After my meeting with Dr. Holtgrewe, I started construction of my kit of the U.S.S. San Francisco. So far, I've mostly focused on small details, such as the battleports the covered the ship's portholes during battle. I've been experimenting with Dr. Holtgrewe's method of using superglue to attach metal parts, and I hope to use his signature technique of combining cyanoacrylate glue with traditional model cement to make a faster bond. I plan to call Dr. Holtgrewe shortly to discuss attending a meeting of his modelling club, the Severna Park Model Railway Club. I also uncovered a new box of documents from the 1920s while exiting the archives, which contained a treasure trove of information from that era. I found an early copy of both men's distinguished alumni citations, and a period article showing Schonland next to a different model of the San Francisco, which will be useful as a primary source photograph. Apart from just those two documents, I enjoyed reading through Spanish Civil War-era sources about Vernon Selby, the first Severn alumnus to make the ultimate sacrifice in wartime, and reading through Severn students' USNA and USMA applications from the 1920s, which were filled out by teachers at Severn. Given that I am going through that same process myself, I found it fascinating just how much has changed from the early days of USNA's history, at a time when the First World War was still "current events" rather than "history," while some things, such as recommendation forms, courses, and GPAs, are still the same today. I look forward to continuing my progress on the San Francisco throughout December. New article about Severn's first two distinguished alumni, portraying Schonland standing next to a similar model of the U.S.S. San Francisco Detail of attaching the battleports to the San Francisco's hull with superglue
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Alex BreniaMy name is Alex Brenia, and I am a senior at Severn School. I am passionate about military history and service to veterans, as I come from a military family. I see this project as a unique opportunity to combine both of these interests, within the scope of the Severn community as a whole. Archives
September 2021
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