26 August Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, Aug 26, 2025

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.

1972 - Mr. Roy Ference '55 was lost when the plane he was aboard crashed near Pleiku, Vietnam. He was a member of the US Department of Agriculture and was travelling on official business as a land reform advisor; he had been in Vietnam since January 1971. Appointed to the Naval Academy from the Marine Corps Reserve, Roy voluntarily resigned on November 18, 1952. He graduated Indian University in 1954, and his career included time with the Civil Service Commission, Department of Labor, and State Department; at one time he was the vice consul in Lyon, France. Roy was survived by his wife, three daughters, parents, and sister.

Academy & Graduate happenings

We want to hear from YOU. Be on the lookout for a message from our President & CEO, Jeff Webb '95, inviting you to take part in an important member survey. Since our last survey, the Alumni Association has gone through a significant transformation.  A new mission, a new strategic plan, and a host of new initiatives - like this daily news product -designed to support our alumni in a more cohesive manner.  Are we on the right track?  Help us find out! Your insights will help shape how the Alumni Association & Foundation connects, communicates, and supports USNA and our community. It's short, anonymous, and designed to make a real impact. Stay tuned—your voice matters.

Join us for a Navy vs. VMI Watch Party this Saturday at 9AM at PB Shore Club! 🏈💙Come cheer on the Midshipmen, reconnect with fellow alumni, and kick off game day with great vibes and ocean views. 🌊

 

📍PB Shore Club, San Diego

🕘 Saturday, 9AM

 

Spread the word and bring your Navy spirit! ⚓ #GoNavy #NavyFootball #AlumniWatchParty

The National Aeronautic Association (NAA) announced Aug. 19th that Doug Matthews '67 has been selected as the 2025 recipient of the Frank G. Brewer Trophy. The Brewer Trophy, established in 1943, honors significant contributions of enduring value to aerospace education in the United States and is housed at the National Air & Space Museum in Washington, D.C. Past recipients of the Brewer Trophy include Edward Stimpson, Peggy Chabrian, the National Air and Space Museum's docent corps, the NASA Spacelink Team, Barrington Irving, and the 2024 recipient, Glendon Fraser. "The Brewer Trophy serves as a testament to Doug's extraordinary educational achievements," said Amy Spowart, President and CEO, NAA. The presentation ceremony will take place in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, November 6, 2025, at the National Press Club.

Government & Military News

These are the approximate positions of the U.S. Navy's deployed carrier strike groups and amphibious ready groups throughout the world as of August 25, 2025, based on Navy and public data. In cases in which a CSG or ARG is conducting disaggregated operations, the chart reflects the location of the capital ship.

Adm. Daryl Caudle was sworn in Monday as chief of naval operations, promising to accelerate the sea service's push for AI, unmanned system and network capabilities. The new CNO is taking the helm as the Navy works to modernize for potential conflicts against advanced adversaries, namely China. The official swearing-in ceremony took place at Leutze Park in the Washington Navy Yard area of the nation's capital. In a video message to the force released on the social media platform X, Caudle highlighted the need to expand and modernize the fleet.

Department of the Navy Chief Information Officer Jane Rathbun is leaving the federal government after more than three decades of service. Rathbun announced her departure Friday in a post on LinkedIn. “It is with gratitude, pride, and humility that I close out this chapter of my career as a civil servant,” she wrote, adding that sone of the best aspects of her career included delivering “game changing capabilities and mission outcomes,” driving strategy, “busting bureaucracy,” and partnering with industry and academia to “solve some wicked problems,” among others.

Local, Education & other academy news

At Mach 3 – three times the speed of sound – an SR-71 pilot would be pushing close to the aircraft's top speed, but the plane would normally have been able to fly at those speeds for more than an hour. But normal flying isn't what test pilots do. On January 25, 1966, Lockheed test pilot Bill Weaver '51 and his backseater Jim Zwayer took off from Beale Air Force Base in an SR-71 Blackbird to do some abnormal flying on a Blackbird dubbed #952. Sadly, Zwayer wouldn't return from the flight, an occupational hazard for many test pilots of that era. Weaver would return to base with the most incredible tale of high-altitude, high-velocity survival any pilot had ever heard: he would be the first pilot to eject from an SR-71 Blackbird. Bill Weaver was no stranger to notable firsts. He was a Korean War veteran and a Naval Academy graduate who joined the Air Force, flying the F-89 Scorpion, the first jet aircraft designed as an interceptor. He left the Air Force after the war and went to work for Lockheed's Skunk Works in 1956, where he tested all models of the F-104, the A-12 Oxcart, and the YF-12. But it was aboard an SR-71 Blackbird that he would make horrific history.

