The bright spot of the summer of 1982, when my grandmother died, was being introduced to Pappy's Sing Along at the Little Creek Officers' Club. Obviously, I bought a song book, and drank the weak beer. I was a Midshipman on an LST ... can't remember the name or number of the ship, and my mother divorced several years later and I lost all my college mementos. That summer, I just knew that I was being a part of great tradition at Pappy's Sing Along! I didn't end up going in the Navy because with the death of my grandmother I fell into a deep depression and was released from further service. In the years to come, I attained a PhD and became successful, but sometimes I think I missed out on the greatest adventure of my life by not going into the Navy!