U.S. Naval academy | 13 Cla ss history PREFACE t.all.started.on.29.June.1966..We. I came.for.a.variety.of.reasons..Some. were.living.out.their.legacy;.some.just. wanted.an.education;.some.wanted. adventure;.some.liked.the.uniforms;. some.wanted.to.fly;.some.wanted.to. serve.their.country;.others.wanted.to. avoid.the.draft..For.whatever.reason,. 1337.(joined.by.two.others.who.had. been.prior.midshipmen).raised.our. right.hands.in.Tecumseh.Court.and. swore.the.oath.of.a.U.S..Navy.Mid- shipman..During.the.course.of.our. four.years.on.the.Severn,.eight.others. were.“turned.back”.into.our.class.and. eight.of.our.number.were.“turned. back”.into.the.class.of.1971..Geoff. Francis.and.Bob.Yager.both.passed. away.while.we.were.Mids. dropout.rate..One.company.experi- belated.over-ebullience.was.in.part.an. Most.came.directly.from.high. enced.attrition.approaching.50%..But. appreciative.response.for.our.being. school.and.some.from.fancy.prep. we.did.have.points.of.pleasure..Who. able.to.catch.up.on.our.ZZZs..And. schools,.although.a.wide.sprinkling.of. could.forget.the.awful,.1950s.West- who.can.forget.the.tormenting.song. new.Plebes.had.prior.college.experi- ern.shown.to.us.one.night?.While. “Teach.Me,.Tiger”.coming.from.the. ence.or.service.in.the.fleet.as.White. the.movie.itself.was.forgettable,.the. Second.Class.Squad.Leaders’.rooms? Hats.or.Marines..Most.of.the.latter. phrase.“Let’s.ride!”.was.repeated. Meanwhile.back.in.the.real.world,. 93.(of.whom.72%.were.sailors,.and. throughout.the.flick,.almost.as.a. also.on.June.29.the.U.S..began.bomb- 28%.were.Marines).served.a.year. catchphrase..So,.for.that.Plebe.Sum- ing.Hanoi.and.Haiphong.in.the. in.purgatory.at.the.vaunted.Naval. mer.at.least,.“Let’s.ride!”.became.like.a. Vietnam.War.and.the.following.day. Academy.Prep.School,.at.that.time. motto.(funny.how.it.never.came.to.be. future.world.boxing.champ.Mike. located.in.Bainbridge,.Maryland..We. included.in.Reef Points!)..Then.there. Tyson.was.born..On.July.18.Gemini. still.wonder.if.the.“urban.legend”.is. were.half.a.dozen.heavy-duty.lectures,. 10.was.launched;.on.July.28.the.U.S.. true.about.the.Mom.who.dropped.her. unerringly.occurring.on.evenings.after. announced.that.a.U2.spy.plane.was. son.off.at.the.Library.Assembly.Area. a.heavy.evening.meal,.at.which.some. lost.over.Cuba;.on.August.1.a.sniper. to.register.and.then.trotted.around.to. 90%.of.us.were.lulled.into.dream- killed.13.students.from.the.bell.tower. the.Main.Office.to.inquire.as.to.where. land..However,.we.were.so.polite.our. at.the.center.of.the.University.of. she.would.sleep. erstwhile.guest.lecturer.never.sus- Texas;.and.on.August.13.the.Cultural. Records.show.that.the.summer. pected.the.somnolent.effect.he.had. Revolution.was.launched.in.Commu- of.1966.was.the.second.hottest.in.the. had.on.us,.especially.when.he.regaled. nist.China..Despite.our.best.hopes,. Annapolis.area.in.the.last.50.years.. in.the.standing.ovation.he.received. the.world.was.going.on.without.us. Perhaps.that.explains.our.tremendous. afterward,.never.suspecting.that.our. 14 | class of 1970 PLEBE YEAR always.where.you.were.supposed.to. five.minutes?.How.did.you.explain. t.was.during.Plebe.Summer.that. be,.but.always.on.time,.in.the.right. to.them.that.“carrier.landings”.could. I our.class.developed.its.special. uniform,.and.squared.away..You. not.only.be.done.in.a.dormitory.but. relationship.with.the.most.outstand- got.used.to.weekly.haircuts,.weekly. were.really.kind.of.fun?.Or.“water. ing.leaders.of.the.class.of.1968.who. laundry.bags,.and.later.on.in.the.year,. skiing?”.Memories.were.sharpened,. constituted.our.summer.Squad.Lead- weekly.trips.to.the.Academy.dry. not.so.much.by.the.ubiquitous.“chow. ers..While.obviously.some.were.more. cleaners..Tony.Watson.was.elected. calls”.but.by.the.imperative.knowl- than.forgettable,.most.were.the.kind. our.first.class.president.in.August. edge.of.our.“Plebe.rates”.which.could. of.leaders.we.would.seek.to.emulate.. 1966.and.re-elected.a.year.later..He. be.required.of.us.to.be.spit.out.at.any. Perhaps.this.happens.with.every. was.replaced.by.Pat.McGahan.our. time..Such.memorization.of.trivia,. class,.and.perhaps.this.is.why.even- last.two.years..Thanks.to.you.both.for. we.learned.in.retrospect,.was.valu- numbered.classes.are.more.“alike”.with. stepping.up.to.the.plate. able.in.remembering.the.operational. other.even.numbered.classes,.and.odd. Parents.Weekend.came.way.too. parameters.of.our.ship.while.we.were. with.odd..In.any.event,.many.times. late.and.the.Brigade.seemingly.arrived. operating.under.great.stress..After. those.summer.Squad.Leaders.would. way.too.early..Attrition.continued. all,.isn’t.the.purpose.of.having.a.