It was the epitome of a freak accident. Then-Midshipman Kevin Hillery ’12 was hit by a falling tree while biking with classmates. He survived due to the quick thinking of his fellow midshipmen biking with him. The question about if he could finish at the Academy and graduate soon began. He did. “I think it reflects well on the Naval Academy and the Navy that they would stand by one of their own,” Hillery said.

As the Naval Academy Class of 2012 graduates and enters the Fleet, then-Midshipman Ian Cameron ’12 and Lieutenant Colonel Ray Madonna ’62, USMC (Ret.), the presidents of both their classes, look back on the last four years. The Class of 1962, which is bonded to the Class of 2012 through the Another Link in the Chain program, has provided mentorship and support during the midshipmen's time at the Academy.

Captain Sam Albert ’08, USA, just drove in his first Rally America event, the STPR, on June 1-2 in Wellsboro, PA. More than 60 teams competed in America’s longest-running gravel rally – his is Revolution Sports, a suped-up Subaru STI, and his co-driver is Army strong.

Ten future female submariners went to the White House on Memorial Day to keep company with the First Family, the Honorable Ray Mabus, Secretary of Defense Leon Panetta and others as part of the Joining Forces initiative. The women also opened up about how the qualification process has been in their quest for gold dolphins.

“In the Shadow of Greatness: Voices of Leadership, Sacrifice, and Service of the Naval Academy Class of 2002” is by a class of midshipmen who experienced 9/11 at the Academy and graduated into war, the first officers to do so since Vietnam. This book is a compilation of their very candid stories gathered by Class of 2002 editors over three years.

“Every day is Memorial Day,” Ryan Manion says, sister to Travis ’04, KIA in ’07. Her mother was also recently lost to cancer this past April after devoting her live to the Travis Manion Foundation. Ryan will be filling her family’s big shoes as she continues her mother’s work at the Foundation, honoring the fallen by challenging the living.

By now you should have received a postcard asking for your updated info for the 2013 Register of Alumni scheduled for delivery this fall. If you have any concerns or questions, please contact Sandy Spadaro at 410-295-4076 or email RegisterOfAlumni@usna.com.

If you didn't get the opportunity to attend the DC Service Academy Career Conference and/or are living on the West Coast, SACC in San Diego, CA, is a great opportunity for you if you are looking for a job or employees.

Selected 2013 Anchors Away Alumni Holidays trips are now available. Up to $500 per person in additional savings if you go online for the savings code. See the complete catalog in the May/June issue of Shipmate or on our website.

In a play rife with sailors, Ensign Alex Trujillo ’12 chose to play a stockbroker in “Anything Goes.” The newly minted ensign has been doing double duty as an actor in the downtown Annapolis Summer Garden Theater in addition to graduating. Who knew the future pilots were song and dance men too?

Summer has officially begun. The temperatures are rising in Annapolis as we prepare to welcome the incoming Class of 2016 for Plebe Summer. On 22 May, our Naval Academy family lost Lieutenant Commander Wesley Anthony Brown '49, CEC, USN (Ret.). He served as an inspiration to many decades of alumni, and he served the Navy and the Naval Academy well. While his contributions will be missed, his legacy will live on….(Read More)