Dear Classmates and our ’78 Family,
This announces the start of our Bonds of Gold (BOG) effort seeking donations of ’78 class rings, miniatures and pins for the Another Link in the Chain Program (ALITC) where our donations will be melted into the gold used to make the class rings for the Class of 2028. We are asking you to consider making a donation of your class ring, miniatures and/or pins.
The journey of our Class Rings began with a christening in the “Waters of the Seven Seas.” From there – and for nearly all of us – they were in constant motion. Just imagine if your Class Ring had tracked your every course since you first put it on. How many miles, how many time zones, how many celebrations, how many salutes rendered and returned would it have counted? With every nautical mile of ocean, every foot of altitude and land maneuver, every handshake, fist pump in the air and every prayer, it has been in constant motion. For almost 50 years it has been a shining witness to your Commissioning, your service to our nation- both in and out of uniform – your weddings, births, farewells and all the moments in between; and now to your retirement and the next chapter.
Of course, we all know that someday our Class Ring will be slipped off our hand and left with our families, to either treasure in some safe place or to adorn a descendant’s finger or neck as a sign of our legacy. Or perhaps sadly it will be kept in some box along with all the other forgotten testaments to our memories- motionless.
What if your ring could remain in motion forever? What if it could be seen as a baton to pass on to another generation of Navy and Marine Corps Officers and share in the movement of their life stories? Our Another Link in the Chain (ALITC) Bonds of Gold (BOG) Program serves as the solemn answer.
The Bonds of Gold (BOG) Program gives members of the senior “Link in the Chain” Class and their families the opportunity to donate class rings, miniatures and pins to their junior Link. These cherished items will be passed to the Class of 2028 in a formal ceremony to be held sometime in April 2026. They will be melted down by the jeweler Josten’s and incorporated in the gold used to make 2028’s Class Rings, miniatures and pins. They will form a physical legacy between our two classes, especially for ‘78 donors and donor families. This becomes a way for donor individuals, families, and our Class overall, to be remembered in perpetuity as each subsequent link repeats the Bonds of Gold Program.
We are now gathering a magnitude and list of interested donors and what they intend to donate. If you are interested, please contact Mike Dinn via e-mail at michael@dinnfm.com and copy Vince Balderrama at v19b78@yahoo.com. You can also call Mike at (513) 313-1978 or Vince at (315) 708-9214 if you have questions. Our working deadline for making the actual donations is 28 February 2026. We will provide further information and guidance directly to all interested prospective donors or their families. This information will also be posted on our Class website and provided to your Company Reps.
We hope you will favor the Class of 2028 with a Bonds of Gold donation and become part of our Class of ‘78 perpetual legacy.
Fair winds…
Glen
Glen Woods
President, USNA Class of 1978