Photo By Cpl. Michael Dye | Children invited to Black Sea Rotational Force 13’s Independence Day celebration eat...... read more read more
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MIHAIL KOGALNICEANU, Romania – More than 300 children from several placement centers visited Mihail Kogalniceanu Military Base, Romania, June 28, 2013, to celebrate the 237th birthday of the United States of America with Marines and sailors with Black Sea Rotational Force 13.
“We are absolutely thrilled to be able to bring the children here today to help celebrate Independence Day with BSRF-13,” said Renee Crossman, the vice president of United Hands Romania, a humanitarian association that does charity work with placement centers in the area. “It really means a lot to these children to be able to come onto this base and spend the day having a barbeque and playing games with everyone.”
Marines and sailors set up a face painting booth, a dunk tank, organized a tug-of-war competition along with several other activities for the children to enjoy.
“Today I am face painting the children,” said Petty Officer 1st class Martha Harrigan, a U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman assigned to BSRF-13. “The children seem to be enjoying it, I have not seen any sad faces and the line for face painting is becoming long.”
Another station that became a big hit with the children was the Marine Corps Martial Arts Program station.
“We are demonstrating Marine Corps Martial Arts to the children,” said Sgt. Jimmy Gavilanes, a MCMAP instructor. “The children are really having fun watching us do martial arts, they are even helping us demonstrate some of the moves.”
Although they are deployed, and away from family and friends, Marines and sailors spent most of their day with the children and were able to bring smiles to the their faces for this celebration.
“Being away from home during holidays is hard,” said Harrigan. “However, seeing the smiles on the children’s faces sort of reminds me of being home and watching my own children’s face smile and have fun on a day such as this.”
This is not the first time that BSRF has invited the children to celebrate America’s independence and it is only growing in attendance every year.
“Last year we had only about 150 children arrive on base,” said Crossman. “It was such a huge success, that when we told the children about doing it again this year, we immediately had close to 400 children who were eager to go.”
For more Black Sea Rotational Force photos, videos, and stories visit: Google+: Search “Black Sea Rotational Force” or https://plus.google.com/103334891294240672727
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BSRFMarines
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/USMCBSRF13
| Date Taken: | 06.28.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 07.08.2013 03:33 |
| Story ID: | 109819 |
| Location: | CONSTANTA, RO |
| Web Views: | 248 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Romanian Children Celebrate America’s Independence with BSRF-13, by Cpl Michael Dye, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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