“Do you come from a military family?”
This is a common question you get asked here at the academy.
No, I’m not a military brat, but my family does come from a history of service to this country in the United States Navy.
My great grandfather, my grandfather, and my uncle all served in the Navy. Just walk into our family’s house in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire, a house that is five generations old, and you will see a variety of the small knick knacks, decorations, books, memorabilia and pictures that are Navy related. I grew up with these things around me my entire life.
In the front yard there is giant tree, and it isn’t just any tree, it is “The Tree”. The Tree is the spot to take family pictures, and it always has been. The memories that have been captured in front of it are limitless. It ranges from little kids running around in diapers, first kisses, wedding photos, birthdays, family pictures, Fourth of July shenanigans, and the list is still growing. As you grow up and age, the tree grows with you. The tree connects our family, past and present, because it has always been special to the Aspinwall family.
One day I came across a picture, one that I had seen many times before. It was of my great grandfather in front of the tree. He was wearing his SDB’s (Service Dress Blues) and the tree was much smaller than it was now. I never met my great grandfather but I wanted to do something to capture the family history in one picture. This past year on the Fourth of July, my sister Liana helped me create this photo. I can't put into words what it felt like to stand in the same exact spot that my great grandfather did many years ago. Although these pictures were many years apart, we were both in the cloth of our nation representing a service much bigger than ourselves. There is also another picture that I have seen a million times where my great grandfather and grandfather are standing together on the porch after they enlisted, both in uniform, which was taken not far from the tree.
To see pictures of these two men standing in uniform where I was now standing in my uniform was a very special moment for me. For an instant it felt like time didn’t exist. It was as if they were standing right there with me, all of us in uniform fighting on the same team just years apart. It had been six years since my grandfather had passed away but this was a sweet reminder that he is still with me. Now that I was at the Naval Academy these pictures and the history inside of the Wolfeboro house had a different meaning to me, and meant more to me than it ever had before. I was carrying on a family tradition, a tradition that I grew up admiring my grandfather for. I was the fourth generation to serve in the Navy and now I was apart of the legacy.
This picture could tell many stories but I am going to tell the one I think my grandfather would want you to hear. I want his legacy to live on, I want you to see how much he meant to me and my family, and how he still remains my inspiration.
Without a doubt, the Fourth of July is my family’s favorite holiday, mostly because of how much it meant to my grandfather. Every Fourth, he would proudly hang the big 48 star flag (the one in the picture) from his father’s ship the minute he got up. Not long after you would hear “Stars and Stripes Forever” blasting in the kitchen and the nonstop car horns honking for the giant flag. I would walk downstairs to him conducting everyone else who was up already to the melody of this patriotic song. Even though he is no longer with us this tradition is still carried on today. He instilled in us that the flag stands for freedom, the freedom he fought for alongside his father, the freedom that his son would go on to fight for after him and the freedom I hope to fight for in the near future. He taught us that freedom does not come easy.
He seldom spoke about his time in the Navy but when he did, it was meaningful, and it came from the bottom of his heart. It was hard for him to talk about it. My Aunt told me that often times when he would speak about his time in the Navy, especially when talking about his experience on D-Day, he would choke up and have to walk away. To be honest, I don’t remember him telling extravagant stories about his time in the service, or talking about things that he had experienced or seen, but I remember the type of person that he was because of his time in the Navy and how he treated people. He was so proud to have served this great country and went out of his way to solute or thank any veteran he saw. I don't think he ever actually watched the parade on the Fourth of July because he was too busy thanking everyone for their service. What I remember the most as a little girl though, is his hat, it read “USS Hancock”. He wore that hat everywhere. I don't think I ever saw him without it on. He was proud of his service and we all were proud of him for serving. Although he had a tough time talking about the specific details of his time in the Navy he was not afraid to let people know that he was a veteran. He joined the Navy at the young age of 17 and the type of person the military shaped him into stayed with him through his entire life, all the way up until the day he died. The military changes you, and it changed him for the good. I always aspired to be type of person that my grandfather was and I have always looked up to the example that he set.
Naval service is in my blood, and I am standing where I am today at the United States Naval Academy because of my family members who inspired me to follow in their footsteps. Thank you for your service, gentlemen.
"The views expressed, [in this article] reflect personal opinions of the authors and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Naval Academy, the United States Navy, any federal agency, the Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government"
