In Memory of Julie a Tribute by CAPT Jack Flaherty, USCG (Ret), ’57 1
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ASSOCIATION AFFAIRS In Memory of Julie A Tribute By CAPT Jack Flaherty, USCG (Ret), ’57 1 Globe reported at the time of her death that “people in Westwood, a town of 14,000, remembered Julie as a rare and vibrant person who accomplished much in little time.” His interviews painted a revealing and wonderful picture of her. A friend described Julie as “an All-American girl from an All-American family.” Her high school principal added that “she was an outstanding young woman, just a pleasure to have around. A good student and a fine young lady. She was heavily involved with the American Field Service Program and was an exchange student in Australia during her junior year.” Julie was assistant editor of the Green Year, the senior Julie Babineau yearbook, and the assistant principal was an advisor. He explained that “if ay we stay forever young, she said she would do something by forever free.” These were the “M such-and-such date, she did it. I can words Julie wrote under her high school remember her jogging all over town that yearbook photo. Then on a spring day summer she graduated from high school. in 1981 Cadet 2nd Class Julia “Julie” A. She told me she wanted to be in shape at Babineau died in a tragic accident while the Academy. She was competitive, but practicing a sport she loved—sailing. had a quiet way about her.” But who was Julie? We know what Others saw Julie in that same light. happened, but there is so much more. She was involved in her high school life On a July day in 1978, Julie was in every way possible and her efforts sworn in as a cadet of the Class of 1982, were recognized. School records show the oldest of Captain Bill and Linda that Julie was on the ski team, the field Babineau’s (USCG [ret], ’57) five children. hockey team and in the Pep Club. She She shared her childhood and teenage ran track for four years. She was a years with her brothers Bill, David and member of the student-faculty forum and Donald, and sister Laura. Now she student council, was inducted into The would share the next four years with her National Honor Society during her junior classmates. I’m sure Bill could not help and senior years, and was recognized in but think how different his swearing in Who’s Who in High School. Was Julie was in 1953. There were no parents there. prepared for Academy life? Absolutely. Perhaps, he mentioned that fact to Julie. But where did Julie learn her sailing I can only imagine her response. “Sure, skills? She learned from her Dad, who Dad.” After all, she was a Coast Guard had taught “Swabs” to sail while an brat, who chose to follow in her father’s Ensign assigned to the waterfront the footsteps. She came prepared to accept summer after his graduation. Julie the challenges that would come her way, honed her skills by sailing the family’s while mom and dad swelled with pride. Sunfish for fun on a lake near her home The Babineau’s lived in Westwood, and while on family vacations to Cape Massachusetts during Julie’s high school Cod. She did not sail competitively years. Edward Quill of the Boston before her Academy days, so it’s quite 28 THE BULLETIN full of fun as Julie down on the docks.” Julie continued to sail as an exchange student at Annapolis in the fall of 1980, where she was remembered by the Commodore of the U.S. Naval Academy Sailing Squadron. “Her enthusiasm, thoughtfulness, and talent while sailing against and with the Navy team were an inspiration to everyone who came into contact with her,” he said. We can only imagine the impact that Julie made in her short stay at Annapolis. We do know that she quickly and enthusiastically became a member of the USNA 8th Wing Players, an improvisational group that performed throughout the Academy in Saturday Night Live fashion. Sources say Julie was on her high school field that the Commandant of Midshipmen hockey team was occasionally seen in the audience. I would suspect that Julie stood second to impressive that by her 2/c year she had no one. been selected as the Academy’s Number Away from sailing, Julie was active One Sailor.2 Her first taste of competition in every possible way. She was on the came when she crewed for Luke Brown, Superintendent’s List as she pursued ’80, in the Intercollegiate sailing program her major in Engineering, served on the in double-handed 420 Dinghys, Tech Academy’s Advisory Board, and was Dinghys, and Flying Juniors. Julie’s her class’s secretary. Julie was one of classmate, Sandy Stosz, remembers that two cadets selected by the Academy Luke was an excellent sailor and that he as exchange