Photo By Cpl. Mark Watola | Seaman Michael Ward (left), a hospitalman with the Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune...... read more read more
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NEW BERN, N.C. - Nearly 800 sailors from Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, Marine Corps Air Station New River and Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point gathered at the New Bern Convention Center to celebrate 239 years of the U.S. Navy.
On October 13, 1775, the Continental Navy was born. They started with the mission of disrupting British ships supplying their forces in America. Now the Navy stands with a fleet of more than 300,000 active sailors and nearly 300 ships and over 3,000 operation aircraft around the world.
“We came together to appreciate the long tradition of outstanding sailors,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer William Stewart, manpower and deployment senior enlisted at Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune and Houston, Texas, native. “Each year, sailors are more capable than the generation before them. I keep coming to see the young sailors enjoy the ball as much as I do.”
The ball was the first for some junior sailors and left a lasting impression.
“The Navy ball signifies another year of the great things the Navy does,” said Seaman Elaina Menees, a hospital corpsman at the NHCL pharmacy and McAlester, Oklahoma, native. “I enjoy seeing everyone and meeting new people. There are sailors of all ranks and backgrounds. It shows what the Navy is made of.”
The ball brought together sailors of all ranks from eastern North Carolina to come together and celebrate as well as build camaraderie.
“The Navy ball is a time to remember to why we joined and our naval tradition,” said Senior Chief Petty Officer Lissett Araiza, head of the Navy ball committee and Porterville, California, native. “There are some sailors who haven’t been to a ball, and my goal was to bring as many of them out here and celebrate at least one.”
The theme for the evening was “thanking those who serve us,” and acknowledged not only sailors, but those who support sailors.
“I spent two yearlong deployments in Afghanistan, and all I had to worry about was my Marines and sailors,” said Stewart. “My wife was the command ombudsman (family readiness officer) and took care of the day-to-day things that allowed me to keep my head in the game.”
| Date Taken: | 10.18.2014 |
| Date Posted: | 10.23.2014 12:17 |
| Story ID: | 145866 |
| Location: | NEW BERN, NC, US |
| Hometown: | HOUSTON, TX, US |
| Hometown: | MCALESTER, OK, US |
| Hometown: | PORTERVILLE, CA, US |
| Web Views: | 50 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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