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Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Ryan Seelbach
NEW YORK – A joint reenlistment and promotion ceremony was held at the 9/11 Memorial for Sailors attached to San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock USS New York (LPD 21), Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer USS Jason Dunham (DDG 109) and various other commands, May 24, during Fleet Week New York 2019.
The National September 11 Memorial is a tribute of remembrance and honor to the 2,977 people killed in the terror attacks of September 11, 2001 at the World Trade Center site, near Shanksville, Pa., and at the Pentagon, as well as the six people killed in the World Trade Center bombing in February 1993.
Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces, Adm. Christopher Grady, reenlisting and promotion officer, spoke about those who choose to serve and what it means to extend an enlistment and gain more responsibility through promotions.
“For those of you joining us today that don’t know them, let me tell you a little bit about the young men and women who stand before you,” said Grady. “They chose a life of service. They chose a life of sacrifice. They chose a path that less than one percent of all Americans choose to follow. They chose to preserve freedom for the other 99 percent. A commitment that I believe to be the truest measure of what it means to be a citizen.”
Culinary Specialist 2nd Class Nicholas Basone, assigned to New York, was in attendance to support a friend there to reenlist.
“We’re stationed on New York, so it’s neat to be here and to know that this is what we represent every day,” said Basone.
“Every night [underway], before the chaplain says a prayer, he gives a story about one person that fell that day. There is never a day that we’re not reminded of the reason that we are here, and what we are fighting for.”
Lt. j.g. Steven Bakotic, assigned to Milwaukee and one of the 10 officers promoted during the ceremony, explained how it felt to be at a sacred landmark such as the 9/11 memorial.
“It was really something special to do this at ground zero,” Bakotic said. “It really reminds us of why we signed up.”
During his remarks, Grady explained that this memorial exists so that Americans never forget what happened nearly 18 years ago.
“Your decision to stand on these hallowed grounds and once again reaffirm your commitment to your nation stands in the face of what the perpetrators of that attack were trying to achieve,” he said. “You are sending the clearest message that America will never be deterred.”
Fleet Week New York, now in its 31st year, is the city’s time-honored celebration of the sea services. It is an unparalleled opportunity for the citizens of New York and the surrounding tri-state area to meet Sailors, Marines and Coast Guardsmen, as well as witness firsthand the latest capabilities of today’s maritime services.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2019 |
| Date Posted: | 05.25.2019 14:57 |
| Story ID: | 323996 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 116 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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