Photo By Seaman Aime Lykins | 151107-KM956-N-040 BREMERTON, Wash. (Nov. 7, 2015) Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Shelby...... read more read more
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BREMERTON, Wash. – Sailors assigned to Naval Base Kitsap (NBK) and USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) took part in a community relations (COMREL) project to clean up Ivy Green Cemetery, Nov. 7.
Sailors worked alongside more than 20 members of the local community, including The National Society of the Sons of the American Revolution, Inc. and Boy Scouts of America, to clean up the 15–acre cemetery and prepare military headstones for a Nov. 8 flag-placing event to honor the more than 450 service members buried on the grounds.
“We have over 100 veteran’s memorials throughout the county,” said Marion “Mick” Hersey, a retired U.S. Navy senior chief and the city of Bremerton’s historical memorial preservationist. “Honor, dignity and respect is what this means to me.”
Ivy Green Cemetery is a division of the Bremerton Parks and Recreation department and has military plots representing all branches of the armed services.
Ivy Green Cemetery is the site of Bremerton’s "Tomb of the Unknown Soldier," USS Saratoga memorial and grave of John H. Nibbe, a Civil War Navy Medal of Honor recipient.
“This is something that is actually meaningful, so it gives you a little bit of purpose versus just taking your every day weekend,” said Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Shelby Edy, assigned to Stennis. “It is eye-opening and it humbles you. My grandfather was in the Navy way back when, and seeing all this makes you take a step back and be thankful for what you have.”
As a city managed park, Ivy Green Cemetery does not have a full-time caretaker. The cemetery benefits greatly from community volunteers to maintain it and honor the veterans that rest there, said Hersey.
“I’m glad that programs like this exist because, if you think about it, people will pass away as time goes on and people tend to forget, but this way it brings them back into the light,” said Electronics Technician 2nd Class Matt Corcoran, assigned to Stennis. “I’ve never seen any combat action, but this reminds me what it means to be a veteran and that we all stick together, even after life, so that is really powerful.”
Corcoran and Edy were among several active-duty Sailors participating in the cleanup efforts.
“It’s a great opportunity, especially to recognize all of those that have gone before us and to do something for the community,” said Master Chief Aviation Machinist’s Mate Rozy Castellanos, assigned to NBK, who has participated in the Ivy Green Cemetery cleanup for more than three years. “It is a huge honor to be standing out here, in the rain, with all of the Sailors that I have dedicated my life to and to honor those who have gone before.”
Castellanos helps to serve as a liaison for annual cleanup and preservation efforts at Ivy Green Cemetery as well as other community events.
“We do a lot of community events and this is one we are very active in,” said NBK Command Master Chief David Lynch. “It is great to see Sailors out here. The spirit of volunteerism in the Navy is great and as good as it has ever been. People really do want to give back.”
Sailors and community members will return to Ivy Green Cemetery on Dec. 12 for the annual ‘Wreaths Across America’ event where the flags placed for Veterans Day will be replaced with donated holiday wreaths.
| Date Taken: | 11.07.2015 |
| Date Posted: | 11.09.2015 16:55 |
| Story ID: | 181488 |
| Location: | BREMERTON, WA, US |
| Web Views: | 102 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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