THIS PAGE CONTAINS ARCHIVAL INFORMATION RELATED TO THE CLASS OF 1973
This extract from the Annual Register of the U.S. Naval Academy, 1969-1970, identifies everyone who participated in our Induction Day ceremonies in 1969: USNA Incoming Plebes – Class of 1973
We began as the 2nd-largest class in history: News Article on Class SIze
Here are the Class of 1973’s Reef Points: Reef Points
Here is the COMDTMIDN Instruction governing the Plebe Indoctrination System. This instruction is dated 1972, but its contents accurately reflect the procedures governing our Plebe Year: Plebe Indoctrination System
Chapel attendance was mandatory when the Class of 1973 entered the Academy, but that subsequently changed due to court action. A class action lawsuit was filed in January 1970 on behalf of cadets and midshipmen arguing that mandatory chapel attendance at military academies was an unconstitutional violation of the First Amendment’s guarantee of freedom of religion. While the lower court did not find in favor of the plaintiffs, the lower court decision was reversed in a June 30, 1972 ruling that effectively ended mandatory chapel attendance at all of the military academies. Here is a link to a newspaper article on the legal action: Court decision ends mandatory chapel attendance at USNA
Here is a copy of the first Annapolis Guide , which was an unofficial Directory and Guide for the United States Naval Academy: Annapolis Guide
Both Naval Academy regulations and State of Maryland law prohibited midshipmen from consuming alcohol within the corporate limits of the City of Annapolis, or within 5 miles thereof. This was the basis for the “notorious” 5-mile limit, which effectively forced Midshipmen to travel a considerable distance – often to Washington, DC where the legal drinking age was 18 – in order to drink legally. The legal framework changed when the Maryland General Assembly enacted House Bill 1250, which was approved on April 26, 1973, and became effective on June 1, 1973. The revised Maryland State law kept the legal drinking age at 21, but removed a specific prohibition against serving liquor to any midshipman, regardless of his age. Here is the text of House Bill 1250: State of Maryland Act – 1973
Photo from “Beer Party” on China Beach in South Vietnam during our Second Class Cruise
Graduation and Commissioning Program: Graduation & Commissioning Program – Recognizable Text
YEARBOOKS
Here is a link to a digital copy of the Lucky Bag for 1973: Lucky Bag – 1973
Digital copies of the Lucky Bag for other years are available from the Nimitz Library at the Naval Academy. Here is a link: https://cdm16099.contentdm.oclc.org/digital/collection/p16099coll7
List of Trident Scholars: Trident Scholars – 1973
The Log Magazine (R.I.P.)
Two monthly magazines were published by the Naval Academy during the 1969-1973 period. The first, The Log, focused on everyday life as a midshipman. The other, Trident, characterized itself as the professional magazine of the Brigade of Midshipmen. Neither is still published today as a monthly magazine.
The following links are to two excellent “The Life and Death of The LOG” articles by David Poyer (Class of 1971), which were featured in the 2007 October and November issues of Shipmate. Members of the Class of 1973 should find these articles fascinating – they provide excellent insights into the culture of the Academy over many decades.
Linked below is the follow-up feature from the 2008 December issue of Shipmate, also written by David Poyer.
Here are copies of many of the editions of The Log magazine during our time at the Academy. Many thanks to John Seaberg (9th Company) who kept his copies and graciously scanned them for us.
The Log Vol 59 No 1 Oct 3 1969
The Log Vol 59 No 3 Nov 21 1969
The Log Vol 59 No 5 Jan 30 1970
The Log Vol 59 No 6 Feb 20 1970
The Log Vol 59 No 7 Mar 13 1970
The Log Vol 59 No 9 Apr 10 1970
The Log Vol 59 No 10 May 1 1970
The Log Vol 59 No 11 May 29 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 1 Sep 25 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 2 Oct 9 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 3 Oct 30 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 4 Nov 20 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 5 Dec 11 1970
The Log Vol 60 No 6 Jan 22 1971
The Log Vol 60 No 7 Feb 19 1971
The Log Vol 60 No 8 Mar 12 1971
The Log Vol 60 No 9 Mar 26 1971
The Log Vol 60 No 12 Jun 4 1971
The Log Vol 61 No 1 Oct 29 1971
The Log Vol 61 No 2 Nov 19 1971
The Log Vol 61 No 4 Feb 18 1972
The Log Vol 61 No 5 Mar 8 1972
The Log Vol 61 No 6 Mar 28 1972
The Log Vol 61 No 7 Apr 28 1972
The Log Vol 61 No 8 May 31 1972
The Log Vol 62 No 1 Oct 13 1972
The Log Vol 62 No 3 Nov 17 1972
The Log Vol 62 No 4 Dec 13 1972
The Log Vol 62 No 5 Feb 2 1973
The Log Vol 62 No 6 Feb 28 1973
The Log Vol 62 No 9 May 16 1973
The Log Vol 62 No 10 Jun 1 1973
TRIDENT MAGAZINE
Trident was the professional magazine of the Brigade of Midshipmen. Its articles covered a wide range of both historical and then-current topics of interest both to the Brigade and to the Navy/Marine Corps.
This section – which will be updated over time – contains links to articles written while the Class of 1973 was at the Academy.
Naval Academy graduates pursued a number of different career paths in 1973. This article summarizes the 5-year outlook for various service selection options. Trident Jun 1973 – Officer Assignment Projections
There was no lack of opinion among classmates about the Academy’s approach to leadership training. This article provides one person’s reflections on attitudes concerning that topic. Trident – Jun 1973 -The Growth of Midshipmen
The relationships between military professionals and elected civilian leaders is a timeless topic. The following article from the November 1972 edition, written by Classmate Richard Wright, examines the relationship between General Douglas MacArthur and President Harry Truman: Trident – Nov 1972 – Soldier & State
The capture of the USS Pueblo by North Korean forces in 1968, and the resulting aftermath, forms the basis for many “lessons learned”. The following article explains the reasons why. Trident – Nov 1972 – Pueblo
TRIDENT CALENDAR
The Trident Calendar contained numerous midshipman-centered cartoons. Here are copies of many of those cartoons from1972 and 1972.
1972 Trident Calendar Cartoons
1973 Trident Calendar Cartoons
