Nov 4 Daily Shipmate

Tuesday, 4 November 2025

1903 - A renewed rebellion in Panama in the wake of the failed Hay-Herrán Treaty providing the United States the right to construct and control a canal across the Isthmus of Panama prompts the gunboat Nashville (Gunboat No. 7) to take action against Colombian forces on 4 November. Arriving at Colón on the Atlantic coast, Nashville's skipper, Commander John Hubbard, puts ashore a landing party and takes control of the Panama Railroad, thus denying rail transport to a sizeable Colombian military force preparing to travel to Panama City in order to crush the rebellion. The following day, two companies of Marines go ashore at Colón from the transport Dixie and, on 6 November, the United States recognizes the independence of Panama. (4–6 November)

 

1939 - President Roosevelt signs the Neutrality Act into law. The measure repeals the arms embargo, prohibits U.S. vessels from entering combat zones, and establishes a National Munitions Control Board. Roosevelt immediately declares the waters around the British Isles a combat zone.

 

1955 - LCDR John Horn '45, USN was lost when the aircraft he was aboard crashed off the coast of Miami, Florida. He was operations officer of Fighter Squadron (VF) 13 and was flying from USS Bennington. A native of Dadeville, Alabama, he was usually found “eating or sleeping, as it seemed that he never got enough of either.” At the Naval Academy he was at various times a member of the Glee Club, Model Club, Photographic Club, Radio Club and Boat Club. Horn graduated from the Gulf Coast Military Academy and attended Marion Military Institute for one year. He was survived by his wife, daughter, two brothers, and a sister. His father died when he was two years old and his mother died when he was eight years old.

 

1979 - Spurred by the Muslim fundamentalist revolution sweeping Iran, a mob of “students” storms the gates of the U.S. embassy in Tehran, taking 66 Americans hostage, including three active-duty Navy personnel. On 19–20 November the Iranians release 13 hostages. The action in Iran spreads to surrounding areas, with a mob killing two American servicemen and burning the embassy in Islamabad, Pakistan, on 21 November.

Academy & Graduate happenings

NTX Chapter & Parent Club Pull Off the Ultimate Tailgate

The North Texas Chapter and North Texas Parent Club hosted the “Ultimate Navy v.s. University of North Texas (UNT) Football Tailgate” before the UNT game, drawing more than 650 alumni, parents and friends. Special thanks to Ben Duelley '98, the chapter and the parent club for organizing an outstanding event with food, drinks from Bitter Sisters Brewing Co (owned by a '14 parent), and live music by Victor Szeligowski '10 of The Blue Fiddles. The Navy Spirit Team, United States Naval Academy (USNA) Superintendent Lt. Gen. Michael Borgschulte '91, USMC and Navy Athletics Director Michael Kelly joined nearly 100 midshipmen as Navy prepared to face a strong UNT opponent.

Thank you for your interest in the U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation (USNA AA&F) Tailgate hosted by Hotz's Heroes in South Bend! We're excited by the incredible response, the event and waitlist are now completely full. Unfortunately, we won't be able to accommodate on-site registration or waitlist entries on game day. We appreciate your understanding and support. Go Navy!

Entergy Corporation (NYSE: ETR) announced the election of ADM Frank Caldwell Jr. '81, USN (Ret.) as an independent director to its board, effective 1 November. The appointment increases the board size to 12 directors. Caldwell, 66, will serve on the nuclear and operations oversight committee and the talent and compensation committee. He retired from the U.S. Navy in January 2024 after a four-decade career, most recently serving as director of the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program from August 2015 until retirement. In his final Navy role, Caldwell oversaw operations for all U.S. Navy nuclear propulsion plants worldwide and managed a team of more than 85,000 individuals. His previous positions included director of the U.S. Navy Staff in 2015, inspector general from 2013 to 2015 and Commander Submarine Force for the U.S. Pacific Fleet from 2010 to 2013.

Hartford Courant (Full article below - PW-protected)

By Emily Adams

2 November 2025

 

Until 10 days ago, the UConn women's basketball team was preparing to travel more than 3,700 miles across an ocean to play its first game of the 2025 season at the Ramstein Air Base in Germany as part of the Armed Forces Classic.

 

But when the game had to be abruptly relocated due to complications caused by the ongoing government shutdown, coach Geno Auriemma wasn't disappointed when he found out his team would instead face No. 20 Louisville at the U.S. Naval Academy's Alumni Hall in Annapolis, Maryland.

 

“I think it would have been a really cool experience for the entire entire program,” Auriemma said after practice Friday. “But we live in a strange world right now. The alternative is pretty darn good, though. To be at a place like the U.S. Naval Academy is pretty special. If that's a consolation prize, I feel pretty good about it.”

