Dear President-Elect Trump:
Enter The United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, and everywhere you look you see the phrase: “Go Navy. Beat Army.”
Enter The United States Military Academy at West Point and everywhere you look you see the phrase: “Go Army. Beat Navy.”
The Army-Navy rivalry eclipses every other rivalry in America. No other rivalry even comes close. The most well-known part of the rivalry is the Army-Navy football game, heralded as America’s Game, and held every year on the second Saturday of December–today. But the rivalry is far more than just a football game. The rivalry exists in every sport in which they each compete as well. Army and Navy compete for everything—including cadets. But for today’s letter, I focus on only the football game.
A desire to beat the other permeates every square inch of each academy. It is woven into their apparel, taught in their classes, sung in their cadences.
I had no reference for the Army-Navy rivalry until a few years ago.
When my son was twelve, he had a paper route. That meant that I also had a paper route. In retrospect, I count that experience with my son as one of my most rewarding and significant of life’s accomplishments. It was during these early morning paper runs that my son disclosed to me his ideas and dreams. It was on one of those early morning paper runs that he told me he wanted to go to West Point.
“Sure,” I said. “No reason why you can’t.”
Eight years later he entered West Point. Four years after that, he threw his hat high into the air with the rest of his graduating class. It was a moment never to be forgotten.
During his four years at West Point, I drank the Army-Navy rivalry Kool-Aid and became a real fan.
Several aspects of the rivalry impressed/amazed me. First, if they had to choose one or the other, both Army and Navy would rather lose every other game of the season as long as they could win the Army-Navy football game.
Second, people’s loyalty to one or the other is deeply held. And it’s OK to be one or the other. Both are admirable, and each respects the sacrifice required to be a cadet or midshipman. Neither team’s fans hate or deride those of the other.
Third, Army-Navy football games are not marred by bad sportsmanship, anger, or hatred. Each is the consummate sportsman and competitor. Despite being the biggest rivalry, it is also the most polite.
Lastly, as much as they each want to win, they are cadets and midshipmen second, and Americans first.
After each game, cadets and midshipmen come together. Each team sings the fight song of the other. They leave the field together as Americans, united in a singular cause rather than divided partisans.
Americans first–That’s what we need to be. Our leaders in Washington could learn from Army cadets, Navy Midshipmen, and their respective fans everywhere. They compete for supremacy amongst each other. But regardless of the winner, they come together in unity.
Republicans and Democrats could do that in Washington. Our country would be stronger if they did.
One last thing: Go Army! Beat Navy! And today, for the first time since 2001, that happened.
Sincerely,
David O. Leavitt
