2 September Daily Shipmate

Monday, Sep 1, 2025

Photos of the Week

1945 - The instrument of the Japanese surrender is signed on the deck of the battleship Missouri (BB-63) in Tokyo Bay, Japan, as mass formations of carrier planes and B-29 Super fortresses fly overhead in triumph. Fleet Admiral Chester W. Nimitz signs the document for the United States. This is proclaimed Victory-in-Japan Day.

 

1983 - LCDR Robert Vessely '72, USN was lost when the A-7E Corsair II he was piloting collided with another during a landing approach at Roosevelt Roads Naval Station in Puerto Rico. He was a member of Attack Squadron (VA) 82. At one point in his career he was awarded the distinguished student award at the Naval Test Pilot School and remained at the school as an instructor. He was survived by his wife, daughter, and weeks-old infant son.

Academy & Graduate happenings

August 28th was a special day here at the Fluegel Alumni Center as we welcomed Rick '61 and Donna Fluegel back to their building for the first time since the groundbreaking in 2023. The Fluegels were excited to reconnect, meet the growing USNA AA&F staff and take a full tour of the Center to see how much has changed since their last visit. Since opening, the Fluegel Alumni Center has already welcomed more than 200 events ranging from military ceremonies and reunions to weddings, nonprofit programs and community celebrations. Rick and Donna shared how meaningful it was to see their vision realized as a place where people come together, create memories and celebrate legacy. For our staff it was just as meaningful to show them how deeply their generosity and philanthropy continues to make an impact here and at the Yard.

The Fluegel Alumni Center kicked off the 2025 football season with a successful pregame social and the first-ever Sing Second + Anchors Aweigh live dual podcast from the Blue & Gold Bar! 150 guests registered and were welcomed by the USNA Brass Quintet before the LIVE podcast featuring Sing Second Podcast hosts Chris Servello '99 and USNA AA&F's Communications Executive Director John Schofield, Anchors Aweigh Podcast host and Capital sports editor Bill Wagner sat down with guests former Navy FB Eric Kettani '09, Mavy Football Brotherhood leader Frank Schenk '91, and Paul Saunders '01—back on campus for the first time in 24 years. The energy carried over to Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, where Navy crushed VMI 52–7. Disappointed you missed out? Want to join us again….

 

Kick off your game day with us at the UAB vs. Navy Pre-Game social from 12–2 p.m. ET!  We'll have light bites from Bayside Bull, a bar stocked with our favorite game day drinks, and fun for all ages—including a chance for kids to score on a USNA Women's Soccer team goalie! Meet the team at Navy Women's Soccer Fan Fest, grab an autograph, and enjoy the energy as we rally behind Navy. Sing Second will be hosting another live podcast with numerous guests you don't want to miss. Register no later than noon on 4 September to snag a free drink ticket. Walk-ins are welcome with cash bar available! Go Navy! Beat UAB!

Capital Gazette

Navy Ensign John Elliott was driving home to the Jersey Shore for his mother's birthday on July 22, 2000, when he was killed in an accident with a drunken driver in New Jersey.

 

Elliott had just graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was getting ready to go to Pensacola, Florida, for Naval flight training.

 

Thursday, a little over 25 years after Elliott was killed, the Anne Arundel County Police Department unveiled its HERO patrol car outside O'Loughlin's Restaurant in Arnold in an effort to prevent drunken driving and encourage people to use designated drivers.

 

Displaying the Naval Academy's signature color combination of navy blue and gold, the Ford Explorer represents a partnership between Anne Arundel County Police and the John R. Elliott HERO Campaign for Designated Drivers, a nonprofit that aims to prevent drunken driving by promoting the use of designated drivers.

 

The message of the campaign is written across the police department's vehicle: “Be a HERO. Be a Designated Driver.”

 

Justin Mulcahy, a spokesperson for the Anne Arundel County Police Department, said the patrol car acts as a rolling billboard. He said the department will have the car out at community events.