Early on December 7, 1941, citizens and servicemembers alike in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, faced terror as Japanese planes rained fire on the island in a stunning surprise attack. The assault quickly plunged the United States into a world-changing war. Each year, The National WWII Museum commemorates the lives lost on this “date which will live in infamy.” Join us in New Orleans at the Museum and in Oahu for the 85th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor, on an all-new educational journey custom-curated to honor the legacy of those who served, deepen your understanding of the events that shaped our world, and connect with history in the very places it unfolded. This immersive itinerary will take you from the vibrant city of New Orleans, home to America's official WWII Museum, to the solemn waters of Pearl Harbor—where the USS Arizona Memorial stands as a poignant reminder of that fateful Sunday morning. Along the way, engage with expert historians, witness rare artifacts, and hear firsthand accounts that bring the past vividly to life.

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Men's v. Soccer - William & Mary - T 1-1

Women's Soccer v. Marywood University - Annapolis, Md. - 4 p.m.

USNA and AA&F Events

AUGUST

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 - Alumni Association & Foundation Pre-game Social for VMI - (9-11 a.m.)

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 - 12 p.m.

 

SEPTEMBER

2 Sep - 80th Anniversary of the Japanese surrender aboard USS Missouri

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

4-6 Sep - Class of 2000 25th Reunion

6 Sep - Alumni Association & Foundation Pre-game Social for UAB - (Noon-2 p.m.)

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

8 Sept - 2 year anniversary of the Fluegel Alumni Center ribbon-cutting.

9 Sept - USNA Entrepreneurs Fall Speaker Series - Army/Navy Country Club - 5pm EST

10 Sep - Greater Southern Maryland Chapter Social & Business Mtg. Brudergarten - 5-6 p.m. @ 22725 Duke St, Leonardtown, MD 20650 - Online event: https://meet.goto.com/326914317

11 Sep - Be Somebody's Hero Golf Tournament - Norfolk VA - hosted by USNA AA Hampton Roads Chapter

11 Sep - OKC Chapter + NAPC of Oklahoma Roadshow - 5:30- 7:30 p.m. - Jones Assembly - 901 W Sheridan Ave, OKC

12 Sep - Tulsa Chapter Event & Roadshow - 6 p.m. - Marshall's Brewery - 1742 E 6th Street, Tulsa

13 Sep - Navy Football vs Tulsa, Tulsa, OK

14 Sep - Annapolis Travis Manion 9/11 Heroes Run

18 Sep - Greater Southern Maryland Chapter Happy Hour - 4-6 p.m. @ Tap House, 1637

423418 Three Notch Rd California, MD 20619

18 Sep - 20th Anniversary of the opening of the Uriah P. Levy Center at USNA

18-19 Sep - McMullen Naval History Symposium - USNA

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

19 Sep - USNI Dudley Knox Achievement Award Reception

25-27 Sep - Class of 2020 5th Reunion

26 Sep - Class of 2020 Happy Hour - Fluegel Alumni Center

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

3 Oct - Rugby banquet

4 Oct - 1958/2008 tailgate for 50 for 50 celebration - Open invitation to A/F and USNA grads and mids to celebrate 50 Years of women - 10 a.m.

4 Oct - Navy Football vs Air Force, NMCMS, Annapolis, MD - 12 p.m.

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

10 Oct - USNA Founder's Day - 180th Birthday of the Naval Academy

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

24 Oct - Anchors Aweigh Open - Alumni Golf Tournament - Naval Academy Golf Course

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 Oct - Eugene, Oregon Navy Week

26 Oct - USMC Marathon w/ Run to Honor SIG participating and presenting the Penguin Award to final finisher

30 Oct - Austin Chapter roadshow - 5:30pm - Fast Friends Beer Co, Austin

31 Oct - North Texas Chapter + NAPC of North Texas Roadshow - 4:30pm - Bitter Sisters Brewing Co, Addison

 

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) - 6:30 p.m. - 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 Conference Football Championship Game, TBD

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

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