Shipemate: June 2021 3 April 2021
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by Mark Hubbard
To start this column off, here’s a reunion update from Bruce Petit:
◼︎ The weekend of 2 October 2021 gets closer every month – when ‘76 comes together to celebrate 45 years of dispersal from Crabtown! As I write this at the end of March I look forward to a busy month of putting final touches on the events. I expect to have the gouge for your detailed planning in May.
Everything in last month’s update remains intact. The Graduate Hotel is our home base for the weekend and location for assorted events over 3 days. The Reunion kicks off Thursday 30 Sep with both a Golf Tournament at the USNA Golf Club and a Welcome Social at the Graduate for all those arriving that day. Friday activities are taking shape: it will be a busy day in the Yard with Class meeting and election, memorial service, Supe’s call, and P-rade. Then we return to the hotel for an evening of socializing, dining and dancing. Saturday brings the Main Event – Go Navy, Beat UCF! Our outrageous “tailgate” at the stadium N* Room will run all afternoon, beginning hours before kickoff and up until “Navy Blue and Gold”.
A final word on reservations at the Graduate . . . You’ve been reading about this since September 2020, and today, no kidding, the hotel is just about full Friday and Saturday nights, 1 and 2 October! Our guaranteed block of rooms is already filled, but the hotel will honor our Class of 76 price for the few remaining rooms. Last month’s Shipmate post on the website has the instructions for reserving online at the Graduate. I will put the word out once the hotel reaches “No Vacancy”; then you will need to pursue alternative lodging. Don’t worry, we have plenty of space for classmates and guests at all events (including the Friday dinner dance and Saturday tailgate) regardless of where you stay. As long as covid distancing and capacity restrictions are over, I look forward to seeing many hundreds of you in October!
Jim Stavridis has exciting news:
◼︎ Big news this month is the publication of my tenth book but first novel, “2034: A Novel of the Next World War.” It is selling well and debuted at #6 on the NYT fiction best seller list, and #10 on the similar Wall Street Journal list (with three Dr. Seuss books ahead of it!). It opens in the South China Sea with three American destroyers sunk, shifts to the Arabian Gulf where a JSF is forced down over Iran, then to the White House where a cyber-attack “blinks” the grid — all in the first 20 pages. It is a cautionary tale set in 10-15 years in which an aggressive China moves dramatically against the US. Otherwise, I am continuing in private equity with The Carlyle Group and enjoying “Act III” there after Navy days and five years as Dean at The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy of Tufts University. Splitting time between the office in DC and home in the beaches of Jacksonville, Florida.
Hugh Neighbour provides a review of the aforementioned book by Jim Stavridis:
Last night I finished our ’76 classmate Jim Stavridis’ new book 2034. It came out just last week, but it’s easy to find on Kindle. It’s World War THREE, US vs. China–starts in the South China Sea. It’s a real page turner and is fun–starts fast and you really don’t want to put it down. Jim also gives you a whole lot of larger questions to ponder. Very highly recommended!
While we are discussing books, I must include another Classmate of ours, John Allen, who has co-authored a book, “Future War and the Defence of Europe”, teaming with authors Frederick Ben Hodges and Julian Lindley-French. It is currently available on Amazon.com as a Kindle Edition.
Tim Farrell explains how he stays sane in this era of COVID-19:
◼︎ I maintain my sanity during these crazy times by riding my Harley-Davidson motorcycle. Riding is pandemic safe and compliant with local restrictions because I
- ride outdoors
- don’t ride anywhere near anybody else
- wear a face shield (full face motorcycle helmet)
- wear a mask under my face shield when it’s cold (balaclava)
Keep the shiny side up and beat Army!
Dave Winters had a bit of bad luck recently:
◼︎We board members of the 917 (constitution education) Society are to luncheon in Mar-A-Lago a couple of weeks hence in hopes of collecting a few sea stories from General Flynn, and perhaps an encounter with a certain tall, presidential looking dude. I only mention this anticipation ‘cuz I think maybe I’m officially jinxed. A few years ago, when we traveled to London for presentation to HRH Anne, Princess Royal, I had my hand in an embarrassing, clunky cast. Apparently, that one time was enough to initiate an unconscious habit. SO, to be consistent with this….I was recently tapped to accompany an expedition to Mount Athos (Greece) to do clearance and cartography on several miles of stone Byzantine inter-monastery footpaths. In order that I be better equipped to safely perform those duties, I visited an orthotic brace shop to get fitted out with space age technology ankle braces (these are to overcome certain weaknesses derived from a previous spinal injury). In the process of being fitted, while we were testing my range of motion/limitations, I BROKE MY FREAKING FOOT. It now appears that I’ll attend our luncheon with my busted hoof in a huge, undignified, orthotic boot. Depending upon recovery time required for these old bones, the Mount Athos gig may get scrubbed, entirely.
Winters Update: This morning, I threw my back out because of the crutches and the weird reclining position I must constantly use. So now I can’t even walk. Hence, we are canceling our trip to Mar-A-Lago. I know when to quit before the price gets too high…
Stewart Navarre (23rd Co.) officially announced on April 5th that he has entered the race for Virginia’s First Congressional District (VA-01). For more information about his campaign, contact James Hartnett at 912-270-0309; james@stewartnavarre.com. Stu’s campaign website is https://stewartnavarre.com/. Best of luck to you, Stu!
From Martin Brittingham:
◼︎On March 19, 2021, Martin Sr., Martin Jr., and family friends, Jordan & Samantha from USNA Class of ’14, hiked to the site at the Parsenn Ski Resort in Davos, Switzerland, where SO1 Christopher “Britt” Brittingham was critically injured in a 30-foot fall and passed away the following day on Dec 7, 2020. Christopher had completed three deployments with Seal Team 3 and had transferred in August 2020 to SOCEUR in Germany on a 2-year assignment. More information about Chris can be found on Chrisbrittingham.com and BrittLivesOn.com. The latter website is the Britt Foundation, a nonprofit for mentoring young people in high adventure sports which Chris did with his team and Young Life. A touching video tribute to honor the memory of Chris can be found here: https://www.brittliveson.com/davos/
From Kevin Stone:
◼︎I regret to inform you that Elliot Bloxom, 25th company, passed away from cancer on March 25th at home in Ocean Springs, MS, surrounded by his family. Elliot’s wife, Susan, said that there will be services at their church in Ocean Springs. There will be another service at their longtime church in Fairfax County, VA sometime in June. Elliot will be interred at the columbarium at the Naval Academy at a date still to be determined. The family can be reached at home in Ocean Springs: 810 Canebreak Drive, Ocean Springs, MS 39564 or via email at bloxome@aol.com < Caution-mailto:bloxome@aol.com > . They have asked for no phone calls, please. Elliot maintained a sense of humor to the end. He asked me the following just this week: “Who in the Class of ’76 was born at Hospital Point and is interred there? Elliot Bloxom.” Fair winds and following seas my brother NAPSTER and classmate …
United States Naval Academy Class of 1976 