I was sitting in a Starbucks in Annapolis last October in a stopover on my voyage to Bahamas on my sailboat Cambio.
The place was half locals and about half US Navy midshipmen.
It made me think about what these upright and serious midshipmen are about. They had focused on the myriad of entry requirements, and sacrificed a lot of the normal high school hijinks other kids enjoyed. One doesn’t arrive at the Academy straight up and seriously dedicated without having a runway to build up to USNA success.
But that is not all. They have signed on to be a responsible part of the most powerful navy in the world, not something to be taken lightly. And some 20 odd years of very serious services. And to be there to possibly give their lives.
These kids give me chills down my back when I think about how much “stuff” they have walking around in those uniforms.
I wish each of them well and thank them for the stuff they bring.
I wasn’t around to appreciate this when my brother and father went to Canada’s Royal Military College many years ago but now, many years later this next generation of American sailors reminds me to appreciate the memories of all those who give their best.
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