Going back east to climb this sucker (or at least raise some hell)…
Right before I leave Oregon, I find this reminder of last month’s chicanery in the mail…
An iceberg field waiting for the Titanic? Nope, just some clouds from Salt Lake City to DC.
Getting closer…
Eric and Ken…I met these two jokers on our second day at Navy, a long time ago!
First casualty at the AirBnB, and this is BAD…
Mixer at the football stadium. My roommate Rob, submarine captain.
My man Craig, NYC boy…
Jim controlling an unruly crowd from behind the bar..
Ronnie, he of the swift feet….
A late night training class in scaling the Academy wall…
Chick and Ruth’s is an Annapolis institution among midshipmen. Big, big food!
A bright and sunny day from Hospital Point
Chaplain George Pucciarelli. Father Pooch was an Academy chaplain during our time there.
He also was the chaplain at the Marine Barracks in Beirut circa October 1983. Yes, the barracks that were blown up. The man has been around….haunting picture.
After the service; talking with Jeff (brother of deceased classmate Dave Marsh), and classmate Marc.
Class reception at the Graduate Hotel….here’s a few of my 13th company classmates
Rob uncovered this beauty from 1983. We had uniforms like Service Dress Blue, Full Dress White…
And Working Uniform Batman.
Rob with a light breakfast…crab omelet!
Bruce, Kristin, Bowen heading out after a night with the boyz…
Chips and I getting early morning coffee downtown. Yes, it’s sunny…
City Dock, right outside the Academy grounds. This is where Alex Haley’s ancestor landed in the New World; Alex now has his own statue.
Maybe my favorite place on campus…the seawall. Ran this sucker dozens of times, and not one broken bone.
Chapel….
At the tailgeter, peel and eat shrimp: before…
And after.
Finally tracked down fellow Naval Architect turned MD Jen…
Memorial Hall. This mural pulled me thru 4 tough years…
Academy cemetery.
John Ripley, badass Marine in Vietnam. He blew up a bridge by himself while under heavy fire.
Herndon Monument. At the end of their first year, the plebes have to climb this thing. The upperclass make it more fun by greasing the sides.
Bob and Lisa…..saw them at the last reunion, and they hosted me at their lovely house near Milwaukee. Now they invited me to their lovely house in Northampton. And Bob will put any professional barista to shame.
Lovely town, this Annapolis.
This is basically how I lived for my four years…
What AirBnb is complete with Bob Ross?
Sunday morning brunch in King Hall. Alums had designated tables away from the Brigade, lest we corrupt them. Rob and I, the biggest non-rule breakers in our 4 years there, sat at a table with some young mids and definitely inflicted some corruption. Rob told them to be widely read and to give others second chances; i told them to stack their academic schedules proactively so they could sleep for afternoons at a time.
Lovely display of china signed by various distinguished alumni. I inquired about the possibility of having my own plate, but was told there’s not enough room….then I noticed the top row….hmmmm. Anyone know a good lawyer?
This lovely woman broke down in tears, just so grateful that she was able to come to the US and find a job. Makes you think…
This panorama doesn’t do King Hall justice: 360 tables, 4500 chairs, and everyone has food on their tables within 10 minutes of sitting down!
Scott and Ty, pilfering state’s secrets on the way out of town…
Rob gave me this trinket from his submarine command tour…
Rob’s folks, overlooking Worden Field….Walt was a submarine captain too…class of ‘47.
Until next time, Navy!
Oh, but my trip ain’t over yet….
A little side jaunt to my hometown of Somerville, NJ….hey Felipe: Division Street looks a lot different now!
Martino’s was my favorite restaurant back in the day…great Cuban food, and Old Man Martino would come out and dance!
I can practically SEE my high school classmate Steve Fed ripping down Main Street in the Tour of Somerville!
If you went to Somerville High or Immaculata, you spent LOTS of time at this place…
Church organist extraordinaire (and all around good guy)….the man could stomp on 88 keys like Gregory Hines on a dance floor. At the end of each service, he’d play a benediction that would raise the roof! Couple years back, he also added a Grammy to his resume.
Chapter 3: on to NYC….Craig and Kay continue to take in the strays of the world!
Miso cod? Exquisite!
Right behind this cruise ship is where Alexander Hamilton got his behind shot off.
It’s a damned shame when a man has to break in to his own restaurant!
(But there was tiramisu to be pilfered)
A little quieter than during last year’s Army Navy game, when Craig hosted dozens of our classmates here.
Nice view from the 38th floor.
My (very wet) walkabout….the Ghostbusters apartment…
Had to have a street cart pretzel…
Some tavern, and it’s pretty green…
Times Square never disappoints.
Sigh. Off to JFK and a few flights back to Oregon.
What a great trip!! Loving my USNA blazer with the class crest.
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