“real”. be.the.first.to.“spoon”.us.Plebes.upon. apace..Challenges.like.Plebe.chemistry. Plebe.Year.to.weed.out.those.who. the.Brigade’s.return;.and.in.some,.we. (for.many.of.us).proceeded.to.out- cannot.handle.stress?.Are.they.able.to. found.lifelong.friends.and.mentors.. strip.our.comprehension.and.in.many. do.that.today.in.Bancroft.Hall? One.individual.from.the.aforemen- companies,.if.you.were.“Sat”.after.the. For.most.of.us,.the.first.time.we. tioned.class.of.’68.is.unforgettable,. first.8-week.grading.period,.then.you. ever.got.away.from.Annapolis.was.the. especially.for.those.forlorn.classmates. were.“bagging.it”.as.a.Plebe.and.you. Notre.Dame.football.game.in.Phila- in.the.5th.Battalion..This.is.one.Jim. were.in.trouble..Some.of.us.skated.by. delphia.in.mid-October..Some.met. Webb..Mr..Webb,.all.too.often,.would. that.challenge.as.it.was.obvious.that. their.“grease.girl”.there.for.a.few.hours. volunteer.to.run.the.Plebes’.extra.duty. it.was.not.in.our.quiver.to.have.an. of.bliss,.while.other,.less-enlightened. in.our.batt..Most.likely,.you.would. un-Sat.CUM;.but.for.others,.it.was. classmates.over-indulged.in.the.long- end.up.with.more.demerits.at.the. certain.and.expected..Football.season. denied.“fruit.of.the.vine.”.Of.course,.we. end.of.his.high-volume.inspections. took.some.pressure.off,.but.frankly,. didn’t.win.the.game,.but.we.won.the. than.you.were.running.off.that.day.. guys,.the.Big.Blue.had.only.one.win- party.anyway.–.you.can.be.sure.of.that. Added.to.that.was.the.fact.that.while. ning.season.in.our.four.years.by.the. Fall.intramurals.kept.many.of.us. we.were.in.gym.gear.(or.sweat.suits. Bay.and.only.once.did.we.beat.Army. busy..There.was.company.volleyball. over.gym.gear).and.our.erstwhile.ED. (Youngster.year)..But.pep.rallies.prior. and.soccer;.moreover,.there.was.bat- leader.was.in.full.combat.regalia,.he. to.each.game.broke.up.our.routine. talion.football,.basketball,.boxing,. still.ran.us.all.into.the.ground..It.was. and.gave.us.a.channel.for.our.abun- crew,.cross.country,.fencing,.hand- most,.most.memorable!.Mr..Webb,. dant.energies.and.tremendous.class. ball,.squash,.swimming,.tennis,.and. as.we.are.all.very.aware,.went.on.to. spirit..In.fact,.the.huge.Farragut.Field. wrestling.(whew!)..Few.Plebes.had. become.a.highly-decorated.Marine. bonfire.before.the.Army.game.Plebe. as.much.pleasure.as.those.of.us.who. Corps.officer.in.Vietnam,.a.Pulitzer. Year.enabled.some.of.us.to.meet.ABC. Prize-winning.author,.Secretary.of. sportscaster.Jim.McKay.. the.Navy,.and.now.the.senior.U.S.. Our.world.was.more.controlled. Senator.from.Virginia. by.“come.arounds”.than.by.academ- We.learned.how.to.stand.watches. ics..Our.Firsties,.the.erstwhile.class. in.Bancroft.Hall..Always.the.“Mate”. of.’67,.were.determined.that.our. at.this.point.in.our.military.evolution,. class.–.by.God!.–.was.going.to.have.a. we.learned.punctuality,.responsibility,. “Real.Plebe.Year.”.Accordingly,.most. and.judgment.–.when.to.follow.the. of.us.were.in.the.best.shape.of.our. letter.of.the.rules.and.when.to.allow. young.lives..Who.among.your.civil- things.to.slide.a.bit..We.got.used.to. ian.friends.believed.that.you.could. the.routine,.the.gut-grinding.routine:. change.your.complete.uniform.(com- constant.accountability.–.not.only. plete.with.“soap”.and.shower),.all.in. U.S. Naval academy | 15 could.tackle.their.company’s.upper- football.season..But. classmen.while.playing.linebacker. once.again.we.enjoyed. on.our.batt.football.team!.Being.a. a.rare.liberty.in.the. member.of.a.singing.group.–.either. City.of.Brotherly.Love.. the.Glee.Club,.with.its.heavy.travel. And.when.we.returned. schedule,.or.one.of.the.three.church. to.Mother.B,.although. choirs.–.kept.many.of.us.busy.and. we.didn’t.get.“carry- entertained.(not.to.mention.the. on-until-Christmas”. fun-filled.exchange.visits.with.the. for.beating.Army,.we. corresponding.choirs.of.certain.girls’. did.get.something.. schools)..Masqueraders.and.other. Apparently.some. such.activities.also.provided.alterna- Congressman,.worried.that.Plebe. spider.webs.or.filled.to.the.brim.with. tives.to.a.constant.menu.of.sports. “hazing”.was.preventing.us.from. empty.milk.cartons?) Meanwhile,.the.world.was.con- excelling.in.the.classroom,.conducted. Christmas.Leave.was.a.much- tinuing.apace:.On.October.6.Bobby. an.experiment.to.prove.his.case.. appreciated.and.deserved.treat..Time. Seale.and.Huey.Newton.founded.the. During.the.experiment,.we.were.not. with.our.families.was.important,.but.
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