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

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Battleships eventually, but we had to begin some- where. We soon learned deep respect for the lowly cut- ter, that 35-foot wooden structure that harnessed ten men to its medieval methods of propulsion. Coxswain ' s billet was always desirable, but the chiefs had that spot well in hand. Who will ever forget Shorty ' s last minute in- structions as we lowered away together or R.M.B. ' s faith- ful megaphone bellowing orders from the control launch. We learned the hard way, but we learned. Break, break, break O cuii Uf. The tedious hours that came most frequently were those fatiguing infantry drills. Our first period was a training movie, but every other day found us escorting the plebes favorite, if only, drag- Miss Springfield. At first we seemed a ragged group of recruits, but by midsummer we were marching with true precision under the leadership of our own stripers. What do we do in the Navy? We march, we march, we march. Phase A-1; we don ' t have to march like the infantiy A sailor ' s life for me BaiUnCf. Eventually we learned that all Seamo drills did not end up at the cutter shed. Before the summer was over, we were able to get in many happy hours of sailing. It was the first venture on water for many a landlubber, and despite the tangled rigging and upside-down sails, the arguments over the right of way and buoy room, they were still our most enjoyable drills during the summer. 24

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Comdr. C. E. McCombs 1st Battalion Officer Comdr. C. T. Straub 2nd Battalion Officer Comdr. H. H. Marable 3rd Battalion Officer Comdr. G. D. Hoffman 4th Battalion Officer BAHALION OFFICERS There were the couriers of justice, the custodians of discipline, the officers who apphed in a most vivid manner the full meaning of the Laws of the Navy. These were our company officers, our battalion officers, our Executive Officer. These were the men delegated to mold twelve hundred of us into offi- cer material. A tremendous task was theirs, meeting new and different situa- tions daily. To measure their success in terms of extra duty or Forms 2 is hardly fair. The criterion of their handiwork lay in the Class of 1946, eleven hundred and seventy strong, now a motley aggregation of untrained boys soon to emerge as a coordinated team, ready in all respects to meet the tre- mendous requirements of a wartime Navy. Comdr. H. E. Seidel Relieved Comdr. G. D. Hoffman as 4th Battalion Officer MIDSHIPMEN ' S STORE OFFICER . . . HEAD OF DEPARTMENT OF HYGIENE The midshipmen ' s store lay just across No Man ' s Land. From our sheltered third wing retreat we made suicide dashes across the youngster-inhibited first wing. Amid varying commands of Sound off, Where you from. Mister? and Detail halt, beaten but not deterred, we squared our corners to the basement. Efficiently as our midshipmen ' s store was operated under the tutelage of Captain Randolph, the fourth class patronage hit its lowest ebb. But Captain Pollard ' s Department of Hygiene was another story. Sick bay presented no perilous routes or secret ambushes. As plebes we learned to regard a gash on the arm as far less dangerous than a tortuous trip to the midshipmen ' s store. 23 Capt. J. B. Pollard Medical Officer Capt. A. P. Randolph Midshipmen ' s Store and Naval Academy Dairy

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Qufute Uf, Some of us gained the coveted experts ' ribbon— others were content to spend the major part of their time on the third day. But all of us gained experience and confidence in handling small arms. The hot, sweaty days spent at the rifle range were our basic ordnance training— the part we had to get before we could proceed to a consideration of the bigger guns and more complicated equipment. The basic principles were the same— proper aim meant a bullseye, proper safety would allow us to shoot again. One of the finer arts PuU and paste SflO- lti It seemed simple . . . till we got in the water The physical training department they called it, and very apro- pos was the title. We quickly learned the origin of the 46 pushup routine, and in Natatorium drills not a few of us qualified as poten- tial Sub Squad aspirants. Inter-company sports provided the enigma of competition. Softball championships were in the offing on Worden Field, and MacDonough Hall soon vibrated with the cheers of loyal supporters at Tuesday night battalion boxing matches. a uftaiiaiiA Seven times a day, seven days a week the late bell threw its three minute challenge at us. Many there were who faltered in the first round, but with plenty of daily prac- tice we managed to gauge the length of the hundred and eighty seconds from formation to late bell. As we be- came proficient, we found that only the last thirty sec- onds were the vital ones. 25 At least somebody knew where zue were going ' iim ■■■■• ■■ - ■ --v- y - vl . . ' •. - r , f -T ■