Tapps

This weekend marks the 20th reunion of the WWII Navy Veterans that cycled through Farragut Naval Station, during the war. The Greatest Generation, and I have no problem in using that name, is aging and has announced that this is it, the last reunion.

Sixty three years ago, a huge effort was put forth to establish a Naval Basic Training Facility. The base was built, literally, from the materials onsite. Trees were cut down, milled onsite, then the green lumber was used to construct the entire installation, except the brig.

Today, the brig, built with concrete blocks, is the only building that was saved. According to the several vets that I interviewed, none of them were residents of the brig.

The organizers of the annual trek back to where they suffered the indignities of the Drill Instructors, have grown old, and tired, and unless younger Navy Vets come forth this will be the last one.

This week-end, we are enjoying the last great visit. Our lunch crowd at the Wheel was so great that I was asked to give up part of my day off tomorrow to help with the crowd. I am honored to help, and we here at the Captain's Wheel are honored by the visit of these, our heroes of another era.