 

“We know there are people making poor choices out there,” Mulcahy said. “So, especially this Labor Day weekend, make the right choice.”

 

Bill Elliott, the chairman and CEO of the HERO Campaign, said his son was a lot of fun to be around.

 

“They called him Jumbo because of his big smile and his even bigger heart,” Bill Elliott said.

 

When he died, the Navy Ensign had just graduated from the Naval Academy, where he was named Outstanding Human Education Resource Officer, or HERO, of his graduating class.

 

Bill Elliott said that as a HERO, his son acted as a peer mentor and advocate for his fellow midshipmen.

 

In the early hours of July 22, 2000, while John Elliott was heading home to Egg Harbor Township, New Jersey, a driver — arrested hours earlier on a drunken-driving charge — swerved across a double-yellow line and struck Elliott's 1994 Nissan head-on. The other driver also died.

 

At 4 a.m., Bill and Muriel Elliott got a knock on their door. Police officers informed them that their son had been killed.

 

Tearing up outside O'Loughlin's Restaurant on Thursday, Bill Elliott said that it's never good news when you get a knock on the door at 4 a.m.

 

“So we talk about trying to prevent other families from experiencing that knock on the door,” he said.

 

The HERO Campaign works with a variety of agencies and businesses to help spread its message, including bars and taverns to promote mocktails for designated drivers and helps get DUI simulators in high schools so students can understand the seriousness of drunken driving.

 

“We're not trying to ruin people's fun,” Bill Elliott said. “We're just trying to say that drinking and driving is life and death.

 

The Anne Arundel County Police HERO patrol car is the 33rd HERO cruiser in the U.S. and the second outside of New Jersey. The first cruiser outside of New Jersey is an Annapolis Police cruiser, which was dedicated last August at the Naval Academy.

 

Murph McCarthy, Naval Academy class president of 2000 and a friend of John Elliott's, said he met the Elliotts after his friend's death.

 

“In those 25 years, they've done amazing things with this program to promote responsible drinking and make sure there's somebody in the group that can drive everybody safely to avoid the tragedy that our class and the Elliotts had to endure,” McCarthy said.

Government & Military News

Thursday marked the final planning conference for a once-in-a-lifetime celebration coming to Philadelphia this October, honoring the 250th birthdays of the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps. The jampacked week of festivities will officially kick off on October 9, after five years of planning, which included the last gathering today in Old City. "What you saw in that conference was probably 80 federal, state, and local organizations coming to stitch that together to make sure we're putting on a great party for the Navy and Marine Corps and also keeping it safe for everyone involved," said Vice Admiral John Gumbleton, U.S. Fleet Forces. The celebrations are being held in Philadelphia and in Camden. The morning of October 9 will kick off with a parade of ships on the Delaware River, some coming from as far as Norfolk, Virginia.

Leaders on the House Oversight Committee are pressing the Navy for answers on the prevalence of traumatic brain injuries among aviators and flight officers, accusing the service of failing to fully understand or address the psychological toll of flight operations. In a new letter to Navy Secretary John Phelan, the lawmakers requested documents and data on brain injuries, cognitive dysfunction and mental health issues in the fleet, warning that the Navy has never conducted a comprehensive investigation into the risks facing pilots. "The Committee is concerned that the Navy is failing to adequately understand or address the underlying causes of traumatic brain injuries, cognitive dysfunction, and mental health issues affecting aviators and flight officers," reads the letter by Oversight Chair James Comer, R-Ky., and Rep. William Timmons, R-S.C., chair of the Military and Foreign Affairs Subcommittee.

Local, Education & other academy news

According to an Air Force Academy (USAFA) faculty advisor, the institution's efforts to replace departing civilian faculty with uniformed military personnel aren't working. Dr. Kent Murphy has served as the senior pre-medical advisor at the Air Force Academy for the past seven years, helping dozens of cadets get into medical school each year. He is a 1980 graduate of the Academy himself. “We've been trying to refill positions in different departments now for months and we're not finding almost anybody,” said Dr. Murphy. “And sometimes we find them and they don't want to volunteer.” Through his volunteer role as an advisor, Murphy said he's been in contact with multiple academic departments and individuals at the highest levels, specifically in STEM-based departments.

