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Crossing the Bar 

Sunset and evening star,
   And one clear call for me!
 And may there be no moaning of the bar,
   When I put out to sea,
 But such a tide as moving seems asleep,
   Too full for sound and foam,
 When that which drew from out the boundless deep
   Turns again home.
 Twilight and evening bell,
   And after that the dark! 
 And may there be no sadness of farewell,
   When I embark;
 For tho’ from out our bourne of Time and Place
   The flood may bear me far,
 I hope to see my Pilot face to face 
   When I have cross’d the bar.
                                          - Alfred, Lord Tennyson

How to Prepare for Crossing the Bar

Though it’s not a pleasant subject to consider, planning for our final days is a task too often left unattended. This can cause additional consternation and stress for your family in a time of great sorrow. Being prepared can alleviate that stress, and it’s not difficult to do. The phases of preparedness are planning; recognizing the signs of failing health, getting health care, and obtaining hospice care; reporting a spouse’s death; setting up services and burial; and how to carry on after the loss of a spouse.

Click HERE for a Class of 1966 “Preparation Brief” on steps to consider as we age.  Click HERE to link to Class Wellness Page and Resources.

Funerals and Interments

To support our Classmates and their spouses, following are links to resources that may be helpful.

Survivor Benefits

Honoring Our Classmates

We remember and honor our Classmates who have “cross’d the bar” ahead of us. If you wish to locate information about a deceased Classmate, please click on the blue “In Memoriam” button below for an alphabetized list including date of death, location and interment. The listing is updated periodically. Please note, the most recent list is as of 29 October 2023.

In Memoriam

For information on visiting the Columbarium and Cemetary, click HERE. Classmates who intend to be interred at the Naval Academy Columbarium will need to send the Academy a copy of their DD-214 to have on file. Your spouse also will be covered. Contact Anthony Whalen, awhalen@usna.edu, for details and to arrange services.

USNA Virtual Memorial Hall

The USNA Virtual Memorial Hall exists to perpetuate the memory of alumni of the United States Naval Academy who have died in service to their country. As President Lincoln said in his Gettysburg Address, “It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us — that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion.”

Click HERE for a link to the 36 1966 USNA graduates listed in the Virtual Memorial Hall. The Virtual Memorial Hall project was created and is maintained by Run To Honor, a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit organization founded in 2007. The mission of Run To Honor is to perpetuate the memory of Naval Academy alumni killed in action or in military operations in service to our nation, and to support Naval Academy Gold Star families. This site is not affiliated with or endorsed by the United States Department of Defense, the United States Navy, or the United States Naval Academy.

We Remember: Honor Our Fallen Heroes Video