 

UConn and Louisville will be the first women's basketball teams to play a game in the Armed Forces Classic since it was established by ESPN Events in 2012 as part of the network's programming around Veteran's Day. It is also the first time the Classic has been held at a service academy rather than on a base.

 

But it won't be the first time the Huskies have engaged with the military community during an early-season road trip. Auriemma said he brought teams to the Naval Station at Pearl Harbor when they competed at the Rainbow Wahine Classic in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1991, 1995 and 2001, and they toured the USS Ronald Reagan aircraft carrier in San Diego when the Huskies played at San Diego State in 2007. He also took the Huskies to practice at West Point during preseason in 2018.

 

Auriemma said he likes to expose players to the unique lifestyle of military service members to give them perspective about the challenges they go through at UConn.

 

“Looking at the players' faces, like (someone) is in charge of catching those planes when they get in on the carrier … Then it's, what about you? 'I've got to rotate over and box out on a jump shot,'” Auriemma said with a grin. “It's an eye opener for how other people their age live … So I get a kick out of all that stuff and the players' reactions.”

 

Auriemma's interest in military history began in his youth, when he began hearing stories about his grandfather who was killed in Egypt during World War II. After he immigrated with his family to the United States from Italy in 1961 at age seven, one of his cousins joined the Marines and another joined the Air Force. Both fought in the Vietnam War, as did many of Auriemma's friends.

 

Playing at the Naval Academy is especially meaningful because of his family connection. His wife Kathy's father Paul Osler played basketball at Navy and graduated in 1932, so Auriemma dug up several of Osler's old stat sheets in the program's archives while coaching a USA Basketball training camp at the Annapolis campus before the FIBA World Cup in 2014. The Huskies coach flies a Navy flag next to an American flag outside of his home in Connecticut.

 

“I'm a history buff, so I probably get more out of it than anybody else,” Auriemma said. “We spent an entire week down (at the Naval Academy) and I got to see everything I wanted to see … I love that stuff, so I'll try to make sure that they get behind the scenes as much as they're capable of.”

 

Auriemma also carries a unique sense of patriotism because of his immigrant background. His mother became a U.S. citizen at Independence Hall in Philadelphia in 1976, on the 200th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence, so he has always felt deeply connected to the country's history and significance. After serving as the head coach of Team USA from 2009-16 and seeing the intense national pride of other countries firsthand, Auriemma said he has always appreciated that trait in U.S. military members.

 

“Any time these kinds of things happen, I think back to those days and what it means to so many people, what the (American) flag represents to so many people,” Auriemma said. “Every time I'm around people in the military, they have that, and they're pretty special people. Sometimes they get asked to do things they don't like, but they do them anyway, like right now.”

Government & Military News

With the federal shutdown now stretching into its second month, military commissaries and exchanges are stepping up with added relief. The 0 % interest offer on the Military Star credit card has been extended through November 30, giving both new and existing cardholders 90 days with no payments and no interest. It applies to commissary purchases and also covers other purchases on the card. The policy ensures that your minimum payment goes toward the highest-interest items first, not your commissary balance.

The U.S. military sent a task force to Jamaica to perform humanitarian aid and disaster relief efforts in response to a recent hurricane, U.S. Southern Command announced Friday. Joint Task Force-Bravo is responding to Melissa, a storm that developed into a category 5 hurricane in the Caribbean over the last week, hitting islands in the region, including eastern Cuba and Jamaica. “Historically, U.S. military capabilities are needed most in the critical early stages of a disaster relief operation, when fewer resources, capabilities and disaster-response experts are available to help victims and impacted communities,” reads a news release from the task force.

The Navy now has an app that allows sailors, their families and the general public to read Navy policies. The Navy created MyNavyHR app, available for Android and Apple phones, over the past two months and officially released it Oct. 22. The app, called MyNavy Messages, shows only ALNAVs and NAVADMINs, with the ability to toggle between the two. App users have the option to group the messages by month, choose to see the most recent first and show cancelled messages.

Two months after an IT hiccup at the Department of Veterans Affairs left a significant portion of GI Bill recipients without their anticipated payments for school and housing, some advocates have a message for the VA: Turn the GI Bill hotline back on. Those missing payments in the wake of the rollout of a new processing system are spouses or children of veterans who have died, are missing, or have a permanent and total service-connected disability — grouped together under the VA's Chapter 35. Up to 75,000 of these claims may be unpaid, according to Ashlynne Haycock-Lohmann, director of Government and Legislative Affairs for the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors. And while VA officials lay the blame for the protracted payments delay largely with congressional Democrats, whom the administration holds responsible for the government shutdown that began Oct. 1, multiple groups are expressing frustration with the department's own actions and failure to find a solution.

