Photo By Lt.j.g. Aimsley Unbehagen | US Navy Sailor, STG2 Tobias Francis, returned home on July 2, 2024 and sees his family...... read more read more
Eastport, Maine – Home to the largest Fourth of July Celebration in Maine. The festival brings in thousands of people each year to enjoy the vendors, activities, and grand display of fireworks on the night of the fourth.
USS FORREST SHERMAN (DDG 98), homeported in Naval Station Norfolk, transited to the Eastern most city in the United States to be the guests of honor for this year’s celebration. The crew participated in the Cod Fish Relay, Fireman’s Muster, Capture the Flag, The Grand Independence Parade, Blueberry Pie Eating Contest and finished with a basketball game against a team of locals. The real guest of honor, however, was a Sailor native to Pleasant Point just outside of Eastport who experienced the journey with them.
Petty Officer Second Class Tobias Francis, age 29, joined the Navy on December 3, 2020 as a Sonar Technician (STG). Sonar Technicians are responsible for the operation of underwater systems and undersea surveillance of naval vessels. He is currently stationed on the USS Lassen (DDG 82), homeported in Naval Station Mayport, and has been a member of the crew for three years. Within his division, he holds the position of Work Center Supervisor, taking on the responsibility of the completion of preventative and corrective maintenance on equipment within the ships Weapons Department. STG2 Francis also assists with the SafeTALK Program onboard, an avenue for Sailors to seek the resources needed to cope with suicidal thoughts and actions.
STG2 Francis was raised and attended school on the Pleasant Point Reservation between Passamaquoddy Bay and the city of Eastport. Numerous family and friends still live on the reservation, many who attended the Eastport Fourth of July Celebration to see him march in the Grand Independence Parade alongside Commander Dave Zieroth, USS FORREST SHERMAN’s Commanding Officer. As the crowd chanted his name, STG2 Francis reunited with his wife, Catherine, two children Nalani and Jasper, and his mother. To finish out his time in Eastport, he enjoyed the comfort of home with his relatives and close acquaintances. “It was a once in a lifetime experience and it opened my eyes to what the Navy is and can be. The FORREST SHERMAN has a very hospitable crew and they integrated well with the community of Eastport, making it feel even more special,” STG2 Francis expressed as the ship departed and said goodbye to the lovely city and surrounding areas of Eastport, Maine.
| Date Taken: | 07.15.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 07.15.2024 14:34 |
| Story ID: | 476202 |
| Location: | NORFOLK, VIRGINIA, US |
| Hometown: | EASTPORT, MAINE, US |
| Web Views: | 688 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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