‘Full speed ahead’: Trump salutes Naval Academy grads
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — President Donald Trump paid homage to the military Friday in a speech to the graduating class at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland, declaring to more than 1,000 incoming officers, “You are winners, you are warriors,” and invoking Navy legends to urge them on in their careers.
Trump, relishing the traditions of Annapolis, cited Adm. David Farragut’s famous cry and added his own punctuating twist for emphasis. “Damn the torpedoes – full speed ahead!” he said. “Boom.”
Over and over, the president voiced confidence in the nation’s military might, in a 34-minute address that hit rhetorical notes familiar from many of his other speeches. “In case you haven’t noticed, we have become a lot stronger lately,” he told the graduates.
At other points he said: “We are witnessing the great reawakening of the American spirit and American might. ... Yes, they’re respecting us again. Yes, America is back. ... Victory, winning – beautiful words. But that’s what it’s all about.”
Trump pledged to support better services for veterans and fire those who fail to deliver. He boasted of higher spending on military equipment. “That means new ships – you like that,” he said, drawing laughter.
Trump drew applause and cheers from the crowd as he entered Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium shortly before 10 a.m. and again as he took the stage. He was given a 21gun salute, and then the Navy’s famed Blue Angels flew overhead in formation.
There were 1,042 graduates in the class, 783 men and 259 women. More than 780 will be serving in the Navy and more than 230 in the Ma- rine Corps. One received an interservice commission with the Air Force. A smattering of other graduates were from foreign countries or were not receiving military commissions.
The ceremonies took place under a blue sky with temperatures climbing into the 80s, at an athletic venue where hallowed events in Navy and Marine Corps history are commemorated in blue capital lettering on facades next to spectators: Midway, Okinawa, the Cuban missile crisis and more.
In their last hours as midshipmen, members of the graduating class gathered on a plaza overlooking the turf field, milling around a bronze statue of the Navy mascot, Bill the Goat. Known still as “firsties,” shorthand for first-class midshipmen, and clad in dress uniform, they were relishing the final moments before their commissioning as naval ensigns or Marine second lieutenants, and departure to assignments around the world.