The first formal movement for a Navy came from Rhode Island, whose State Assembly passed on August 26, 1775, a resolution instructing its delegates to Congress to introduce legislation calling "for building at the Continental expense a fleet of sufficient force, for the protection of these colonies, and for employing them in such a manner and places as will most effectively annoy our enemies..." The US Navy was finally established during the Revolutionary War on October 13, 1775 by the Continental Congress thru the efforts of the Navys patron, John Adams. The Continental Congress authorized the purchase of the first two ships of the line to be commissioned, the frigates USS Alfred and the USS Andrew Doria, of eventually 65 frigates to be commissioned to defend the colonies from the British fleet ( only 11 frigates were still afloat at the end of the Revolutionary War). The Long Blue Line includes the Father of our Navy, John Paul Jones, who was the Continental Navys first officer to be appointed to the rank of 1st Lieutenant, and the many famous Naval heroes/personalities who followed in his footsteps, they included Preble, Lawrence, Perry, Decatur, Barry, Porter, Hull, Dahlgren, Farragut, Bancroft, Mahan, Bainbridge, Luce, Dewey, Peary, Carney, King, Halsey, Nimitz, Spruance, Leahy, Rickover, Burke, Holloway, Bagley, Moorer, and so many more. We honor and remember the many Patriots who served the Republic in the US Navy and the US Marine Corps over the past 237 years, and lost their lives in service to the Republic. I reflect with satisfaction in my association with shipmates during my 30 years and 3 months of service in the US Navy, in addition to my 4 years of service as a Midshipman in the US Navy while matriculating at the US Naval Academy, a total of honorable service of 34 years and 3 months in the US Navy. My thoughts go back to the very fine and loyal Naval Academy Classmates who I had the true pleasure of associating with in my youth, who subsequently honorably served in the US Navy, US Marine Corps, and in other branches of the US Armed Forces; in many cases many of them gave the last full measure of devotion to their country in defense of the Republic; we honor them and their service. Unfortunately if the current Administration is re-elected, they fully intend to reduce the US Navy in size, to fewer ships than the US Navy had before World War I, and they will subsequently weaken the ability of the US Navy to adequately protect the sea lanes of communications, maintain freedom of the seas, defend the coasts lines of the United States, and ultimately prevent the US Navy from properly defending of the Republic.