Photo By L.A. Shively | Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeremy Hernandez, right, presents a Navy-themed medallion on a...... read more read more
SAN ANTONIO, Texas - Sailors from the Navy Operational Support Center San Antonio hoisted sail, navigating into the hearts of youth at the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio recently, while sharing sea stories and racing small hand-made boats in honor of this year’s Navy Reserve centennial.
The Navy Reserve is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year. Established March 3, 1915, as World War I was underway in Europe, then-Secretary of the Navy Josephus Daniels and his assistant, Franklin D. Roosevelt launched an effort in Congress to create a Navy Reserve in order to have a ready force available to answer our nation’s call.
Smiles, laughter and cheers erupted while the Sailors helped little hands assemble foam boats and then challenged the children to a regatta.
The competitors – a Sailor and a child – blew through colorful straws to send their craft across a makeshift sea of water in a large plastic tub.
There were wayward boats churning the sea in circles, collisions and, of course, winners who steered their boats across an imaginary finish line. After the regatta, Sailors handed out ball caps representing commands throughout the Navy to the children along with small rubber footballs and soccer balls.
“Today was a blast!” said Erin Johnson, a child life specialist with the hospital. “Thank you so much for coming out and supporting our patients and families.”
“The experience was heart-warming,” said Petty Officer 2nd Class Jeremy Hernandez, who is from Edna, Texas. “I spoke with a young lady who is a very lively little girl – very competitive and who didn’t like to lose.”
Hernandez said his visit to the Children’s Hospital of San Antonio was incentive for becoming more involved in helping families. He said that having Sailors in the community is a chance to connect with neighbors and sees the NOSC doing more events like this in the future.
“I think it’s a great idea,” Hernandez said. “This is something that is going to become routine; that we’ll do all the time.
“It was an awesome day,” said Chief Petty Officer Charlie Summers, who hails from the Menominee Reservation in Wisc. “At first they were a little shy, but we worked through it and in the end I think they all enjoyed our company. I love doing this kind of stuff.”
“It was the first time I did anything like this and I had a great time,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Jorge Rueda, who calls Lodi, New Jersey home. “The children were very welcoming and were there to have fun.”
Rueda said that Sailors’ presence in the community reminds people that the Navy is not just a sea-going service. Reserve Sailors can be neighbors – people you see every day and not necessarily in uniform he explained.
“That’s one big thing about the Reserves, we are a part of the community,” Rueda continued. “We’re your postmen, your policemen; and then just during weekends we come in and put on the uniform.
| Date Taken: | 03.16.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 03.17.2015 12:53 |
| Story ID: | 157228 |
| Location: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Hometown: | EDNA, TX, US |
| Hometown: | KESHENA, WI, US |
| Hometown: | LODI, NJ, US |
| Hometown: | SAN ANTONIO, TX, US |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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