UNIQUE GIFT FROM 1974 U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY ALUMNI AWAITS USNA'S CLASS OF 2024

Contact: John Schofield, Executive Director, Communications
USNA Alumni Association and Foundation
Email / Ph: 410-295-4080

ANNAPOLIS, MD (17 May 2024) – Members of the United States Naval Academy (USNA) Class of 1974, participating in the Naval Academy Alumni Association’s Another Link in the Chain program, will join the graduation ceremony on Friday, 24 May 2024, at Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium.

Following the awarding of diplomas, representatives from the Class of 1974 will present each 2024 graduate with a set of gold Ensign (Navy) or 2nd Lieutenant (Marine Corps) insignia bars, bearing the class years "74-24." Accompanying these bars, each graduate will receive a card bearing the message:

“On the strength of one link in the cable, dependeth the might of the chain; who knows when thou mayest be tested? So live that thou bearest the strain!”

Nine distinguished members from the Class of 1974, selected by their peers, will have the honor of presenting these bars, solidifying a 50-year bond between the two classes as the Class of 2024 proudly enters the ranks of the Navy-Marine Corps team of the 21st Century.

Since their Induction Day in July 2020, the Class of 2024 has cultivated a relationship with the Class of 1974 through shared experiences and camaraderie. Over the past four years, they have engaged in various events alongside the midshipmen, including the bonding of class rings donated by the Class of 1974. The gold from these donated rings has contributed to the rings now worn proudly by the Class of 2024.

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The United States Naval Academy Alumni Association and the United States Naval Academy Foundation are two independent, not-for-profit non-stock Maryland corporations operating as an integrated organization in support of the Naval Academy and its mission with more than 69,000 members, 77 active alumni classes, and 102 chapters around the world.
For more information, visit www.usna.com.