Photo By Master Sgt. Bryan Peterson | Seven Marines and sailors with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis...... read more read more
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SCORDIA AND PATERNO, Italy – The last time U.S. Marine Cpl. Jesse Cheadle sang to a large audience was in her 4th grade Christmas choir, with her parents, friends and their families in the audience at Green Elementary School in Logan, Ohio.
More than 10 years later, she and six other Marines and sailors with Special-Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa, teamed up with the Naval Air Station Sigonella Chapel Choir to sing Christmas songs to Sicilians in Scordia and Paterno, Italy, Dec. 12 and 13.
Cheadle said it brings her joy when she can have an impact on people, especially around this time of year.
“I love to sing, whether it’s in my car or in my barracks room,” said Cheadle, a combat engineer and Logan, Ohio, native. “I rarely get in front of big groups of people, but since I’ve been on this deployment to Sicily, I’ve been doing a lot of community relations events and this is one is something I really wanted to do. Christmas is a special time of the year.”
The churches where the combined U.S. choir performed were both churches so full that people were standing inside and outside to hear the choir sing.
Navy Lt. Derrick Horne, the chaplain for SPMAGTF-CR-AF, said sharing the Christmas spirit, “where we are,” brings joy to people’s lives.
“I thought this was a really great event for both those in the audience and those who were sharing in song with the choir”, said Horne, a Tulsa, Oklahoma, native. “Our community relations events mainly find us clean up an archaeological site, interacting with school-aged children in English or doing general work projects for different organizations. This event was even more special in that we were in churches that date to the 11th century, surrounded by mothers, father, children and grandparents, and sharing the message of Christmas in song joining with the [NAS] Sigonella Chapel Choir.”
The choir sang popular songs, such as, “I love you, Lord Jesus,” “I heard the bells on Christmas Day,” “Song of the Manger,” and “Gloria.”
Scordia Mayor Franco Tambone said the choir “did an outstanding job,” and the town’s residents were happy to have them in their churches to spreading the Christmas spirit.
“I’m very honored to host the [NAS Sigonella Chapel Choir] performance tonight,” said Tambone. “The Marines and sailors are a steady community relations partner of my community and I am more than grateful to have had the chance to share with them the spirit of this festive season. Christmas is a very special time of year and it was nice to see and hear the choir and I know the [Scordia residents] felt the same way.”
Watching the smiles and reactions from the crowd in the churches, Horne said the Marines and sailors do a great job when they are out in the communities working on projects but the “best things in life aren’t things you can physically touch but the positive impact you can have on people. They were nights to remember.”
| Date Taken: | 12.17.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 12.18.2015 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 184899 |
| Location: | SCORDIA AND PATERNO, IT |
| Web Views: | 281 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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