United States Naval Academy - Lucky Bag Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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Bill Barnes and Lt. Comdr. Wail, who together ran the hop com- mittee are responsible in no small part for the generally excellent year of hops. Ail this was helped little by their constant worry over a depleted budget. The dansant . . . the hop . . . swinging on the Severn shores ... the scene for romance ... for proposals . . . and unfortu- nately for refusals . . . hops to Beat Army ... to celebrate Christmas . . . Thanksgiving . . . or just to pass away a cold winter Saturday evening . . . hops, figures of boys and girls swirling out of the confines of the military world into any setting one chooses . . . the girls . . . the tall ones . . . short ones . . . pretty ones . . . and the ones that aren ' t so pretty . . . ones who are blase . . . excited . . . enthralled . . . disap- pointed ... in love . . . out of love ... or not so sure. Girls from the finishing school ... the post-debutante ... the girl from next door ... the secretary ... the model ... the college coed . . . from the North ... the South ... the East and the West. The music soft . . . blaring . . . disjointed . . . smooth. The lights hard and unflattering . . . lights soft and alluring. Eyes open and sparkling . . . eyelids coyly lowered . . . search- ing eyes . . . provocative eyes . . . taunting eyes. Frivolous decorations . . . cold armory walls . . . candy striped poles . . . rows of rifles . . . rustling silk and crinkling taffeta . . . blues . . . whites . . . and civilian tails. In this setting people dancing . . . people talking . . . couples waltzing . . . couples promenading . . . men laughing . . . girls pouting . . . men sulking . . . girls laughing . . . the Queen . . . the Brick . . . the Little Woman . . . Sister Jane . . . Cousin Sue . . . minia- tures compared . . . crests returned . . . then Sleepy Time Gal ... the Navy Blue and Gold . . . tired feet . . . shuffling feet . . . Attention . . . Oh, say can you see by the dawn ' s early light . . . now couples dashing . . . others loafing . . . holding hands ... he ... she .. . you or I ... the parts of the whole that make up the story of the Naval Academy soiree . . . the wonderful Naval Academy Hop. Seated: E. Frothingham, Jr., J. M. Ivey, B. A. Moore, J. M. Davis, W. H. Barnes, III, W. C. Graham, Jr., B. S. Dowd, Jr., W. H. Barton, Jr., M. A. Chiara. Standing: P. S. Soteropulos, J. R. Walker, I. N. Fraser, R. T. Styer, P. L. Schoos, J. R. Burgess, R. K. Ripley, R. A. Bisselle, F. A. Smith, R. W. O ' Reilly, G. E. Irish, K. R. Burns, R. B. Plank. 28

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IIL J.. rn ji rr The results of any Naval engagement depends directly upon the damage we inflict upon the enemy in comparison to the damage inflicted upon us by the enemy. This damage is caused by the use of projectiles, torpedoes, bombs, mines, and other explosive-filled instruments of war. The success of our forces depends upon our offensive use of and defensive protection from such armament, and the knowledge of the limitations and capabilities of our own and our enemy ' s equipment. It is the purpose of the Department of Ordnance and Gun- nery to give to the graduates of this school a basic under- standing of the problems to be expected and the means of obtaining a solution to such problems. This purpose is ac- complished through the means of recitations, drills, and the practice cruises during the summer months. During our two years of classroom work we learn of the guns and the fire control equipment necessary to secure hits from those guns. We study ballistics, the science of the motion of projectiles, which gives us an explanation of what happens while the projectile is in the gun and describes its action while on its way to the target. This department is the most progressive one at the Academy, a necessity if it is to keep us posted on the latest developments in its field of work. The latest communication procedures are issued to us for study. As information is obtainable on rocket research or torpedo control we study it in the classroom. The computer . . . any mark . . . any mod . . . proved to be a worthy opponent in the schematic diagram or in actuality. Its real value ... as a friend . . . became apparent to us under the stress of simulated battle problems . . . realistic and modern as the building in which the event took place. The ordnance depart- ment gave us many hour s of really practical work-outs. 30