need of improvement. However, House Democrats warned that maintaining that better standard of living may hinge on how many civilian defense employees end up out of work in the coming months due to White House efforts to trim the federal workforce.

LOCAL, EDUCATION & OTHER ACADEMY NEWS

Navy Midshipmen football star Rayuan Lane III isn't the only former star that will be taking his shot at an NFL job this year. On Wednesday, the Midshipmen and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers announced that linebacker Colin Ramos had accepted an invitation to the Bucs' rookie minicamp. The camp is set for May 8-11 at the Bucs' team facility in Tampa, Fla.

NAVAL ACADEMY ATHLETICS NEWS & RESULTS

Yesterday's Result

Women's Lacrosse vs Army (Semifinal) - W 18-9

Weekend Matchups

Men's Track & Field at Patriot League Championship - Worcester, Mass. - 9 a.m.

Women's Track & Field at Patriot League Championship - Worcester, Mass. - 9 a.m.

Women's Rugby v Lindenwood - Indianapolis, Ind. - 10:58 a.m.

Women's Rugby v Sacred Heart - Indianapolis, Ind. - 3 p.m.

Women's Rugby v Army - Indianapolis, Ind. - 5:12 p.m.

 

Women's Track & Field at Patriot League Championship - Worcester, Mass. - 9 a.m.

Men's Track & Field at Patriot League Championship - Worcester, Mass. - 9 a.m.

Women's Rugby at Premier National Championship Quarterfinals - Indianapolis, Ind. - 9:22 a.m.

Baseball v Binghamton - Annapolis, Md. - 1 p.m.

Women's Rugby at Premier National Championship Semifinals - Indianapolis, Ind. - 2 p.m.

Women's Lacrosse at Patriot League Championship - Baltimore, Md. - 2:30 p.m.

Women's Rugby at Premier National Championship Finals - Indianapolis, Ind. - 4:56 p.m.
 

Men's Heavyweight Rowing at Columbia - TBD

Baseball v Binghamton - Annapolis, Md. - 1 p.m.

USNA AND AA&F EVENTS

MAY

1 May - USNA Foundation Spring BOD meeting, Fluegel Alumni Center

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

7-9 May - USNA Alumni Association Spring BOT Meeting, Fluegel Alumni Center

8-9 May - SACC Washington DC

12-18 May - Richmond, VA Navy Week

14 May - Class of 2028 Herndon Climb

14 May - U.S. Naval Institute “Correcting Course: Revitalizing the Shipbuilding Industry to Meet Strategic Demands” Speaker Panel - Jack C. Taylor Conference Center - 4:45 p.m.

16-18 May - USA Warriors Sled Hockey Event

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

26 May - Run to Honor - Reading the names of the fallen alumni heroes in Memorial Hall

26 May - Run to Honor Nationwide Walk/Runs

28 May - Debut of the new usna.com

 

JUNE

10 Jun -  Trauma Survivor Webinar: Living and Leading as a Survivor with RADM Dana Thomas - 7-9 p.m.

16-22 Jun - Anchorage, Alaska Navy Week

17-18 Jun - Entrepreneur Summit, Fluegel Alumni Center

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

26 Jun - USNA Induction Day, Class of 2029

30 Jun-6 Jul - Duluth, Minnesota Navy Week

 

AUGUST

4-10 Aug - Sioux Falls, South Dakota Navy Week

7 Aug - Class of 2029 Plebe Parent Mixer, Fluegel

18 Aug - USNA Classes begin

18-24 Aug - Columbus, Ohio Navy Week

21-22 Aug - SACC San Diego

22 Aug - Friends of Navy Sailing Starting Gun Reception: Severn Sailing Association - 6 p.m.

23 Aug - Friends of Navy Sailing Supe brief, race and Sail Navy Banquet

24 Aug - Annapolis 10 Miler - Run to Honor is a charity partner

25-31 Aug - Springfield, Missouri Navy Week

28 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Weekend Kickoff Dinner w/ Football Coaching Staff

28-31 Aug - Class of 2010 15th Reunion

28-31 Aug - Class of 1960 65th Reunion

29 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Fallen Brothers Golf Classic & Evening Social

30 Aug - Navy Football Brotherhood Weekend Tailgater, NMCMS

30 Aug - Navy vs VMI, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

 

SEPTEMBER

4 Sep - Distinguished Graduate Award (DGA) Medal Ceremony - Alumni Hall, 4:30 p.m.

4-6 Sep - Class of 2000 25th Reunion

6 Sep - Navy Football vs University of Alabama Birmingham, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

13 Sep - Navy Football vs Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

14 Sep - Annapolis Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run

15-21 Sep - Wichita Falls, Texas Navy Week

18-19 Sep - McMullen Naval History Symposium - USNA

18-21 Sep - Class of 1985 - 40th Reunion

22-28 Sep - Hartford, CT Navy Week

25-27 Sep - Class of 2020 5th Reunion

26 Sep - Council of Annual Giving meeting - Fluegel Alumni Center

27 Sep - Navy Football vs Rice, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

 

OCTOBER

2 Oct - President Circle Welcome Reception, Fluegel

2-4 Oct - President Circle Weekend

2-5 Oct - Class of 1990 35th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 1995 30th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 2015 10th Reunion

4 Oct - Navy Football vs Air Force, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

10 Oct - USNA Founder's Day

11 Oct - Navy Football @ Temple, Lincoln Financial Stadium, Philadelphia, PA

13 Oct - U.S. Navy Birthday

13 Oct - Surface Navy Museum Grand Opening - Battleship Iowa - Los Angeles

23-26 Oct - Class of 1965 60th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 1975 50th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 2005 20th Reunion

25 Oct - Navy Football vs Florida Atlantic, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD

25 Oct - United States Naval Academy Homecoming

25 Oct - Welcome Home Event, Fluegel Alumni Center

25-31 - Eugene, Oregon Navy Week

 

NOVEMBER

1 Nov - Navy @ North Texas, DATCU Stadium, Denton TX

5-6 Nov - US Naval Academy Foundation Fall Board of Directors Reception/Meeting

6-9 Nov - Class of 1980 45th Reunion

8 Nov - Navy @ Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN

10 Nov - Marine Corps Birthday

10-16  Nov - Santa Fe, New Mexico Navy Week.

14 Nov - US Naval Academy Athletic & Scholarship Program Fall Meeting, NMCMS

15 Nov - Navy vs University of South Florida, NMCMS

15 Nov - Honor Our Fallen Heroes - Location TBD

17 Nov - Council of Class Presidents Fall meeting, Fluegel

18-19 Nov - US Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustee Fall Meeting, Fluegel

19-20 Nov - SACC Chicago

27 Nov - Navy Football @ University of Memphis, Liberty Bowl, Memphis, TN

 

DECEMBER

5/6 Dec - American Athletic Conference Football Championship Game, TBD

6 Dec - Distinguished Graduate Selection Committee Meeting, Fluegel, TBD

13 Dec - Army - Navy, M&T Bank Stadium, Baltimore, MD