USNA 26th Company

From USNA Virtual Memorial Hall


The company is the most important unit in the Brigade of Midshipmen. Companies eat, sleep, study, drill, and compete together. Comprised of roughly 30-35 midshipmen from each of all four classes, they are led by 1/c Midshipmen. There are currently 30 companies in the Brigade, though this number has ranged from 8 in the late 1920s to 36 from the late 1940s to the late 1990s.

Some classes are in the same company for all four years; there is also "shotgunning" (all midshipmen in a class, usually following plebe year, are moved randomly to a different company) and "rifling" (again usually following plebe year, an entire group would move from one company to another). Even though many alumni were a part of more than one company during their four years at the Naval Academy, the list below is reflective of the company from which they graduated.


1966 Emmett LB.jpg
John Emmett, Jr.
Class of 1966

CAPT, USMC

Birmingham, Michigan

July 12, 1974 (30 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 212, Fixed Wing, USNA 26th Company




1967 McCleery LB.jpg
Robert McCleery
Class of 1967

LTJG, USN

Garden City, New York

November 25, 1969 (24 years old)

Operational loss, Attack Squadron (VA) 172, Fixed Wing, USNA 26th Company



1970 Powrie LB.jpg
Stuart Powrie
Class of 1970

LCDR, USN

Akron, Ohio

February 22, 1982 (34 years old)

Operational loss, Blue Angels, Fixed Wing, USNA 26th Company


1972 Davis LB.jpg
Dan Davis
Class of 1972

LT, USN

Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

March 10, 1980 (30 years old)

Operational loss, Air Anti-Submarine Squadron (VS) 41, Fixed Wing, USNA 26th Company







2003 Blecksmith LB.jpg
James Blecksmith
Class of 2003

2LT, USMCR

San Marino, California

November 11, 2004 (24 years old)

KIA, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, Global War on Terrorism, Iraq, Ground, USNA 26th Company