students for a semester and Julie won often. Her Dad said Julie at Annapolis. She was one of the learned much from Luke those first two Academy’s selections for the prestigious years, which prepared her for becoming “Who’s Who In American Universities a talented skipper in her 2/c year. As and Colleges”. Her selection was based skipper her Dad would say with a smile, on her overall performance that included Julie had a light wind crew and a strong military and academic excellence, wind crew. Julie also crewed for the Academy’s entry, Nike, in the Newport Cont’d on page 30 Bermuda Ocean Race. Her mom and dad had wonderful memories of those sailing meets held in the Boston area, recalling a specific incident when Julie called to say that the team had forgotten to get reservations. “Hotel Babineau” came to the rescue with sleeping bags and lasagna, which became the mainstay meal for team dinners to come. Her classmates commented, “Julie was an avid sailor. Even though in heavy weather and strong winds her diet consisted mainly of Dramamine and saltines, her love of sailing and adventure drove her to perform beyond any expected limits.” Betty Uhrig, who was a swab when Julie was 2/c, writes, “As tough as the Academy regimen is while a freshman, it was always enlightening and encouraging to me to see someone as vibrant and Julie with Luke Brown on the Thames October 2010 29 ASSOCIATION AFFAIRS Julie with her first sailing coach, her father Julie with Luke Brown Cont’d from page 29 aptitude and conduct. Julie joined the classmate Steve Flynn. Sandy read, gymnastic team for a season and was an “Julie’s youthfulness emanated from avid jogger. Her classmates say that “she her spirit, shining through as the bright spent as much time on the cross country personality which we now so dearly trails as she did on the water.” She was miss. To describe this spirit is difficult doing everything well, exactly as she had because youth is hard to emulate but is done in high school, all with the promise so easy to recognize. Perhaps that is why of an exciting and challenging future. Julie shined so brilliantly in our class, That ended abruptly onboard the in our academy, and in all of our lives. racing yacht Mareva II on the Thames Julie may be gone, but the brilliance she River on 13 May 1981 when Julie was left behind remains as a guiding light struck by the main boom and died. An in our lives. Our task is not to ponder experienced sailor, Julie was handling over what could have been, but rather to Mareva’s main sheets at the time of identify and fulfill the hopes and dreams the accident. In a spontaneous gesture that she herself aspired to reach…Julie of love and respect, Julie’s classmates was always fascinated by unicorns. assembled on the steps of Hamilton Like that beautiful, rare creature, Hall the next evening at colors and which is only alive in our minds, Julie held a memorial service. On that will continue to live within us. Julie Saturday, family, friends, and the Corps was an individual, a high achiever – a of Cadets overflowed the Memorial romantic and adventurous girl whose Chapel to celebrate her life in a Mass of exuberance for life we could not help but Christian Burial. Sandy delivered the profit from…Julie brought honor to the Eulogy, written by herself and fellow Academy and to our lives just by being. Cont’d on page 32 Rigging the sunfish at 14 Julie with the 8th Wing Players 30 THE BULLETIN ASSOCIATION AFFAIRS The Julia Babineau Trophy New England awarded by the U.S. Naval Intercollegiate Sailing Academy Association Crew Award, the Babineau Trophy Cont’d from page 30 Every bright sunny day, considerate act, Seamanship and Personality, is as vital to or adventurous moment will remind us success as is the skipper.” In 1996 Cadet of the precious individual we all knew Todd Adrian became the only Academy and loved.” sailor to win the award and he went The Corps then lined the roadway on to become an Intercollegiate Sailing in a final salute as the hearse exited the Association All-American Crew. The Academy. Julie was buried with full Babineau Trophy, a spherical astrolabe military honors in the National Cemetery made of finished bronze, was donated on Cape Cod where she had vacationed by Coast Guard Academy sailors and with her family as a young girl and we owe them our thanks for their sailed the Sunfish. thoughtfulness. It is displayed at our In letters to the Babineaus, the Sailing Center along with the framed Superintendents of each Academy picture of the “In Memoriam” article and the Commandant of Midshipmen that was presented to the Academy by expressed their heartfelt grief, deepest Captain Rod White in 1984.