Key Takeaways:
- In this blog, John Aldrich, Executive Director of Military and Academic Partnerships, shares his personal perspective on the U.S. Navy’s birthday, October 13, reflecting on his service as a Navy Hospital Corpsman, his time serving alongside Marines, and why the day continues to hold meaning for him.
- The University of Arizona has a unique connection to Navy history through USS Arizona (BB-39), which was lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. Of the ship’s crew, 1,177 Sailors and Marines lost their lives that day.
- That connection continues today. One of USS Arizona’s original bells is housed on the University of Arizona campus, along with a collection that preserves the stories of the ship and those who served aboard her.
- UAGC recognizes the Navy’s birthday as an opportunity to honor active-duty Sailors, veterans, retirees, spouses, and family members, as well as the military-connected students who balance their education with the demands of military life.
- For Aldrich, the connection to USS Arizona is also personal. While stationed at Pearl Harbor, he lived near the ship and passed the USS Arizona Memorial nearly every day, an experience that became a lasting reminder of the service and sacrifice of those who came before him.
Celebrating the Navy’s Birthday and what it Means to Me and the University of Arizona
The University of Arizona has a particularly meaningful connection to naval history through USS Arizona (BB-39), the battleship named for the state and lost during the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941.
Of the ship’s crew, 1,177 Sailors and Marines lost their lives that day. The sunken battleship remains the final resting place for more than 900 of them and stands as one of our nation’s most solemn symbols of service and sacrifice.
That connection is preserved on the University of Arizona campus. One of the ship’s original bells is housed in the tower of the Student Union Memorial Center, a building whose design incorporates architectural elements inspired by the battleship. The University of Arizona also maintains the USS Arizona Lounge and an extensive collection dedicated to preserving the stories of the ship and those who served aboard her.
For the University of Arizona community, USS Arizona represents much more than a shared name. It creates an enduring responsibility to remember the Sailors and Marines who served aboard the ship and to ensure that their courage and sacrifice are never forgotten. Learn more about the University of Arizona’s connection to USS Arizona.
Why Is the Navy’s Birthday Important to the University of Arizona Global Campus?
The University of Arizona Global Campus (UAGC) is proud to serve a community that includes active-duty Sailors, Navy veterans, retirees, spouses, and family members, along with faculty and staff who have their own connections to naval service.
Recognizing the Navy’s birthday allows us to honor their contributions and acknowledge the unique experiences they bring to our classrooms and University community. Military-connected learners balance their education with deployments, permanent changes of station, family responsibilities, demanding duty schedules, and the challenges of transitioning from military to civilian life.
As part of the University of Arizona community, we also share a special connection to USS Arizona and the responsibility to preserve the legacy of those who served aboard her. The ship’s bell on the University of Arizona’s campus and the memorial above her resting place at Pearl Harbor connect our institution to generations of Sailors and Marines whose service helped shape our Nation.
The appearance of U.S. Department of War (DoW) visual information does not imply or constitute DoW endorsement.
Celebrating the Navy’s birthday is one way we can honor that legacy while reaffirming our commitment to helping today’s military-connected students pursue their educational and professional goals.
Why Is the Navy’s Birthday Important to Me?
The Navy’s birthday is deeply personal to me because I had the privilege of serving as a Navy Hospital Corpsman. My service also gave me the opportunity to serve alongside Marines as a Fleet Marine Force Corpsman.
Hospital Corpsmen occupy a special place in naval history. They serve aboard ships, in military treatment facilities, and wherever Sailors and Marines operate. When assigned to Marine units, Corpsmen train, deploy, and share the same hardships as the Marines entrusted to their care. Although they remain Sailors, they become part of the Marine Corps family and earn something that carries a meaning difficult to explain unless you have experienced it: the trust of their Marines.
Being called “Doc” is not simply a nickname. It is a responsibility and an expression of confidence. It means that Marines believe their Corpsman will be there when needed — often during their most difficult moments. That bond does not disappear when military service ends.
My connection to USS Arizona is also personal. While stationed at Pearl Harbor, I lived within approximately 100 yards of the ship and passed the USS Arizona Memorial nearly every day. For many people, visiting the memorial is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. For me, its presence became part of my daily life.
Yet familiarity never diminished its significance. Passing the memorial was a constant reminder that beneath the quiet waters rested hundreds of Sailors and Marines who never returned home. It placed the Navy’s history — and the true cost of service — directly in front of me each day.
At the time, I could not have known that my professional journey would eventually bring me to UAGC, connecting me once again to the name Arizona. Today, knowing that one of the ship’s bells is preserved at the University of Arizona makes that connection even more meaningful. In many ways, USS Arizona links my past service with the work I now have the privilege of doing on behalf of military-connected students.
My experiences in the Navy and with the Marine Corps helped shape the person and leader I became. They taught me the importance of service, accountability, teamwork, and taking care of people. Those lessons have remained with me throughout my career and continue to influence how I approach our responsibility to military-connected students.
On the Navy’s birthday, I reflect with gratitude on the Sailors with whom I served, the Marines who accepted me as one of their own, and the generations who stood the watch before us. I also remember the Sailors and Marines of USS Arizona, whose sacrifice remains permanently embedded in the history of the Navy, Pearl Harbor, and the University of Arizona.
To every Sailor, veteran, retiree, and Navy family member within our university community: thank you for your service, your sacrifices, and the contributions you continue to make.
Happy birthday to the United States Navy.
Are you a Sailor seeking a flexible college degree? Learn more about how UAGC supports military-connected students, especially those in the U.S. Navy, and talk to an advisor today!
