Photo By Shelby West | From Left to Right: Norfolk Naval Shipyard’s Justin Cartwright, Shipyard Command...... read more read more
The Norfolk Naval Shipyard (NNSY) Veterans Employee Readiness Group (VET-ERG) hosted the annual Veterans Day Fall-In for Colors Ceremony Nov. 8, inviting the civilian workforce and Sailors at America’s Shipyard to come together in celebration of our Nation’s veterans.
A time for appreciation and reflection that takes place each year on November 11, the holiday coincides with the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 marking the end of World War I – when a truce was declared between the Allied Nations and Germany. In 1919, President Woodrow Wilson then proclaimed Nov. 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day – a day to honor the service members who fought in that war. Today it is known as Veterans Day – honoring the men and women who’ve served and sacrificed in the name of freedom, celebrating their responsibilities and achievements in protecting the freedoms of the American people.
This year’s celebration included an invocation and benediction by Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (NRMA) Chaplain Lt. Ailsa Harl, a presentation of the flag by the NNSY Duty Section and VET-ERG Membership Officer Ricky Burroughs, and a performance of Amazing Grace by bagpiper Lt. Col. (Ret.) Thomas Metz.
“It’s important for us to express our gratitude to those brave men and women of our armed forces – past and present – who have stepped forward to defend our Nation. For it’s their dedication to our country and our people that ensures our freedom each and every day,” said Shipyard Commander Capt. Jip Mosman. “The service of our Veterans has been critical to defending our Nation, and our way of life. And what we do here at America’s Shipyard goes hand-in-hand with that, our commitment to service going into the Navy’s warships we repair, overhaul, and deactivate – any ship, any time, any where. The service of our workforce, which includes many past and present military members, is foundational to showing America will not be deterred from those who wish ill to either ourselves or our allies. At NNSY, we are the front lines of preparing vital national assets to deter those adversaries. We’re all vital to the cause – and I thank you all for your dedication to our country.”
Senior Chief Culinary Specialist Edward L. Sivells, Sr. (Ret.) was the guest speaker for the event. A Norfolk native, Sivells, Sr. shared insight into his military career, which included assignments with the Secretary of Defense’s Mess, the White House Staff Mess, and as an enlisted aide to Vice Admiral Daniel P. Holloway, Commander of the U.S. Second Fleet. In addition, he noted his pride to be a veteran for our Nation and provided some advice to those serving currently in our Nation’s military forces.
“I was a father at the age of 15 with no clear direction of where to go when my coach told me about joining the Navy,” said Sivells, Sr. “I didn’t want to leave my child or girlfriend behind but then I started looking at the bigger picture. Joining the Navy meant building a better life for our family as well as serving our country. So I joined the ranks and as an E4, I was granted the Navy Achievement Medal, something that didn’t happen for those at my rank in the 80s.”
He continued, “For my active duty [members], if you work hard, keep your feet on the ground, listen, and follow orders, you’ll be amazed at how far you’ll go in the United States military. My career was moving because I applied myself and those around me saw that drive. Your future is what you make it.”
“And to my fellow veterans my advice to you is this,” Sivells, Sr. said. “Be a pitcher full of water every day when you leave your house, and when you return home, return empty and satisfied that you did something for someone else. Each of you have a wealth of knowledge at your disposal. Don’t keep that to yourself – pour it into your active duty and into those you are mentoring. Show them what it means to truly serve – because it’s up to us to help make our military the best it can be.”
Following the ceremony, Capt. Mosman hosted a cake cutting ceremony with shipyard employees Oscar Thorpe and Justin Cartwright, paying tribute to all veterans spanning generations. The cake cutting ceremony is a time-honored tradition in the military celebrating the past, present, and future of our Nation and those who serve to protect it – with the known oldest and youngest veterans of the command taking part. The NNSY VET-ERG provided the cake and the representatives cut it with a naval cutlass sword symbolizing bridging the gap between veteran eras and ensuring continuous service of the nation’s defense at America’s Shipyard.
The NNSY VET-ERG is comprised of 270 NNSY employees that are either veterans, service members currently serving, or those who support the military. At NNSY alone, there are nearly 2,500 Veterans employed with more than 650 considered Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) Wounded Warriors.
“It’s a humbling experience for me to see so many support and honor our veterans,” said VET-ERG President Roger Bashaw. “Our group is dedicated to serve – with five annual events like our Veterans Day Fall-In for Colors to support our workforce as well as our local community. In addition, we host monthly meetings to increase awareness for veteran resources as well as bring in subject matter experts to communicate to our membership on a diverse range of topics. We welcome all to our ranks and thank all for your continued support!”
For more information regarding the VET-ERG, email the VET-ERG Officer group at NNSY_VET-ERG_Officers@us.navy.mil.
| Date Taken: | 11.08.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 11.08.2023 15:25 |
| Story ID: | 457499 |
| Location: | PORTSMOUTH, VIRGINIA, US |
| Web Views: | 166 |
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