Local, Education & other academy news

The U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association & Foundation's Communications team is proud to announce that the Legacy of Valor: World War II series has earned a prestigious CASE Best of District II Award. This powerful storytelling project honors the courage and sacrifice of Naval Academy alumni who served in World War II. Over the course of a year, our team traveled to six states to capture the voices of these heroes, sharing twelve unforgettable stories across three 2024 Shipmate magazine issues, the Daily Shipmate morning newsletter, and USNA AA&F's video and social media channels. The series preserved their legacy for future generations and inspired thousands—culminating in a moving roundtable viewed more than 23,000 times on YouTube.

Join USNA AA&F throughout November as we honor all who have served and the families whose strength stands beside them. We're marking the month by sharing moving video stories from our award-winning Legacy of Valor series, featuring World War II, Korean and Vietnam veterans. Follow along in Daily Shipmate, the Sing Second Podcast, and on social media @usnaalumni to hear these voices of courage, resilience and service that continue to inspire the Naval Academy community.

Unleash your creativity and show your Navy pride with a fun, family-friendly design in blue and gold! This is your chance to earn ultimate bragging rights. The top four designs will be featured on our social media pages (Facebook & Instagram: @usnaalumni), where Navy fans will vote for their favorite. The deadline is 5 November. The winner will be announced before 11 November 2025! Let your imagination run wild and may the best button win!

When filmmaker and Army veteran Sean Mullin set out to capture the story of the Service Academy Army West Point's rugby team, it wasn't about just making a sports documentary. It was about telling a deeply personal story rooted in experience, brotherhood, and a bold reimagining of what it means to be a man in the military. The result, Brothers on Three, is a powerful and emotional feature-length documentary set to open in theaters nationwide on November 7, 2025. With the kind of access and authenticity rarely seen in military or collegiate sports films, it's a unique viewing experience.

Naval Academy Athletics News & Results

Yesterday's Results

Men's Basketball at Presbyterian - W, 76-55

Today's Matchups

Men's Soccer at American - Washington, D.C. - Reeves Field - 1:00 p.m.

Women's Basketball - UConn vs. Louisville - Annapolis, Md. - 5:30 p.m.

USNA and AA&F Events

5-6 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Foundation Fall Board of Directors Reception/Meeting

6-9 Nov - Class of 1980 45th Reunion

7 Nov - Veteran's Classic - Navy v Yale - 8:30 p.m.

8 Nov - Navy @ Notre Dame, Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend, IN - 7:30 p.m.

10 Nov - Marine Corps Birthday

10 Nov - Pensacola Congressional Academy Day - Naval Aviation Museum - Pensacola, FL

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

12 Nov - GSMC Social & Business Mtg. Brudergarten - 5-6 p.m. - 22725 Duke St, Leonardtown, MD 20650 - Online event: Meet - toh-nvgs-yvn

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

14 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Athletic & Scholarship Program Fall Meeting, NMCMS

15 Nov - Navy vs University of South Florida, NMCMS

15 Nov - Honor Our Fallen Heroes ceremony, USNA Chapel - 9 a.m.

15 Nov - Honor Our Fallen Heroes tailgate luncheon, NMCMS - 10 a.m.

17 Nov - Council of Class Presidents Fall meeting, Fluegel Alumni Center

18-19 Nov - U.S. Naval Academy Alumni Association Board of Trustees Fall Meeting, FAC

19-20 Nov - SACC Chicago

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

 

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

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

10 Dec - Greater Southern Maryland Chapter Social & Business Mtg. - 5-6 p.m. - Brudergarten, 22725 Duke St, Leonardtown, MD 20650. Online event: https://meet.google.com/toh-nvgs-yvn

12 Dec - Greater Southern Maryland Chapter - 8:30-10 a.m. - Taphouse, 1637 23418 Three Notch Rd, California, MD 20619, USA

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

 

4 Jan - USNA Semester Leave ends

6 Jan - USNA Classes Begin, Spring Semester

10 Jan - Pensacola Chapter Congressional Academy Day - 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. - National Naval Aviation Museum, Pensacola, Fl.

24 Jan - Thriving as Leaders Award Recognition, Fluegel (TBD)

 

14 Feb - Commissioning 101, Fluegel

19 Feb - USNA Entrepreneurs event, 5:00 p.m. - 8:00 p.m. - Fluegel