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U.S. Naval Academy Graduation Diploma 1941 by Allan Wayne
Here's the full Naval Academy diploma, with two angry-looking dragons. For the record, America never hurt a single dragon, as far as I know. Don't hang that one on us.
Pretty weird anchor ornamentation. Not sure what the cadet artists were drinking.
And the officer cadet holding the sextant [ The scale of a sextant has a length of 1/6 turn (60 -)] , underneath it says "Toujours Fidele", which is a French way of saying "we will kick your ass, under the right circumstances", and has nothing to do with Fidel Castro, who came later. Ok, we liked French in those days, although WWII was just beginning, and we had not liberated Paris yet. The diploma is dated December 19, 1941.
The ominous angel on the left looks like Christopher Walken playing Archangel Gabriel in the 1995 horror movie The Prophecy.
At the bottom, I think that is Pan in the water with a flute or trumpet. Who knows? Nudity, sea horses, whatever floats your boat. All that is missing is Neut Gingrich and a box of wine. Yes, the LORD also figures prominently on the papyrus. What Lord, I think we probably all know.
My father had a premonition he would not survive the war. He almost did not, due to a torpedo hitting his ship in the Battle of Leyte in the Philippines, After six years on a ship, he had had enough, although he did get called up during the Korean War, and thereafter continued his duty in the reserves.
The diploma is very cool. I just wish diplomas nowadays measured up. Mine looks like fish wrap compared to 1941.
