Maine Maritime Academy - Tricks End Yearbook (Castine, ME)

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States was forced to embark on a great expan- sion of its merchant fleet. Our entry into the war hastened this program, until at its end we had the largest Navy and Merchant Marine afloat . . . then we scuttled them both! Witll the world depending on us for aid and cooperation, we once more turned inward. Ostrich-like, We encouraged a false prosperity by means of a huge tariff and enormous loans to bankrupt nations - a prosperity which finally collapsed in the depression of 1929-33, the depression which has lcd to the rise of all tl1e discontent which has caused this war. Now, finally, we know where we stand. We realize that our future is inextricably entangled with that of the rest of the world. We are determined to build a real lasting prosperity, based on a solid foreign trade and free inter- course with our neighbors. Our aims, then, are twofold: first and all important - to win the war, then secondly - to prevent its repeti- tion by building a secure world. The place of Maine in the history of our merchant'marine is a distinguished one. Maine has had a large share in the building of our wooden sailing ships, and, more than any other state, the eyes of Maine have been turned toward the sea, perhaps subconsciously knowing that so111eday it would hold its rightful place again. Castine in its own right was once an important port. Ideally situated on a diamond-shaped point of land on one of the largest land-sheltered harbors in the United States, it commands the approach to the Penobscot River. Logically, it was one of the first settlements in the United States and was alternately controlled by many of the early colonizing powers. Castine figured prominently in the revolution and war of 1812, in which wars it was captured by the British and used as one of their chief strongholds. I ,,.- ,tiihkx i 4 ..-:LL-'iffy ' 4-M , M ,,,. . ., wi p c s' ly. '.,,. 4., gil .5 ,- , f -' at H - 4- 1 .- if f1z,,?'TE-'F1'f'1'f 'ff1'a:f,f if ., TF, ' . W 1!-Y, 4!?'5-'E'5sf2ssi'a.q..4f'.a-s.:.3ss1--'a.'NUM.- ' f- , -15.071 15 3, 'lfjif-.hgvg--ZQ?p7?.f,:31 lfiiffffagibrtlx , '.' L' f ytiif it .1-in 1 t fit si . 1 it s .rm az fu, 1, 'CQQS 3 9 ., , 4, , 'K t e sv uf 31 Pea. ,, ,wi-?f'1 was L- 5 1 'W .... - -',- 'riJL7 'f- ' W .ff,. u. 4 , ' -Ts f v- Ie., - .ygwl 'Us W, ,ex . Castine is fitted both by history and physical characteristics for the fifth and newest Maritime Academy. The Maine Maritime Academy, along with New York, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts' and California, is devoted to the accomp1isl1- ment of the two aims mentioned above. More than any of the others is it devoted to these two purposesg for our Academy was literally forged in the heat of war. The aims of the Academy tie in with our

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broader purposes. flur first is the immediate one of supplying qualified third officers and engineers for the merchant lnarine with thc broad and underlying view in mind, to equip the midshipmcn for a career at sea. A second and perhaps equally important pur- pose is to create a pool of men, so qualified that they are able to be called to active duty in the Navy as commissioned officers. To accomplish this, all the midshipmen are enrolled in the United States Naval Reserve. The subjects embraced in the curriculum are attacked from both the theoretical and practical approaches. For the deck midshipmen, Navi- gation, the science of sailing a ship safely and economically receives chief emphasis. For the engineers, steam is the equivalent. Wltiltz at the Academy, stress is placed on the theoretical background. The practical application is dem- onstrated while cruising. Tl1e subjects as taught at the Academy aim to arrive at a real under- standing, as opposed to teaching merely by rote, with its consequent dependence on IIICIIIOPY instead of intelligence. To obtain this understanding of Navigation, a comprehensive course in Trigonometry, both plane and spherical, ranks next in importance. This course gives the student the proofs of the various navigational formula- and processes. Seamanship, stowage, signalling, sea law, first aid are other subjects covered by the deck force. For the engineers there are Deisel, elec- tricity, machine shop, shop math and also first aid and naval science. The course in Naval Science deserves special notice. This study equips the midshipmeu to attain the rank of Ensign U. S. N. R. ln this course, gunnery, naval customs, drills, and naval regulations are taken up in detail. The entire course of study originally covered three years. However, the emergency has caused it to be shortened to 16 months. The phenom- enal thing in this respect is that nothing of lllllJOI'ltlllC6 has been left out. To finish a three- year course in a year and four months, a tre- mendous amount of study has been necessary. Vacations and leaves have been either cut out altogether or sharply curtailed. The various courses themselves have been shortened and intensified without leaving out any of the essentials. The history of the school itself reads almost like current affairs. lts very lack of ancient tradition and customs has helped us. We have been able to forge ahead, use new methods, and go our own way until today our Academy, both st-holastically and militarily ranks second to none. The Academy was founded upon passage of an enabling act by the State legislature. The passage of this act we owe to the endeavors of Wlr. Ralph Leavitt, who is today President. of the Board of Trustees of the -Xcatlcnty. XVith thc hill passed, Castine was selected as the site for tht- Acadctny. R1-ar Admiral Douglas E. Dismul-:es was chosen as superintendent. That this was a wise choice has been proved innumer- able times. Admiral Dismukes has given lav- ishly of his time, energy and experience to the building of the Academy, lroth materially and spiritually. Following the Admiral's appointlnent, other oflicers were detailed to the Academy as i11- struetors. The first class arrived twenty-eight strong and were quartered at a former hotel, the Pentagoet. XVith the outbreak of war on December 7, 19-flfl, things started to change. The course was cut from three years to sixteen months. Aca- demic subjects were cut out and more emphasis was given to Naval Science. The Eastern State Normal School Buildings were taken over and preparations were made to admit a class of 200 in .luly - our class. In days to come our class will be long remembered by all those connected with it. Two hundred strong at. first, our 1111111- ber has dwindled to one hundred and forty. Those tl1at are left can in all truth point to themselves as the ones that have built the Acad- emy. For, after all, the second class of the Maine Maritime Academy as the first large class was an experiment that turned out admirably. First under their seniors direction and then under their own ratings they labored to redee- orale and beautify the Academy buildings and grounds. At times hard to manage, our class has retained its individuality. However, when- ever the occasion arose for action, we always Cilllltf through with flying colors. The first few days of the summer of 1942 were bewildering and discouraging ones, but we quickly adapted ourselves to new ways of life. Hardest of all was learning how to take orders. ln a very short time, however, things were running smoothly and we were all set for our first cruise. After the cruise we settled down at the Acad- emy for six months of uninterrupted study. Then, theoretically proheient, we set' out for our second cruise, where we received thorough, practical experience in all phases of our work. New hack at the Academy with only weeks to go until graduation, our long-sought-after tical is just ahead. Each member of our class, with tht- confidence bred of thorough training, is ready to go out and do his job .,......