24 Jul Daily Shipmate

Thursday, Jul 24, 2025

1861 - Congress passed acts authorizing the creation of the post of Assistant Secretary of the Navy and giving the President the power to take vessels into the naval service and appoint officers to staff them. On 1 August, former naval officer Gustavus Fox received the appointment as the nation's first Assistant Secretary of the Navy.

 

1944 - The V Amphibious Corps, commanded by Major General Harry Schmidt, landed on Tinian, in the Mariana Islands. The following morning, the 2d and 4th Marine Divisions began a shoulder-to-shoulder southward sweep of the island. Organized enemy resistance faded within a week, and on 1 August, MajGen Schmidt declared the island secure.

 

1992 - The aircraft carrier Saratoga (CV-60) begins operations in the Adriatic Sea in response to unrest in the former Yugoslavian republic of Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is the first carrier to conduct sustained operations in this body of water.

1992 - CDR Robert Christensen '73, USN was lost when the F/A-18 he was piloting crashed off the coast of Vieques, Puerto Rico. He was the commanding officer of Strike Fighter Squadron (VFA) 37. An experienced aviator with over 4,800 hours in 34 aircraft, he had over 900 traps aboard 15 aircraft carriers.

Academy & Graduate happenings

Law enforcement vehicles from New Jersey and Annapolis drove bumper to bumper on Highway 40 in the Garden State 22 July 2025, each vehicle bearing a single name, ENS John R. Elliott '00. A son, brother, friend, classmate and alum, lost far too soon 25 years ago due to a drunk driver. A 2000 United States Naval Academy (USNA) graduate, Elliott's name and legacy live on through the HERO Campaign, a designated driver movement started in his honor 25 years ago by his loving family.  Law enforcement officers, legislators, public officials, U.S. Navy Academy Alumni Association and Foundation representatives, family and friends gathered to dedicate and introduce the 32nd HERO wrapped police vehicle to the HERO campaign fleet, this one by the Salem County Sheriff's Office. Following the ceremony, a procession made its way to the “ENS John R. Elliott Memorial Highway,” Highway 40, led by the newly wrapped vehicle and followed by 24 HERO vehicles, bonded by the same message, Elliott's name and a sea of red and blue emergency lights flooding the route.  To date, more than 150,000 people have taken the HERO Pledge to be designated drivers. 32 police vehicles now carry the HERO campaign message, and New Jersey's “John's Law” continues to make a difference, all ensuring ENS John R. Elliott's memory lives on through action, advocacy and lives saved.

CSG-4 Holds Change of Command. Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 4 held a change of command ceremony at its headquarters building aboard Naval Station Norfolk, July 22. Rear Adm. Michael Spencer '93 relieved Rear Adm. Max McCoy '91 as commander, CSG 4. McCoy served as commander of CSG 4 since May 2023 and was responsible for leading the mentoring, training and assessing of East Coast-based deploying carrier strike groups (CSGs), amphibious ready groups (ARGs), and independently-deploying ships. McCoy received his commission from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1991 with a Bachelor of Science in Oceanography. Spencer received his commission in 1993 from the U.S. Naval Academy with a Bachelor of Science in Systems Engineering and was designated as a naval flight officer in 1995.

Government & Military News

An Arleigh-Burke class destroyer recently sent to the southern border to support U.S. Northern Command intercepted a massive shipment of illegal drugs off the coast of Mexico on July 10. The Sampson, which was among several Arleigh-Burke class vessels to be deployed to the border, seized an estimated 3,439 pounds of cocaine about 380 miles southwest of Acapulco, Mexico, the Navy announced. The illicit drugs were being hauled on a go-fast vessel, which was not flagged to any nation. The Sampson, operating with a Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team on board, was transferred to the tactical control of Coast Guard Southwest District so that appropriate law enforcement measures could be taken to halt the go-fast boat.

Local, Education & other academy news

An heirloom lost in tragedy becomes the key to a daughter's journey of discovery, remembrance, and honor. In 1972, a U.S. Marine pilot's helicopter crashed on a remote island off the coast of Norway, leaving behind a grieving family, including a 15-month-old daughter who would grow up knowing little about the man who gave her life. For two decades, the crash remains a silent scar on the island—until a Norwegian hunter, navigating the rugged terrain, discovers a glistening 1970 Naval Academy ring resting on the rocky landscape like a message from the past. When the ring reaches the hands of the pilot's daughter, Abby, in 1993, she quietly tucks it away in a memory box — a precious relic of a father she never had the chance to remember. Nearly three decades later, that forgotten ring sparks a deeply personal pilgrimage. Abby sets out to find the man who returned the ring, to uncover the life and legacy of the father she lost, and to honor the five brave Marines who perished on that fateful day. The Ring and The Mountain is a poignant documentary of memory, connection, and healing, where a daughter meets her father not in life, but through the love, sacrifice, and stories he left behind. If you have an hour of time, watch this amazing video on YouTube.

USNA and AA&F Events

July

25 Jul - Plebe Summer Formal parade

25 Jul - Hampton Roads Chapter/NAPC of Hampton Roads Roadshow - Blue Moon Taphouse, Norfolk - 5:30 p.m.

26 Jul - VA Peninsula Chapter Roadshow - Revolution Golf & Grille, Williamsburg - 12 p.m.

26 Jul - Richmond Chapter/NAPC of Central Virginia Roadshow - Capital Ale House, Glen Allen - 5:30 p.m.

27 Jul - NAPC of SW Virginia Roadshow - Macado's, Roanoke - 12 p.m.

27 Jul - Central VA Chapter/NAPC of Central Virginia Roadshow - Three Notch'd Brewery, Charlottesville - 5:30 p.m.

 

AUGUST

1 Aug - Plebe Summer Formal Parade

1-3 Aug - Seattle Sea Fair

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

6 Aug - Hampton Roads Chapter Midshipmen Summer Cruise Meet and Greet - Norfolk - 5-7 p.m. - Rocky Mountain Room, Blue Moon TapHouse - Waterside District - More Info

7 Aug - Class of 2029 Plebe Parent Mixer, Fluegel

8-10 Aug - Plebe Parents Weekend

9 Aug - Plebe Parents Weekend Formal Parade

9 Aug - Blue & Gold kick-off BBQ - N/MCMS

15 Aug - 2 for 7 Signing - Class of 2027

18 Aug - USNA Classes begin

18-24 Aug - Columbus, Ohio Navy Week

19 Aug - Class of 2027 Commitment Lunch

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 - A&SP/NAAA Trustee Appreciation Pre-Game Breakfast – Navy vs. VMI

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

19 Sep - USNI Dudley Knox Achievement Award Reception

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

1-22 Oct - Class of '75 Gulf to Goat Charity Bike Ride

2 Oct - President Circle Welcome Reception, Fluegel

2-4 Oct - President Circle Weekend

2-5 Oct - Class of 2015 10th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 1995 30th Reunion

2-5 Oct - Class of 1990 35th Reunion

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

9-16 Oct - Celebrating The Navy and Marine Corps' 250th Anniversary - Philadelphia

10 Oct - USNA Founder's Day

10 Oct - Army-Navy Cup XIV. Soccer doubleheader vs Army at Subaru Park, Philadelphia. Women's Match - 4 p.m., Men's Match at 7 p.m.

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 2005 20th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 1975 50th Reunion

23-26 Oct - Class of 1965 60th 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 - 7:30 p.m.

10 Nov - Marine Corps Birthday

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

14 Nov - Run to Honor's annual pre-Honor Our Fallen Heroes Gathering (FAC) - 6:30pm - Register

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