Mahan thought a Central American canal would reorient the commercial epicenter of the globe, shifting it from Great Britain to the United States. But control of the canal would depend on sea power.

Mahan as Geoeconomic Strategist

Mahan sets forth examples of what may today be called the larger economic, cultural, and technological ecosystem required for control of the seas.

Colonel Walter M. Hudson, U.S. Army (Retired)
January 2024
In fall 1970, the Naval Academy held a press conference on the plight of POW/MIA families. Midshipmen Rick Rubel and Joe Glover flank Brigade Commander Mike Hecomovich, with the replica bamboo cage in the background.

Two Midshipmen and a Mission

The midshipmen’s story is included in H. Michael Gelfand’s 2006 book, Sea Change at Annapolis, but their efforts were largely unreported at the time.

Captain Tal Manvel, U.S. Navy (Retired)
October 2023