An Annapolis First Classman

When three midshipmen—Glassfell, Drake and Stonewell—meet at Chicago’s Union Station, their banter feels like a reunion of old comrades rather than a brief stop before duty. The scene captures the ease of their friendship, the swagger of fresh graduates, and the looming call back to Annapolis where they will join the football squad and begin the demanding second‑year curriculum. Their spirited exchange hints at the mix of humor and seriousness that will shape their next months of drills, classroom study, and academy life.

Author Edward L. Beach uses this slice of academy life to give listeners a realistic portrait of naval training in the early twentieth century, where sea‑service veterans teach navigation, gunnery and seamanship to eager cadets. The narrative weaves classroom lectures, target practice on six‑pounders, and the pressure of a coveted football game against rival schools into a vivid, everyday rhythm. Along the way the trio encounters a small mystery that sparks curiosity while underscoring the bonds that hold them together.