Drop of a Hat - New Naval Officers

Today, we no longer have a Midshipman in our family - we have an Ensign, an officer. The Vice President's speech had good self-deprecating humor, some good motivational words, not too much politics, and a story that tugged at your heart about a dream realized by a first generation emigrant and the loss of his fallen officer (1). We celebrated a job well done by the Class of 2010, cheered for company mates whose names who have become familiar over the past four years, and realized that this special group won't ever be as close spatially or temporally as they are today. Our son commented a few days ago how quickly he has become disconnected from the Academy - moved all of his things out of Brancroft Hall, moved off the Yard, and checked out. His email traffic is down to a trickle - there are others now picking up the leadership roles left behind.

With right arms bent at 90° angles and right hands held up, solemn promises were made, three-cheers given by the Classes of 2011, 2012, and 2013 for the new Ensigns and Second Lieutenants, followed then by three cheers for those they leave behind, covers thrown high into the air and barely reaching the ground before throngs of children and not-so-young-children dashing to retrieve one or two or three - and some times more.

Then the stands full of family and friends made their way down to the field where the new officers were surrounded by their well-wishers and many posed photographs were taken in all the possible combinations of posies - with the only constant among each the display of shiny Marine rank insignia bars or Navy shoulder boards.
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(1) Vice President Biden singled out Huy N. Truong, who had been injured while serving in Iraq before he entered the academy. "He could barely speak English, he'd just received his green card, yet he put his life on the line for the nation," Biden said. Truong, a native of Vietnam, caught the attention of his command staff, who helped him apply to the Naval Academy. From the Baltimore Sun, May 28, 2010.

Heals Over Head - Navy 17, Army 3

It was a beautiful day in Philadelphia. The skies were clear, not all that much wind, and temperatures were not so cold that with a few layers of clothes, dry chemical hand warmers, and a blanket over the lap, we were fixed up and in great shape until dark. As the Cadets first and then the Mids took their turns marching onto the field before the stands were full, and a few spirit spots ran on the big screen, a great video was run by CBS before the game. We didn't catch it until today, and you can catch it at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqgQM9T_t9o
It pretty much tells the story, without a score.
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As of yesterday evening, it is now eight straight Navy wins over the Army Black Knights. For all the bravado by the Cadets, their not-too-bad Spirit Spots that outdid those crafted by the Mids, and
general attitude, the outcome turned out the same as the past seven years. The Washington Post summarized the 110th Army-Navy football meeting this way: And so, an afternoon that began with a bit of Army sass -- a goat's head, similar to the one worn by Bill, Navy's mascot, was batted around the section of the stadium that housed the Corps of Cadets -- ended as so many recent Army-Navy games have. In the final minutes, the Midshipmen in the stands waved brooms and chanted, "I believe that we will win!" Camile Powell, Sunday, December 13, 2009
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It was great to be back home in our house after the game - warmed up on the bus ride back to Annapolis, no anxiety about the outcome, the Commander in Chief Trophy assured, a guaranteed trip to the White House Rose Garden (unlike the absence of roses for another favorite team; see Disappointment and No Consolation). The emotions for Army have got to be for a world turned upside down - there are now generations of classes that have only experienced losses. The Navy Class of 2006, the class before our son was a plebe, was able to bask in four years of nothing but wins over Army - the same now for the Class of 2010 - and all the classes in between.