I Wish I Could Find That 'Blog Again!**UPDATED**

On the night after President Obama gave the address to the Naval Academy graduates, I was clicking around the Web, probably bored, possibly actually looking for something, who knows? I seem to have wandered into a 'blog that I don't normally read. Or maybe it was a 'blog I do normally read and they were having an "I am a liar and I hate President Obama" moment, I am not sure.

Either way the post I read was complaining that the graduates were not allowed to wear their ceremonial swords because of security reasons, simply because the President was going to be there.

Hmmmm, I said. I googled it. I snopesed it. I searched everywhere I could find and found one vague reference (on a blog!) to the swords and the fact that they had not been worn since 9/11.

Where do I find this information? Where do I look? I am really curious now.

So I emailed the Naval Academy. And waited. And waited. And waited.

Frankly, I had forgotten about it and now, today, I receive an email back from them (THANK YOU!) with an answer.

My email:


Good evening,

I was happy to see President Obama's speech to the 2009 Naval Academy Graduates, but I have heard a lot of grumbling about the fact that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords to the ceremony. I saw somewhere that this has been the policy since 9/11, but it was not on any official site. Has this been the policy since 9/11 or was this a new policy specifically for President Obama's address?

Thank you for your time and attention in this matter,

LeftLeaningLady*
Navy Spouse (retired)
AF Veteran

Their answer:

Ma’am,

Swords have never been worn to graduation by Midshipmen or others anytime in recent memory. They are only worn for ceremonial purposes such as parades, and then only by Brigade Officers.

Respectfully

Unfortunately I do not remember which blasted website had the original post! How annoying.

But I know the truth and will be able to pass it on to anyone else I find who does not know what they are talking about. On this subject. Because it comes up so often.

*Yes, I signed my real name in the email.

**UPDATE**
Apparently I did NOT read a 'blog whining about this. On Friday afternoons, DSD and I have drinks with friends. There are a large group of people we know who go to this same bar. I like it on the Fridays I get off work early enough to drive home first, so that DSD can drive us both to the bar. (Many Fridays I don't get off work early, then I am stuck drinking mostly soda). Apparently on the night in question, I had gotten off work early, DSD had driven us both and I had, to put it politely, over-imbibed. On the way home DSD told me about one of the guys complaining about this. "It was a great speech, but it is ridiculous that the graduates were not allowed to wear their swords." So, the result was the same. I found the answer. I will print the email and carry it around with me until I run into this man again, since he may or may not be there this Friday. I just figured I should confess my drunken state. Still the email I sent to the Academy was pretty well written for a drunk a$$.