America's Game
Army-Navy Football and American Life
First things first, what a season! Army Football is having a run like never before in this century. They are 11-1, with the only loss going to powerhouse Notre Dame. It’s been an epic journey thus far—this is the first time since 1996 (and only the seventh time in West Point’s history) that Army started the season 9-0 and last Friday, Army won its first conference championship, beating Tulane in the AAC Championship Game at Michie Stadium, and may get a shot to compete for national championship. And this Saturday comes THE game: Army-Navy.
As a grad, I find this so exciting. The Army team persisted through a long stretch of hard seasons, but in the past decade, it has thrived under Coach Monken’s leadership. This year has taken things to a new level and I’m looking forward to the Army team taking this energy all the way to a victory this Saturday at the Washington Commanders Stadium in Landover, Maryland.
And as an American, I appreciate the special significance this game has to our nation. Since the first Army-Navy in 1890, the game has grown into a major national event that draws in millions of Americans. While it holds special meaning for those in the military community, its fans come from all walks of life, drawn to this one game where on “fields of friendly strife” the future leaders of our armed forces do battle.
One of the early Army-Navy football games. Source: Army.mil.
During some of the darkest times in our nation’s history, the game has been a source of light and hope. The Army-Navy game in December 2001, for example, was watched by more viewers than any other college football game of the decade (2000-2010). Two players from that game, both Navy, later gave their lives in the war on terror.
In this game there were echoes of December 1944. As chronicled in Randy Roberts’s book, A Team For America: The Army-Navy Game That Rallied a Nation at War, the Army-Navy game was both an amazing display of athletics (Army and Navy were ranked #1 and #2 respectively) and an inspiration for a nation at war. As Heisman Trophy winner and West Point class of 1958 graduate Peter Dawkins writes, “It is a story of our country. Of a time when college football — and this remarkable Army team — helped rekindle hope and confidence throughout the land.”
Every year I attended Army-Navy as a cadet (2003-2006) the nation was at war, with large-scale military deployments to Iraq and Afghanistan. And while both the cadets and midshipman still cheered and competed as aggressively as ever, we knew there was a larger battlefield waiting for us, one where we would stand shoulder to shoulder. The spirit videos sent in from Army and Navy units deployed to the front lines, combat veterans and Gold Star families in the stadium, and the presence of senior national leadership, including President George W. Bush for one, all kept the war close during the game. When we sang the West Point Alma Mater at the end, the closing stanza stayed with us:
And when our work is done,
Our course on earth is run,
May it be said, "Well done"
Be thou at peace.
E'er may that line of gray
Increase from day to day
Live, serve, and die, we pray,
West Point, for thee
Army sings the West Point Alma Mater following the 2019 Army-Navy game. Source: DVIDS.
But as serious as the situation was, we still had a lot of fun. Spirit missions are a long-standing tradition with Army-Navy. During my time as a cadet, some of the funniest pranks were spearheaded by Mike Nemeth from the class of 2004. In the years since, Mike has continued to lead the way in spirit missions. As a native son of New England, I especially loved his campaign last year for the 2023 Army-Navy game held outside Boston at Gillette Stadium, Keep Boston Goat Free. You can see Mike’s latest and greatest, a Beat Navy playlist on Spotify, for this year’s game. And even the West Point leadership gets in on spirit videos. You can see last year’s Beat Navy clip here.
Army takes the field at the 2017 Army-Navy game in Philadelphia. Source: DVIDS.
This unique mix of the sacred and the spirited will be on full display this Saturday as Army and Navy go head-to-head. Whoever triumphs—and it will be Army—the nation will see a heartening display of duty, honor, and country. How our nation decides to take those values forward following the game is not something we will settle on the field; those decisions fall on each of us as a citizen.
But for now, let us take part in and enjoy this remarkable game. And Go Army! Beat Navy!
Additional Resources:
Learn more about the Army-Navy rivalry here.
This year, Army’s uniform will honor the 101st Screaming Eagles, “Rendezvous with Destiny”, legacy. You can learn more about the 101st and the design collaboration behind Army’s gear here.
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