A Building Does Not Make a Brotherhood
At 0800 on Sunday December 7th 1941, “a day which will live in infamy”, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor thrusting the United Stated into World War II. At almost precisely the same time, 1400 (2pm) in Pine Beach New Jersey, the dedication ceremony for the new gymnasium at Admiral Farragut Academy, to be called Robison Hall in honor of one of the founders of the school, began.
It was during this ceremony that word reached the east coast and Admiral Farragut Academy learned of the attack. After that moment, the Academy would not be the same for the next 4 years. 24 of our AFA North classmates gave their lives in the defense of freedom during the ensuing war.
On Saturday April 18th, 1942, just a little over 77 years ago, the United States struck back. 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet to bomb the Japanese capital city of Tokyo. These 80 brave airmen were led by General Jimmy Doolittle and would become famously named “The Doolittle Raiders”.
So what’s the significance of this story to us today? Earlier this year, on April 9th 2019, COL Richard Cole, the last of the Doolittle raiders passed away at the age of 103.
For decades, the Doolittle raiders met each year to offer a toast to their fellow raiders who had passed away. They constructed a wooden case holding 80 silver goblets, one for each raider, inscribed with their name written both right side up and upside down. In the center was a rare bottle of Congac. After the toast, they would turn over the silver goblets of those who had passed since their last meeting to honor their fallen comrades. When there was only one living member left, he would open the bottle of Cognac and give a final toast to all the Raiders who were gone.
The raiders are now all gone and their squadron, aircraft and facilities no longer exist. But the memories, the deeds, the accomplishments and their legacy lives on. It is passed on to all those who knew and loved each of the 80 heroes. The raiders will not be forgotten to time.
For Admiral Farragut Academy North, just like the Doolittle Raiders, the buildings and facilities no longer exist. However, guided by the legacy of those 80 heroes, the spirt, traditions, and brotherhood of Admiral Farragut Academy North are alive and continue every time we gather. The memories, friends and stories are all still here. So we are now “a rare breed of folks, in a limited quantity”. They are not making any more AFA Northern Alumni and just like the Doolittle raiders someday there will none of us left.....and we can see that’s OK.
Some outside the brotherhood have said that when the last AFA Northern Alumni is gone, there will be nothing left without a place to call home. The Doolittle raiders have shown us this not to be true. Our memories, our accomplishments, our history and our legacy will endure through all the friends we have made, the children we have raised, the lives we have changed and the people we have touched in our lives. And just like the Doolittle raiders, Our Farragut will not be forgotten to time…. Our Farragut will ever stand….
So at our past reunion in April of 2019, to cement those memories in our brotherhood and legacy, we have started a new tradition in the spirit of the Doolittle raiders.
Now we don’t have a silver goblet for every Northern Alumni in true Doolittle raider tradition, but we can and will continue to gather each year and honor those of our brothers and sisters who have passed since our last gathering, just like the Raiders did for over 70 years.
At this year’s reunion the list was long. We will honor those who have passed since our last reunion but we also honored those the Association found had passed on that we did not previously know about. We are very hopeful the list next year will be much shorter.
So the tradition stated this year will be an American flag for each of those Alumni who have passed since our last gathering placed on the tables around the room. As the names are read aloud, people at each table will take the flag with their name on it and walk up and place it in the memorial display next to the fallen brother table.
We will never forget our fallen brothers and sisters.
Tradition Never Graduates
At 0800 on Sunday December 7th 1941, “a day which will live in infamy”, the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor thrusting the United Stated into World War II. At almost precisely the same time, 1400 (2pm) in Pine Beach New Jersey, the dedication ceremony for the new gymnasium at Admiral Farragut Academy, to be called Robison Hall in honor of one of the founders of the school, began.
It was during this ceremony that word reached the east coast and Admiral Farragut Academy learned of the attack. After that moment, the Academy would not be the same for the next 4 years. 24 of our AFA North classmates gave their lives in the defense of freedom during the ensuing war.
On Saturday April 18th, 1942, just a little over 77 years ago, the United States struck back. 16 B-25 Mitchell medium bombers took off from the deck of the USS Hornet to bomb the Japanese capital city of Tokyo. These 80 brave airmen were led by General Jimmy Doolittle and would become famously named “The Doolittle Raiders”.
So what’s the significance of this story to us today? Earlier this year, on April 9th 2019, COL Richard Cole, the last of the Doolittle raiders passed away at the age of 103.
For decades, the Doolittle raiders met each year to offer a toast to their fellow raiders who had passed away. They constructed a wooden case holding 80 silver goblets, one for each raider, inscribed with their name written both right side up and upside down. In the center was a rare bottle of Congac. After the toast, they would turn over the silver goblets of those who had passed since their last meeting to honor their fallen comrades. When there was only one living member left, he would open the bottle of Cognac and give a final toast to all the Raiders who were gone.
The raiders are now all gone and their squadron, aircraft and facilities no longer exist. But the memories, the deeds, the accomplishments and their legacy lives on. It is passed on to all those who knew and loved each of the 80 heroes. The raiders will not be forgotten to time.
For Admiral Farragut Academy North, just like the Doolittle Raiders, the buildings and facilities no longer exist. However, guided by the legacy of those 80 heroes, the spirt, traditions, and brotherhood of Admiral Farragut Academy North are alive and continue every time we gather. The memories, friends and stories are all still here. So we are now “a rare breed of folks, in a limited quantity”. They are not making any more AFA Northern Alumni and just like the Doolittle raiders someday there will none of us left.....and we can see that’s OK.
Some outside the brotherhood have said that when the last AFA Northern Alumni is gone, there will be nothing left without a place to call home. The Doolittle raiders have shown us this not to be true. Our memories, our accomplishments, our history and our legacy will endure through all the friends we have made, the children we have raised, the lives we have changed and the people we have touched in our lives. And just like the Doolittle raiders, Our Farragut will not be forgotten to time…. Our Farragut will ever stand….
So at our past reunion in April of 2019, to cement those memories in our brotherhood and legacy, we have started a new tradition in the spirit of the Doolittle raiders.
Now we don’t have a silver goblet for every Northern Alumni in true Doolittle raider tradition, but we can and will continue to gather each year and honor those of our brothers and sisters who have passed since our last gathering, just like the Raiders did for over 70 years.
At this year’s reunion the list was long. We will honor those who have passed since our last reunion but we also honored those the Association found had passed on that we did not previously know about. We are very hopeful the list next year will be much shorter.
So the tradition stated this year will be an American flag for each of those Alumni who have passed since our last gathering placed on the tables around the room. As the names are read aloud, people at each table will take the flag with their name on it and walk up and place it in the memorial display next to the fallen brother table.
We will never forget our fallen brothers and sisters.
Tradition Never Graduates