Let me tell you about the first and last Navy - Air Force game at the old RFK, in Washington. Fall 1970.
Our, plebes, first time out of the yard since June 29th. Game was about now .. it had been awhile. After game we walked to Georgetown. One group of mids, oh, for you younguns, drinking age was 18 back then, anyway, rowdily crashed a SECSTATE diplomatic dinner at some fancy hotel. There were brawls up and down Pennsylvania Avenue, and Air Force cadets did something worse with some SecSef functions. I was not a drinker then, but had a good time.
We had to load buses at 12:30 on the Mall. Walking to the busses it was a combination of Zombie Apocalypse and an after battle scene from a major Civil War Slaughter.
People were staggering around on the Mall, just like Zombies, not ones or tens, but hundreds. The Mall was covered with uniform parts and pieces. Shit was everywhere.
Getting on the bus, I had puke run into my shoes, there was that much in the isle ,,, several inches. The bus looked like a body transport vehicle with bodies in all sorts of contorted positions. Constant puking and wretching.
We had an hour ride back to Annapolis.
I did not know much, but I knew this was really, really bad.
People came in all night, the sounds and smell of alcohol enduced puke filled the air.
Next day, a sunny day, they announced inside noon formation. That was odd. Many people looked rough. The company officers were all there. Again highly unusual.
Then we, collectively received the greatest ass chewing of all time, delivered over the inside speaker system by Capt. R.P Coogan, USN, Commandant of Midshipman. He got the midshipmen, then the Company Officers (O-4s) and then the Battalion officers (O-5s), and then back to the mids. I can't remember, but bad shit happened, I think the whole brigade was essentially restricted to our rooms for a week or two.
That was in 1970. Only very recently have Navy and Air Force resumed playing in Washington, and it is in FedEx Field, or whatever it is called, safely out of harm's way.
Shane, you da man. You know how this shit goes down. My first, very first thought when I heard about this was "Navy - Air Force RFK. I swear, I can still remember vividly the thousands of uniforms, parts and pieces scattered all over the mall.
And there you have it.
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