The NSGA Aluminum Recycling Project
Stored in a secured facility (in the empty bottom drawer of a filing cabinet in Building 85), the "Giant Aluminum Ball" is the result of countless hours of work by the dedicated sailors of Section One in Division 52 of NSGA Winter Harbor.

Every day, meals from the galley would arrive in a van covered in aluminum foil. Most people in the building would just throw it away, but Petty Officer Tony Taylor stood up and said, "No! I will not waste another perfectly good sheet of aluminum foil!"

With that, he balled up one sheet of foil and wrapped it with another and another. He kept at it, dedicated like no other.

Days and weeks went by as sheet after sheet of aluminum foil was added to the ball.

"More foil!" he cried. And we ran to the head to wash off the bits of food stuck to the aluminum foil covers of our meals and brought them back to Tony so that he might add them to his creation.

Adding new sheets of foil to the ball was an art. Tony tried to ensure that the ball would be 100% aluminum... but alas... it was I who failed him when I slipped in a sticker between the sheets. I don't remember exactly what was written on it, but I think it was something to the effect of "Puente was Here."

I told him, "You don't understand, Tony! Someday, someone might start to unwrap the ball. Perhaps there will be a shortage of aluminum some day and they'll turn to this recycling effort of yours in order to wrap up some left-overs or contribute to the creation of a childs astronaut or robot Halloween costume and they'll find that little sticker and wonder, 'Who the hell is Puente?'"

"You fool!" said Tony. "That's not the point of this endeavor! It's about the aluminum! Nothing more!"
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