United States Naval Academy

Ethan, when I finished high school at St. Andrews School in Sewanee, Tennessee where I live now, I entered the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland. 10,000 other young men applied to be a member of the class of 1968 (there were no girls going there back then) and only 1,350 were accepted and were sworn in with me on June 30, 1964. The first year (4th Class year) is known as Plebe year. The upper class were very hard on us mentally and physically in order to mold us into Naval officers. The academics were also very difficult so the first year was extremely hard in every way. I graduated on June 5, 1968... after four years we had lost 500 of those that were sworn in that first day in 1964. My class company started with 36 young men and when we graduated we had lost all but 22. Some couldn't take the hazing & 24/7 pressure... several flunked out... one was thrown out because of an honor violation and one got married. All in all it was a very demanding four years. I earned a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned an Ensign in the United States Regular Navy. After commissioning I reported to my first ship, the U.S.S. Nicholas (DD-449) which was home ported in Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Here is a picture of me taken my senior year at St. Andrews... I was 17 years old:Here's a picture of me during one summer at the Academy. I think I was 20 years old and on a summer training cruise to the Mediterranean Sea.This is a video about the Academy:

I love you, Ethan,
Granddaddy
PS. Give me a call sometime 931-598-9160
PSS. I hope your Orange Tennessee shirt fits and you like it.