Photo By Sgt. Darron Salzer | Anthony Ruptak and his Midnight Friends, an indie folk rock band from Colorado, play a...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba - Joint Task Force Guantanamo helped U.S. Naval Station Guantanamo Bay kick off the 2013 holiday season with a base-wide celebration that included a parade and concert Dec. 7.
The guest of honor and grand marshal of the parade, Santa, said he came down from the North Pole to remind residents that he’s always got his eye on GTMO, and to pass out some candy and holiday spirit from his sled.
“I’m here to spread good cheer here at Guantanamo Bay,” he said.
The good cheer is exactly what Morale, Welfare and Recreation hoped to provide to base residents and JTF troopers. While most of the U.S. is blanketed in snow, temperatures have remained in the high 80s here on the island.
“At first it was different without the snow, but over the years we grew accustomed to the holiday season at GTMO,” said JoAnn King, a procurement technician with the Public Works Deptartment, NAVSTA.
JoAnn and her husband Donald, have served and lived on board GTMO off-and-on for the last 20 years.
“Everyone puts in a lot of effort, and we really enjoy and appreciate that,” she said.
They both enjoy the annual traditions that the holiday festivities bring.
More than 30 floats from commands and organizations across GTMO, many of them JTF, entered in this year’s parade. Each group decorated its own float.
Air Force Staff Sgt. Donald Stamps, 474th Expeditionary Civil Engineering Squadron, Base Engineer Emergency Force, who coordinated the BEEF’s float, said he enjoyed the camaraderie between troopers to finish the float.
“Everybody’s got this twist on how to do this and how to do that and it all just came together.” he said. “In my mind, I did not picture it being this good after we finished. I’m really pleased with the way it turned out.”
As the floats made their way down Sherman Avenue, Christmas Tree Hill lit up for the first time this year once Santa passed the tree.
At the end of the parade, at the Downtown Lyceum, Anthony Ruptak and his Midnight Friends played a concert for the base, hosted by Morale, Welfare and Recreation.
“This is by far the most important venue we could have, playing for the most important people in the world,” said Anthony Ruptak, lead singer of the band.
“I met someone that said he hadn’t heard live music in a while and by us being here, it reminded him of home, this made our visit worthwhile,” he said.
| Date Taken: | 12.07.2013 |
| Date Posted: | 01.24.2014 16:14 |
| Story ID: | 119618 |
| Location: | NAVAL STATION GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 93 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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