The Pentagon is restoring a portrait of Gen. Robert E. Lee, which includes a slave guiding the Confederate general's horse in the background, to the West Point library three years after a congressionally mandated commission ordered it removed, officials said. The 20-foot-tall painting, which hung at the United States Military Academy for 70 years, was taken down in response to a 2020 law that stripped the names of Confederate leaders from military bases. That legislation also created a commission to come up with new base names. In 2022, the commission ordered West Point to take down all displays that “commemorate or memorialize the Confederacy.”

In front of more than 23,000 fans at historic Michie Stadium, Tarleton State Football captured one of its most memorable wins, upsetting the defending American champions Army, 30-27, in double overtime Friday night. For university president James Hurley, the victory was especially memorable—his son Drew is among the West Point cadets, making the evening a blend of pride and patriotism for his family and both institutions. The Texans (2-0) claimed their first road victory against an FBS opponent on their fourth attempt, and their second FBS win overall, the first since defeating New Mexico State in El Paso in 2021.

Army football player Larry Pickett Jr. rescued a man from a burning vehicle early Sunday morning. Pickett, a second-year cadet at the service academy, was traveling with his family when they saw a crashed vehicle surrounded by downed power lines on Route 9W in Fort Montgomery, New York, about five miles south of Army's West Point campus. The Fort Montgomery Fire Department reported Sunday that the vehicle had collided with a utility pole, causing the power lines to fall to the ground. Videos posted by his family to social media show Pickett and his father lifting the unidentified man from the vehicle and carrying him safely away from the crash scene just moments before the vehicle burst into flames.

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Navy routs VMI 52-7. 

Navy (1-0) rushed for 464 yards and six touchdowns, while holding VMI (0-1) to 15 yards rushing on 22 attempts as the Mids blew out the Keydets 52-7 in front of 30,014 fans at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium in the season opener for both teams. The 464 yards rushing by Navy are the most in a game since 2018 when the Mids rushed for 484 yards against Lehigh, while the 15 rushing yards allowed are the seventh fewest since 1959. "Obviously, it was good to get a win," said Navy head coach Brian Newberry.  "One of our goals was to win the opener.  Historically, when we do that, we have had some pretty good seasons.  I thought there were some really good things out there, but like your first game of the year, we were a little sloppy.  There are things we need to clean up moving forward."

Women's Volleyball v. Boise State - L 2 - 3

Women's Triathlon at ETSU Buccaneer Collegiate Cup - 4th of 6 Teams

Women's Rugby at Queens - W 58 - 7

Men's Soccer v. Howard - T - 1-1

Men's Water Polo v. #1 UCLA - L 20-8

Women's Volleyball at Utah Valley - W 3-1

 

 

Men's Cross Country at Salisbury Fall Classic - 2nd Place

Women's Cross Country at Salisbury Fall Classic - 1st Place

Football v. VMI - W 52-7

Women's Volleyball v. Montana - W 3-1

Men's Water Polo v. Occidental - W 18 - 6

Men's Water Polo v #7 Pepperdine - L 14 - 12

 

 

Women's Triathlon at Bulldog Super Sprint Kickoff - 2nd Place

Men's Water Polo v. #15 UC Santa Barbara - L 7 - 12

Women's Soccer at Sacred Heart - W 2-1

Men's Water Polo v. #6 Long Beach State - L 13-11

 

 

Men's Soccer v Niagara - W 2-0

USNA and AA&F Events

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 - 5:30 p.m. - Fast Friends Beer Co, Austin

31 Oct - North Texas Chapter + NAPC of North Texas Roadshow - 4:30 p.m. - 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