On May 23 United States Naval Academy graduated 1068 midshipmen under a refreshingly cool Friday to kick off theMemorial Day weekend. 784 were commissioned as Navy Ensigns and 265 as Marine Corps 2nd Lieutenants. There were 12 foreign national students graduating from Brunei, Ecuador, Georgia, Jamaica, Lebanon, Lithuania, Maldives, Panama and Taiwan.
The top graduate is David Fitzgerald WIlliams, from Roanoke, Virginia who was a political science and economics major. He will be commissioned as a Maraine Corps second lieutenant.
Matthew James Lanoue of Annapolis was the class salutatorian. He was an electrical engineering major and will be commissioned as a Navy ensign and train as a submariner.
This is the 164th traditional graduation ceremony. Since 1845, approximately 81,500 midshipmen have graduated from the Naval Academy. Since 1980, more than 4400 women including the class of 2014 have graduated from the United States Naval Academy.
Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel addressed the graduates this morning at about 1020am. The secretary was joined on the rostrum by Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus, Vice Adm. Michael Miller Superintendent of the Naval Academy, and Capt. Bill Byrne Commandant of midshipmen, Admiral Jonathan Greenert, Chief of Naval Operations among other military and political officials.
Additional photos will be coming soon.