The Academy

The morning was crisp, even for August.  The sun hadn't risen yet, but I could see my surroundings in the growing light.  It took me a moment to remember where I was.  My cramped legs and sore neck reminded me.

I had arrived at the Baltimore International Airport quite late the night before, retrieved my rental car, and followed my daughter's directions to get to my destination.  It didn't matter.  I got lost anyway.  The streets were narrow and many were cobblestoned, and everyone was home at that hour of the day so parking spaces were scarce.  The wee hours had arrived, yet I finally found a place to park without threat of being towed, and did my best to get some sleep.

Besides the cool morning air, it was the noise of cars that awoke me around 5:30AM.  As the growing light allowed, I looked around in the car to get my bearings and stretch my body.  I needed to find a restroom somewhere to wash up and change, so I began to locate needed items.  Cars were mostly passing me heading in the opposite direction, so I looked in my rearview mirror to see why.  I was stunned.  I just simply couldn't believe my luck.

There were the gates I'd sought most of the previous night.  I'd found the US Naval Academy without knowing it!

Ok, on to a gas-station or convenience store for a quick washup and change.  I had to be back to the those gates in less than an hour.  I kept track of my route, and found a 7-11 a couple of miles away.

The camoflauged soldier in the small booth looked at my driver's license and waived me forward.  I had a manila envelope with paperwork, including a map of the campus.  I was looking for the PE field.  But I had to park first.  Aha!  There's Dahlgren's Hall.  Now I had a reference point.  There wasn't much time left.

Walking briskly through a couple of narrow passageways along long stone buildings, I finally came upon a large grassy area surrounded by metal bleachers.  But... no one was there.  Had I missed it?  Then I heard a strange sound which slowly got louder.

Cadence.

I watched as the plebes of 2006 jogged onto the grassy area, their movements in unison.  I strained to see my daughter, starting to walk along the sidelines.  I had to find her, to let her know I had made it.  Plebe Summer had been tough and humiliating.  She was strong, but I knew she needed me there.  I hadn't yet had a chance to talk to her.

Then I saw her!  A small wave and a big smile!  Tears welled up... I watched her class of over 1,000 plebes perform strenuous calisthenics on that grassy field, looking over the Chesapeak Bay.  I was choked up with history and emotion, deeply sensing the series of events that brought me there.

Squeezing every penny out of my meager finances, there was no possible way I was going to miss this trip to historic Annapolis to witness my daughter's achievements.  I had been with her through every step leading to her acceptance to the Naval Academy.  She was the only student out of 900 to receive such an honor, and her high school included it in their graduation honors.

Two jobs kept me busy.  The logistics of bringing my daughter to all of her interviews with congressman, and pay her way to Annapolis for her first visit, was phenomenal.  Before I left for Plebe/Parent's weekend, she had provided me with a list of needed items, including a printer.  I was so grateful the Navy provided them computers.  That was the reason I'd only been able to afford the airfare and the rental car.  Hotel fares were beyond my reach.

At that moment that our eyes connected on that grassy PT field, where I was going to spend the night was far from thought.  This was the only time she was dressed in something other than her dress whites.

The day was spent eating meals with my daughter in King's Hall, touring the campus on my own, and attending different ceremonies in different halls on camput.  That first day we didn't spend a lot of time together.  It didn't matter.  I was there.  With plenty to see, certain events to get to on time in between meals, and sporadic sightings of my daughter performing her duties, my first day was filled.

The 2nd day, the parents were given the opportunity to visit their plebe's room.  She shared it with 3 other girls.  It was hot and the huge building was not air conditioned.  Their only reprieve was from a window in their room that they kept open during the day.  I did some more tours, taking pictures.

The parents quickly learned they could not walk across grassy areas on campus, if they wanted to keep step with their new mid-shipmen.  That was against the rules.  Such discipline.  I was impressed.

Each evening, after my free meal in King's Hall and seeing my plebe off to her curfew, I began my search for the night's parking space.  I'd looked into local hotels and motels, and all were out of reach.  Afterall, this was a big event.  Lots of parents and family had converged on Annapolis.  Prices had skyrocketed.

The third day, Sunday, my daughter took me to Washington DC.  She had gotten a day's liberty.  We walked amongst a few memorials and took pictures.  We didn't get far before she needed to be back on campus for the evening's roll call, but we had dinner to look forward to - in downtown Annapolis, only a 20 minute walk away.  After our meal, we spent the evening walking along the piers and shops.  Everywhere we went we saw plebes and their families.

Knowing that it was my last full day with her, I already missed my daughter.  I was so proud, yet ever so humbled about her accomplishments, and about my circumstances.

The next morning I was able to catch a glimpse of her scurrying to her next class.  We'd already said our goodbye's the day before, but I had to see her one last time.  That girl is my heart.

Through a deluge of tears, I then set off on the road to Baltimore.