Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, with the outline of the Naval Academy just on the other side of the Severn River, I never gave much thought to attending the Naval Academy. That’s the simplest truth. I roamed freely through buildings and fields, along the water, across spaces that felt familiar and unremarkable. The idea of attending the Academy never entered my mind. There were no women there, because there had never been women there. Since…
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Celebrating 50 Years of Women at the U.S. Naval Academy: One Woman’s Story I have long passed my 50th birthday, and Gary and I are almost as distant from reaching that milestone as we are from celebrating a significant wedding anniversary. So, what exactly am I celebrating in 2026? The answer still makes me pause. 2026 marks the 50th anniversary of women attending the United States Service Academies, including my alma mater, the United States…
5 CommentsA Family Connection The world is reflecting on the extraordinary life of President Jimmy Carter as tributes pour in. Among the many chapters of his remarkable journey, one small but meaningful connection ties our family story to his legacy: the SSK-1, a small experimental submarine. President Carter served as the engineering officer on this vessel, while my father, Frank Andrews, served as the commanding officer. In a photograph from that time, you can see:Front Row,…
6 CommentsPart 1 of 3 And friends are friends foreverIf the Lord’s the Lord of themAnd a friend will not say never‘Cause the welcome will not endThough it’s hard to let you goIn the Father’s hands, we knowThat a lifetime’s not too longTo live as friends Michael W. Smith I wasn’t on Oahu one week before the connection with Cathie was made. After talking to an Air Force family that used the same homeschool curriculum I…
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The pool was woven into our everyday summer days. Open from Memorial Day to Labor Day six days each week. The pool was closed on Mondays. My mother magically got all her work for the day done by 11 am when the Navy pool opened. Off we’d go until the whistle blew at 7 pm. It is still fascinating to me how she could do her daily routine with 9 kids at home and have…
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My father and I shared many things together. He raised a big family of 12. I am raising a big family of 9. He graduated from the Naval Academy in 1942. I graduated from the Naval Academy in 1981. He was my biggest cheerleader during my naval service when his legacy in the Navy often impacted me, even though we were miles apart. There were several opportunities during this time when senior naval officers knew…
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