5TH FLEET AREA OF OPERATIONS- It’s the wee hours of the evening, a little after taps when the daily hustle and bustle has settled and the ship’s halls are dimly lit by dark red lights. Deep down inside the ship in a small dark berthing lounge area, flickering with a bluish light from the TV, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Handling) 1st Class Chris Graham can be found immersed in his own world under head phones, clicking away at the message app on his android writing music.
With the kind of voice that makes a person feel like they too possess the talent to sing along as he sings, and a personality and physique to match, someone meeting Graham for the first time may gather he is something akin to one of the R&B celebrities you might catch on MTV. That is, if the 14-year Navy veteran ever mentions this part of his life to you.
He is an aviation boatswain’s mate (handler) by trade assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5). Currently, his main focus is leading Sailors as the ship’s Safety Department leading petty officer. The Navy hasn’t always been a dream of his though, as he explained, his decision to join the Navy was one that came out of a sense of necessity as he explained.
“I had lost my job and was worried about providing for my wife and kids at the age of 19. My wife told me not to put my head down, but also told me to figure it out… and quick!” said the north Philadelphia native, and father of two. “I thought about getting away from all the distractions and hardships presented by my environment in Philadelphia. I just wanted to give my family more than I had growing up.”
Graham insisted that music has become more of a guarded piece of his life, and he rarely ever speaks about it. He rather keeps it to himself and sings to relax or take his mind off of deployment. This hasn’t always been the case though.
He began singing at age four in church. He belonged to the choir until around 19 years-old and even attended a gospel workshop to train on how to record an album with the youth mass choir. All these experiences are ones he takes with him even now on his seventh deployment.
“[The workshop] was when I kind of came out of my shell and stepped into the forefront. I gained so much experience and it lit a new found passion for music,” he explained. “Now when I sing, it's a getaway from the norm. It allows you to create your own sound and gives you peace.”
Inspired by artists such as Bilal, Kirk Franklin, Marvin Gaye and John Legend to name a few, Graham loosely aligns his sound with the neo-soul genre, and hopes to record a project of his own soon to share with the world.
“Music for me is a lifeline and it shapes your heart and mind. I tell people that are closest to me that if you knew my journey, you would say that I wasn't supposed to be here or make it this far in life,” he explained. “I’m extremely grateful for all that go through. Good as well as the bad, it shaped me into what I am today.”
Bataan and its amphibious ready group are deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.
| Date Taken: |
09.01.2017 |
| Date Posted: |
09.05.2017 15:23 |
| Story ID: |
247152 |
| Location: |
U.S. 5TH FLEET AREA OF RESPONSIBILITY |
| Web Views: |
92 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
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This work, Sailor Uses Secret Talent to Sooth Deployment Woes, by SCPO Barry Riley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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