Photo By Chief Petty Officer Meredith Manning | Lt. Matthew Brinkley, the commanding officer of the Coast Guard Cutter Mustang,...... read more read more
SEWARD, Alaska - Just days before Halloween, Coast Guard members embraced a different holiday spirit as they joined the town of Seward, Alaska, in preparing the Capitol Christmas Tree for its journey to D.C.
Crew members from the Coast Guard Cutter Mustang attended the town’s celebration where the tree was recognized and displayed before beginning its journey to the Capitol. After the celebration, the crew tirelessly installed the protective walls and windows on the 80-foot truck that will house the tree during its 4,000-mile transit.
“It was great to be a part of something that has such a national impact,” said Lt. Matthew Brinkley, the commanding officer of the Mustang. “We were honored to help send a piece of Alaska to the Capitol.”
The 74-foot Lutz spruce, a hybrid between a white spruce and a Sitka spruce, was cut from the Chugach National Forest. Each year the Capitol Christmas Tree is chosen from a different National Forest and this tree is the first to come from Alaska.
“Volunteers like the Coast Guard were instrumental to the success of this project,” said Torey Powell, the partnership and community outreach coordinator for the Chugach National Forest Service. “A project of this scale would not be possible without volunteers who donate time and energy to a great cause.”
When the tree arrives in D.C. it will be decorated with ornaments made by students and community members across Alaska that celebrate what it means to give a gift from the Great Land.
| Date Taken: | 10.28.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.05.2015 14:12 |
| Story ID: | 181030 |
| Location: | SEWARD, AK, US |
| Web Views: | 49 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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