Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Rufus Hucks | Cmdr. Shane Ruben bows his head observing the moment of silence for the 50th...... read more read more
SAN JOSE, Calif. – San Jose State University hosted the U.S. Naval Academy Football Team on Military Appreciation Night at Spartan Stadium, Nov. 22, the 50th anniversary of the assassination of President John F. Kennedy.
Lt. Andrew Johnson, operations officer of NRD San Francisco, kicked off Military Appreciation Night by performing the Oath of Enlistment for 10 future sailors in front of a crowd of 16,400 and the televised 1.081 million viewers through ESPN2.
“My great grandpa was in WWII. My grandfather was in Vietnam. He actually was wounded in Vietnam. My dad was in the Army and just came back from Iraq and Afghanistan and my other cousin recently came out of the Navy,” said future sailor Mitchell Iorio when asked, why join the Navy? “It’s family tradition, family history in order to keep on, travel and see the world.”
Following the oath, the American Flag was unfurled by a conglomeration of military branches and the SJSU Band performed the national anthem. Cmdr. Shane Ruben, commanding officer of NRD San Francisco, met mid field with officials and both teams for the honorary coin toss. Before the coin was flipped, a speech from President Kennedy was played and a moment of silence was observed in remembrance.
Other events during Military Appreciation Night included Petty Officer 1st Class Steven Powell singing “God Bless America” during the third time out mid second quarter and an obstacle course during half time open to all children less than 14 years, orchestrated by NRD San Francisco sailors and SJSU staff.
“I was humbled to see the support for the military from all in attendance at the game,” said Lt. Michael Quaglino, assistant operations officer of NRD San Francisco. “It was truly an honor to be welcomed onto the field for the Flag Ceremony and Enlistments.”
The USNA ended the game victorious in triple overtime with a closing score of 58-52. Despite the victory over the local team, the gracious Spartan fans cheered the Midshipmen and thanked the NRD sailors for serving their country as they departed the stadium.
| Date Taken: | 11.22.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 11.26.2013 21:34 |
| Story ID: | 117437 |
| Location: | SAN JOSE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 348 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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