<p>And now the rest of the story...</p>
<p>Yesterday I had the pleasure of spending 8 of the happiest hours of my life on the Coast Guard Academy campus in beautiful New London, CT on the mighty Thames River.</p>
<p>Folks you couldn't have ordered the day better out of the "Tourism Bureau Calendar." It was that good...sunny and 70's...the weather Connecticut is beloved for.</p>
<p>I had the free reins of the Academy, thanks to my close relationship with Admiral Burhoe, Capt. Fitzgerald, and Lt. Cdr. Fegler, parents liaison. All good folks who love the cadets as much as the parents.</p>
<p>I was pleased to have on hand my own moms, Ol' 85 herself, the pride of Susan Richmond HS in New York City Class of '41 thank you. As moms regularly reminds me, she passed her REGENTS EXAMS dammit. "I was too short to go to nursing school. There was no ADA in those days." But I digress.</p>
<p>Many people come to Parents Weekend because they only get to see their Cadet once or twice a year. I get to see my son, better known as mascot Objee, every week or so. Thus that aspect of the day is less important.</p>
<p>As an amateur military historian myself, I love the tradition, pageantry, history, and above all the Cadets themselves. Some of their moms too...but that's another story...</p>
<p>I spent a good day wandering (aimlessly) around the beautiful campus. Tell me there is a better venue to watch football than the CGA? Hudson High has nothing on Puddle Pirates U. Just after halftime, as if on cue, the New London ferry steamed her way down the Thames, putting on a good show herself. BTW we say THAMES, not temz...sorry Vic.</p>
<p>Although I was high-fiving numerous parental units throughout the day, I spent most of my time talking with cadets form the Mighty Class of 2009, the one "the stars are going to land on" I'm thinking...sorry USMA '08.</p>
<p>This class has come a long way since that sunny morning of July 1, 2005. The scared kids are now on the cusp of becoming officers and gentlepersons.
The transformation is palpable...</p>
<p>The 1c's walk around the campus like they own the place...in fact they do. Big grins, fist pumps, hiyas rule the day. Most of the kids know me...we had about 60% of them over at the hacienda in Naugatuck at least once. All but the tool bags of course...never been at my house...you could be a "tool bag." ha ha we even let two Lithuanians hang with us.</p>
<p>More than one parent I saw told me they were gonna miss this place terribly come May 21st. More than one said they are coming back as Parental Alumni. I have recently formed a Facebook group called: "USCGA Helicopter Parents on Facebook." The reverbarations(?) were felt throughout the hallowed halls of Chase, better known as the Dungeon on the River.</p>
<p>Example of knowledge held only by members of HPOF. The true pronounciaton of CATP (cat pee), Fainer (finer), Commander (commanda...we have a lot of New Englanders here folks and not one kid from Montana).</p>
<p>They know what the following are: Gold Key Bridge, "bagged," "smoked," Gold Club, Harbor Taxi, libo van, Ensign Edibles(careful Boss), Tradition Rock, Jacob's Rock, Eagle, Steve Hargis, Dr. Collela, the CPO club, the Dry Dock, Admirals Hill, Mr. G's, Campus Pizza, ConnCollege, Stonington, Navy Lodge, Sully Southard, I could go on for days.</p>
<p>As I said, the kids are what it's all about...here are a few anecdotes and profiles, no names or actual home towns revealed...</p>
<p>1) A 6-5 rower from a NATO partner who looks like a model, is as funny as you can get and is a brilliant Government major.</p>
<p>2)Yet another tall rower, also GQ material, from way down South. He already has an agent, he's that good looking.</p>
<p>3) A 6-foot volleyball star from Cali who could have gone to any number of D-1 schools but chose a harder path.</p>
<p>4) A young black man from Georgia who's Pops is an old air force guy and couldn't be prouder of the kid if he hit a homer against MMA for the winnnig run.</p>
<p>5) A girl who is at or near the top of her class; funny that seems to happen a lot.</p>
<p>6) A young lady who got the award for the highest MPL, aka military performance list over all those 200 bad-assed men.</p>
<p>7) A kid from Colorado who rows, had an internship last year with a congressman and who has "Semper Paratus" written all over him..</p>
<p>8) A funny, personable lad from Tunisia of all places; he's a world level ballroom dancer, brilliant engineer and aspiring to get a grad degree from M.I.T. Consider it done, my friend.</p>
<p>9) A senior in marine biology who aspires to be the first Coast Guard female astronaut.</p>
<p>10) Several sons and daughters who's Pops went to the mistake on the Severn.</p>
<p>I could go on for days, oh yeah I forgot one more kid...</p>
<p>11) Donned the Objee mascot's garb when no one else would; goes toe to toe with every conservative student or professor he can lure into a debate; once ran the CGA football scoreboard...closest he ever came to playing football which was his Dad's lifelong dream for him...escorted numerous wealthy young co-eds at International Debutante Balls...and aspires to be the first graduate of the CGA to raise his hand on January 20th and make that walk down Pennsylvania Avenue...that folks is...but first our commercial announcement from the United States Coast Guard, guardian of the seas, the port in the storm, the line in sand...and victor in numerous battles with named Hurricanes...we'll be right back...</p>