Today we visited the United States Naval Academy. It was about a 10 minute walk from the Annapolis Yacht Basin to the Naval Academy. I followed behind the Luv-Birds.
One of the most significant places in Annapolis – The Annapolis Naval Academy.
was established in October 1845 (before the civil war in 1861) , under the Secretary of the Navy George Bancroft. George Bancroft wanted a repeatable way of training his future officers that would be a “process” – so every student would get the same training, message, philosophy, fitness level, etc. Prior training was all done on ships & was highly variable depending on the Captain of the ship. Fort Severn, which is now the Academy, was originally owned by the Army, but given to the Navy due to its perfect location between the waterways of Annapolis, Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, and New York.
The Academy is the second oldest of the United States’ five service academies.The oldest is West Pointe, which we also hope to visit on the Hudson River, in upstate New York . The Naval Academy educates officers for commissioning primarily into the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps. The entire campus (known to insiders as “the Yard”) is a National Historic Landmark and home to many historic sites, buildings, and monuments.
Candidates for admission generally must apply directly to both the Academy and receive a nomination, usually from a Member of Congress. Students are officers-in-training and are referred to as midshipmen. Tuition for midshipmen is fully funded by the Navy in exchange for a 5 year active duty service obligation upon graduation. Approximately 1,200 “plebes” (an abbreviation of the Ancient Roman word plebeian or “commoner”) enter the Academy each summer for the rigorous Plebe Summer. About 1,000 midshipmen graduate. Graduates are usually commissioned as ensigns in the Navy or second lieutenants in the Marine Corps, but there are 6 career path opportunities for all graduates – 1) Navy, 2) Marines, 3) Naval Aviator, 4) Submarine, 5) Cyber, and 6) the prestigous Navy Seals. Note – only 1% of the graduates become Seals. But the key point, especially for young men with no money, is that they can earn an Engineering BS degree, with a guaranteed Job and No Debt.
The Naval Academy is located right on the Annapolis waterfront, where the Severn River meets Chesapeake Bay.
We started our visit by signing up for a guided tour.
Prior to the tour we watched a 10 minute movie & strolled thru the museum lobby.
The short 10 minute movie followed the life of the plebes/midshipmen thru a grueling basic training, prior to fully being accepted into the academy for their 4 year program. Note – The Plebes have to turn in their cell phones prior to their summer long basic training. The movie then discussed their engineering education, fitness tests, and on-going regimen of courage, valor, and honor. The best part of the movie was the summary just before graduation day. We just missed their graduation ceremony, which had occurred last Friday, May 23rd. Wait for the Hat-Throwing !!!
While we were waiting for the tour to start, we strolled thru the museum.
There were many displays of famous Naval Academy Grads, and a lot of focus of graduates who went on to become astronauts. The Naval Academy has graduated 54 astronauts. There was a dedication to Alan Shepherd, the first American to travel into space, and in 1971 walked on the Moon.
There was another exhibit for the infamous Space Shuttles Challenger & Columbia.
There were many many famous grads from the Naval Academy, here is a list of some ;
Jimmy Carter, John McCain, Roger Staubach, Alan Shepherd, David Robinson.
The Academy has graduated ; 1 President of the United States, 3 Cabinet Members, 19 Ambassadors, 24 Members of Congress, 5 State Governors, 5 Secretaries of the Navy, 5 Chairmen of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, 9 Commandants of the Marine Corps, 2 Nobel Prize Winners, 73 Medal of Honor Recipients, 54 Astronauts, 49 Rhodes Scholars.
I admit that it is a slightly better school than Wayne State University !
Our tour began at 12:00 Noon, we were greeted by tour guide Lorin Turnblocker, who gave us a lot more history about the school and then took us on a 90 minute walking tour.
The tour prelude included facts like ;
* After the Academy, all graduates must serve 5 years minimum in the Navy or Marines, to pay off their FREE 4 year education. After their junior year, if they drop out, they must pay a very high education bill.
* Even pro athletes like Roger Staubach & David Robinson had to serve their 5 years, after graduation & Veggie their sports careers. The Cowboys drafted Staubach, knowing that they would have to wait 5 years for him to play.
* There are 4500 students & 600 faculty, for an impressive 8:1 student/teacher ratio.
* The Academy is also very big on sports & fitness, there are 33 sports available, 2nd in the country to only Ohio State (Go Blue).
* The Academy is very selective, accepting only about 1200 students of 17,000 applicants yearly.
They are heavily influenced by Fitness. During the end of training, they must be able to swim 14 laps in an Olympic size pool, in under 30 minutes, IN FULL GEAR!
They also receive significant Wrestling Martial Arts, and Self Defense training.
Dahlgren Hall – initially used for armory training, now used as an activities & sports training center
We walked past a post with many flags, Lorin commented that “each flag on the post represented a victory over Army during last years sporting season”.
The next stop was The Farragat House – It is the home of the Academy’s superintendent (top dog at the Naval Academy, appointed by the Sec of the Navy). Lorin said that “the 1st floor is used only for entertainment, and that The Farragat House is 2nd to only the White House for number of entertainment events per year”.
We strolled past some torpedoes – Loren said that “there are only 5 of this type left in the world, it is similar to what was used by the Japanese on the USS Arizona at Pearl Harbor”. The torpedoes were State of the art at the time, being the only ones with propellers & fins, for increased accuracy and range.
The next stop was at the Naval Academy Chapel – Built in 1904, The Naval Academy Chapel is a focal point of the Academy and the city of Annapolis. It is a non-denominational church.
Next Stop – The Crypt of John Paul Jones.
John Paul Jones has been lauded since 1775 as the Father of the US Navy. His influence and leadership were foundational in the establishment of the Navy and in many ways the success of our War of Independence. Loren said that “John Paul Jones never lost a battle during his entire career”. After the revolutionary war, John Paul Jones relocated to France for other “military opportunities”.
Originally buried in France where he died in 1792, the remains of John Paul Jones were relocated into the crypt beneath the Naval Academy in 1906, in a ceremony presided over by President Theodore Roosevelt.
Our next stop was Bancroft Hall – The largest single dormitory in the world, housing the entire brigade of over 4000 midshipmen. Everyone stays in Bancroft Hall, there are no fraternities or sororities allowed. Note – there was no AC in Bancroft Hall until 2005, and it gets very hot and humid during the Annapolis summers. Photo taken from a photo that Loren showed us of Noon Formation. Central to the Bancroft Hall is the Rotunda, with a large domed roof & a wing on both sides.
Finally, to end this long post – Have you ever heard the words – Don’t give up the Ship ?
Loren did not discuss this subject, but I did see the words at several locations in the lobby. Then Deena saw this flag on the way home. So I decided to look it up.
The words on the flag originally came from Captain James Lawrence, a friend and colleague of Admiral Oliver Perry. Captain Lawrence was mortally wounded as he commanded the frigate USS Chesapeake in early June 1813. The flag and words came to prominence during the War of 1812 on September 10, 1813, in LAKE ERIE when Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry raised the hand-sewn flag in honor of his comrade Captain Lawrence to the loud cheers of the crew, and then executed a stunning defeat of the Royal Navy.
It essentially means to refuse to surrender or give up in the face of adversity, and is a symbol of tenacity, courage, and commitment.
Today, “Don’t Give Up the Ship” is a symbol of American ideals, not just in the military, but in various aspects of life, representing the spirit of never giving up when facing challenges.
A good motto for all of us to live by.
We had a nice wonderful lunch/dinner at a very active corner pub in Annapolis. The people watching was endless. Deena had a very large Bloody Mary, and now wants to go to early nite-nite 😃.
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