A Day at the United States Naval Academy

On Wednesday we went and explored The United States Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, where we learned how one must get into the academy, the STEM program students learn, and the physical training of the recruits. We were able to take a guided tour of the campus where we saw the following: the Lejeune Physical Education Center; the Dahlgren Hall; T- court; Bancroft Hall; the Main Chapel; the Crypt of John Paul Jones; and Preble Hall. 

At the Lejeune Physical Education Center we got to see an Olympic size swimming pool, and all the trophies and sports that the academy offers. Everyone has to do wrestling and they have to do about three hours a day of some type of sport unless they are in the drum and bugle corps. The next location was The Dahlgren Hall. This is a beautiful building with a restaurant open to the public, and this is where any social functions that the Midshipmen may have could occur.  

T-court was where the Midshipmen would have meal formations (an attendance call of sorts). The T-court was right outside of Bancroft Hall. Bancroft Hall is the dormitory for the students, and has beautiful architecture with big domes and chandeliers. We saw a replica of what the Midshipmen’s dorms look like and the Memorial Hall honoring alumni who have fallen with the copy of the famous “Don’t Give Up the Ship” phrase.

Our final stop with the tour guide was the Main Chapel which had stunning stained glass windows all representing Biblical verses throughout the chapel. The Crypt of John Paul Jones is under the Main Chapel where he rests in a sarcophagus. John Paul Jones is considered the first naval hero of America as he was a lad from Scotland that came and fought in the American Revolutionary War where he would then go on to serve the Russian Imperial Navy and as an emissary for America. He was not looking for wealth, but to be an honest man serving on the sea. He was originally buried in Paris, and it wasn’t till a over a century later that his remains were moved to Annpolis to be honored by the navy in the crypt. 

After the tour ended we decided to hop on over to Preble Hall which is a museum displaying the naval progression from the American Revolutionary War to the present day, more information about the United States Naval Academy, and models of many many ships. Some of these models are made out of bone shards of animal meat that were fed to the French prisoners captured on British ships where they would make tiny ships out of the bones. 

All in all everyone seemed to have a good time as we topped the day off with some delicious ice cream.