Evening star., 1951-06-01
.722 Graduates
AT Annapolis
Hear Marshall
481 Will Go to Seq,
TT to Air Force
After Ceremonies
BY the Assoeie,ed Press

BY the Assoeietsd Press
ANNAPOLIS, June Am old
Army man, Secretary Of Defense
Marshall. will help 722 Navy mid
shipmen up their anchors today
after four years on the Severn
River.
Gen. Marshall was to make the
Naval Academy commencement
address shortly before noon in
Dahlgren Hall, decorated with
blue and gold bunting for the oc-
|casion.
An estimated 10000, as big q
crowd as ever in the 80-year his
tory of the event, watched Miss
Fredda Coupland of Wildwood,
Fla, serve as color girl yesterday
as best girl of Midshipman James
A. Winnefeld of the best COM
pany. The 3,500-man brigade
marched and saluted for her. Then
she presented the colors to her
boy friends company.
They all went dancing last night.
Most Due for Sea Duty.
Most of the 722 receiving
diplomas today will head for sea
as ensigns. These, numbering
'481, will be sworn in by Rear
Admiral James L. Holloway, jr.,
former superintendent Of the
academy.
1t. Gen. Richard E. Nugent.
deputy chief of staff. will swear
in lit as second lieutenants In the
Air Force. Gen. Clifton B. Gates
will swear in 40 as lieutenants in
the Marines, Of which he Is COM
|mandant.
Seven from foreign countries
will receive diplomas and be COM
|missioned in their own navies
later. Eight will be given honor
able discharges for physical rea-
sons. although one, Bob Renne.
man of Port Washington, N. Y,
will be accepted by the Army.
At 6-foot-6 he is inches over the
Navy maximum.
Vacation Aboard Ship.
The graduating midshipmen will
signal the end of their student
days by tossing their white-cov-
cred hats into the air. A year
lof subservience for the plebes
(freshmen) will end when one Of
them races to the Herndon Monu.
Iment and climbs it.
The summer vacation for the
first and third classes will start
tomorrow-aboard ship.
Waiting for them are 13 ships.
led by the battleships Missouri
and Wisconsin. The squadron,
commanded by Admiral Holloway.
who now is commander of the
Atlantic Cruiser Force. will pick
UP GAL Naval Reserve officers
training at IA colleges in Norfolk
and cruise European waters fof
two months.
Before they leave, So Of the
graduates will marry. The rush
to the altars will tax two chapels,
the ceremonies being scheduled at
half-hour intervals today and to.
morrow. Twelve couples will have
to wait until Sunday and three
until Monday.
Reviews Parade.
The two battleships and the
cruiser Albany arrived off-shore
yesterday in time to fire salutes
for the presentation of colors, the
spit-and-polish highlight Of June
Week.
Miss Coupland, 81, a petite,
brown-eyed coed from Florida.
dressed in white organdy gown
and picture hat, was enthroned
as queen by the brigade.
She reviewed a full-dress pa.
rade by the brigade beside Vice
Admiral Harry w. Hill, academy
superintendent. This is a tradi-
tional honor granted color girls"
since 1871.
She's a senior at Stetson Uni
versity, where she is majoring in
biology.
Carries COlOrs to Company.
Before the midshipmen marched
past in blue and white full dress
Charlie" Miss Coupland became
the center of attraction.
In the traditional ceremony.
she took first the Stars and Stripes
from the 9th Company and
brought them over to Midshipman
Winnefeld, commanding the 18th.
Then she returned for the blue
brigade colors and carried the
flag over to him. Then she
stretched up to her 6-foot-2 mid
die. no longer at attention, and
they embraced. She is S feet, 4
inches. The kiss has been a ira
ditional reward for leading the
best company.
The lucky company will carry
the colors all next hear.