Best Friends Walt Barton - roommate multiple years
Doug Cho - roommate Plebe year
Clay Dean - roommate multiple years
Craig Savage - roommate Plebe year (did not graduate)
Members of the Class of 1971 in 28th Company plus other members of the Class of 1971 in other parts of the Brigade.
Best Moment
Being sworn in as a Midshipman in June 1967 in Tecumseh Court with 1400 other Midshipmen. The Class of 1971 was the larget entering Plebe Class at the time, but we only graduated 856.
During June Week 1968 the Plebes climb a very slippery (coated with grease) Herndon Monument thus ending our Plebe year.
Having Ann visit the Naval Academy as my date for a Tea Party.
Enjoying June Week 1970 with Ann and asking her to marry me prior to our attending the Ring Dance.
Doing my First Class Cruise onboard of the USS Little Rock CG, Flagship of the 6th Fleet, in the Mediterranean Sea. I was able to visit Italy, Greece and Malta. Besides the education associated with this cruise, the opportunity to travel was "priceless".
Having Ann visit Annapolis and attend the Army-Navy game in Philadelphia with me in 1970.
Receiving my Diploma from the United States Naval Academy on 9 June 1971 and being commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
Worst Moment
"Greyhound races" as a Plebe during an evening come-around.
Lea & Perron Cocktail at the Table because you did something wrong or did not know the answer to a question.
Window closings in the winter for the First Class.
Rigging a tea spoon at the Table because you did something wrong.
Wearing a leg cast and walking to class.
Chain of Command Superintendant of the Naval Academy - Rear Admiral Kaufmann (Plebe Year) and Admiral James Calvert (Third - First Class Years) Commandant of Midshipmen - Captain Heyworth (Plebe Year) and Captain Coogan (First Class Year) 12th Company CO - Lieutenant Bucholtz, USN 28th Company CO - Lieutenant xxx, USN
Other Memories
When I was a Third Class we lived on the 6th Deck of the 5th Wing of Bancroft Hall which was our living quarters (dormatory), One evening I was running down the stairs and slipped on some spilled coke. Needless to say I rolled my ankle. I ended up in Sick-Bay and the Corpsman immediately put a full cast on my leg - he must have: A. had a bad day; B..been eagar to get off duty; C. been given a hard time by another Mid or D. been dumped by his girl. Needless to say, two days latter my toes were blue. The Corpsman had not waited for my ankle to completely swell so the cast had cut off the circulation to my foot as my ankle continued to swell. Dead skin has an ugly smell.
As a child I had what was called a "lazy eye" meaning my eye would stop processing and drift to the corner of the eye socket. During my Second Class year the Navy decided that this problem needed to be fixed, so I was in the Navy Hospital at Annapolis for an eye operation. This was my secord eye operation and Navy requested my records from the doctor who did the original operation. The bad news was he had 2 patients with the same name and his office sent the wrong records. I was told after the operation that when they started to worked with the eye they were going to correct, it had already been operated on. They then made the appropriate adjustment and operated on my other eye. Alway double check you medical records when they are passed between doctors in different locations.
Having been an Enlisted Marine before I entered the Naval Academy, I remained on the Marine Corps roster at Marine Barracks Annapolis (I assume) even after I had accepted the rank of Midshipmen in the U. S. Navy. The purpose of this arrangement was so if for any non-medical/non-humanitarian reason I had not graduated from the Naval Academy, I would return to active duty as an Enlisted Marine and it mwas my understanding that I would have also been promoted to Sergeant. However, since I was scheduled to graduate on 9 June 1971, I received a DD-214 dated 8 June 1971 discharging me from the Marine Corps as a Corporal (my rank at the time I entered the Academy) at the convenience of the Marine Corps. Then on 9 June 1971 following my Graduation from the United States Naval Academy I was commissioned a Second Lieutenant in the United States Marine Corps.
