The most important football game of the year, the most intense college rivalry with the most tradition, Army Vs Navy, will be played on Saturday as Cadets of Army meet the Midshipman of Navy (United States Military Academy and the United States Naval Academy) for the 108th time in Philadelphia (Philadelphia is about equidistant from both Academies (West Point New York and Annapolis Maryland) so it was always considered neutral ground and has been the site of most of the Army Navy games).

I know what some of you may be thinking, what about UCLA and USC, or Ohio State and Michigan? Usually these schools have much better teams with much better records. I’m not hearing it, nothing compares to Army Navy. The game is watched by service men and women around the world, and is often attended by the President of the United States, who traditionally sits on the Navy side of the field for half of the game, and the Army side for the other half. The players are there for one reason, and it is not to go on and play in the NFL.

It is such an important part of the life of a Midshipman (and of Cadets as well), that it is one of the 4 annual events from which Academy life is generally reckoned. Any Plebe can tell you how many days until:

1.       The next leave (time off)

2.       Second Class Ring Dance (the dance and evening when USNA Juniors can “legally” wear their class ring)

3.       First Class Graduation (the day seniors graduate and are commissioned in the Navy or Marine Corp)

4.       “We Beat the Hell out of Army (sir!)!

In my days as a Mid, 1968 through 1972, “when ships were made of wood and men were made of steel,” the day of the game began with reveille at 0400 (4:00 AM), followed by Morning Meal Formation and then down to the mess hall for breakfast of “legs and eggs” (fried chicken legs and scrambled eggs). On the tables were the makings for sandwiches and lunch, which everyone made for the bus ride up to Philadelphia. The Academy chartered about 40 buses for the trip and it was quite a caravan. Our lunches were usually gone by 8:00 AM, who could wait to eat?

Upon arrival at the old JFK Stadium near the Philadelphia Naval Yard, we “formed up” by Company for the “March On.” It was always a thrill to enter a stadium of 100,000 cheering fans, and broadcast on national television (instant replay was introduced at the Army Navy Game in 1963).

For many years the game was held on Thanksgiving Weekend Saturday. It changed a few years back to the first Saturday in December. We always attended class on Saturday at the Academy but Army Navy game was different. We all got Thanksgiving Day off, attended our normal Saturday classes on Thanksgiving Friday, and then off to the game in Philly early Saturday Morning.

At the end of the game the alma maters of the losing team and then the winning team are played and sung by all the Mids and Cadets. The winning team stands alongside the losing team and faces the losing academy side; then the losing team accompanies the winning team, facing the winning Academy’s side. This is done in a show of mutual respect and solidarity, as we considered ourselves “comrades in arms.” Another tradition for plebes was to make your way down to the field after the game, meet with a plebe from the other Academy, and exchange a cuff link, which you then wore the rest of your time at the Academy (on the left arm, so it would not be visible when you saluted, lest you be put on report for being out of uniform). I still have that cufflink I got from that Army plebe in November of 1968.

No matter the outcome, there will always be another Army Navy Game, and the continuation of a great rivalry. Those of us who have lived it, know there is nothing that compares.

Go Navy, BEAT ARMY!

Saul

Saul Klein

President/CEO,