Photo By Sgt. Emily Greene | After tossing several messages in bottles out to sea over the years as an outlet for...... read more read more
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GUANTANAMO BAY, Cuba — Many people know a story about a letter in a bottle, appearing on a beach or bobbing in the water, tossed into the sea in the hope that the right person may read it. Navy Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Delacruz, a culinary specialist with Joint Task Force Guantanamo, shared his experience with this method of communication, Dec. 1.
Like others before him, Delacruz "sent" a message in a bottle; unlike most, he received a reply. His story begins with his early days as a Navy seaman aboard his first ship.
"I was assigned to USS Jarrett when I first met Navy Cmdr. Thad Moyseowicz, my commanding officer at the time," Delacruz said. "He was always carrying cases of empty bottles on board and I wondered what they were for."
As it turns out, Moyseowicz was involved in a school project for the children at his sons' elementary school.
"Each of their classmates gave me a letter, and, thrice daily, during our transit, I 'mailed' two bottles bearing a child's message and Jarrett's position at the time of 'mailing,' as well as their address," Moyseowicz said.
Delacruz said he clearly remembers helping Moyseowicz carry the boxes of bottles onto the ship and watching him throw them overboard with the children's letters inside. He said he never would have guessed what an impact his skipper would have on his future.
"Seaman Delacruz was the messenger of the watch at the quarterdeck. I think he obtained permission from the officer of the deck and offered to help me," Moyseowicz said. "I gladly accepted and he helped me lug the rest to my cabin."
A few years later, Delacruz found himself aboard USS Benfold off the coast of Melbourne, Australia. He said it was a difficult time for him as a young man and he often found himself looking for an outlet for his thoughts and feelings. It was during that time Delacruz said he remembered his first skipper and the boxes of bottles he had helped carry.
"I remembered my commanding officer's messages in the bottles and thought it would be a good way for me to let out my thoughts," Delacruz said. "So, I started to write letters and seal them in bottles. Whenever I had the chance I would toss them overboard and let the sea take them away. I never expected them to reach anyone else."
However, one of the letters did reach someone else. Months later (now stationed in Japan), Delacruz received a letter in the mail with a return address he did not recognize. He said he opened it not knowing what to expect. As he read, he said he was dumbfounded.
"Dear friend much greetings, I wish to inform you that I am the one who found your letter in the bottle..."
"I could hardly believe it," Delacruz said. "I had never expected any of my bottles to reach another person; it was just an outlet for me at the time. When I read that letter I was surprised and very excited."
As Delacruz read he learned that Muthike Thiaka was a poor farmer in Kenya with a wife and eight children. Thiaka said he found the bottle in the Indian Ocean.
"I was just looking at the sea [to see] whether I could see anything which could help me, like timber, rope, or something else," wrote Thiaka.
Delacruz said he read Thiaka's letter over and over, thinking how amazing it was that his thoughts had reached someone so far away.
"That letter really made me think about myself, and also Muthike," Delacruz said. "It changed the way I see things. All of my problems seemed so small in relation to his; in relation to the world. I realized how small I was."
Delacruz said because of his experience, he now looks at life in a different light; he keeps the letter in a frame to remind him of life's possibilities.
"Now I know that work is work, but at the end of the day you have to be happy. Every day I wake up and I am happy to be alive and living the life I lead," Delacruz said.
Delacruz said he credits much of his growth as a Sailor and a man to his former skipper.
"Moyseowicz and his bottles made a big impression on me as a young man. I learned so much from him and he always treated me and the rest of his crew with kindness. He taught me to think outside the box and to solve problems in a creative manner," Delacruz said.
Moyseowicz said he remembers Delacruz with fondness and was pleased to hear his boxes of bottles helped a former Sailor of his when he needed an outlet for his frustrations.
"My time on USS Jarrett was the best, most rewarding, and most fun professional experience to ever happen to me. It was the highlight of my career and I owe that to Delacruz and his 219 mates on that vessel," Moyseowicz said.
Now, Delacruz said he is no longer skeptical when he hears a story about a message in a bottle. Instead, he said he often keeps an eye out for any he may see bobbing in the waves.
For more information about Joint Task Force Guantanamo, visit the Web site at www.jtfgtmo.southcom.mil.
| Date Taken: | 12.11.2009 |
| Date Posted: | 12.14.2009 10:30 |
| Story ID: | 42732 |
| Location: | GUANTANAMO BAY, CU |
| Web Views: | 342 |
| Downloads: | 245 |
This work, JTF Guantanamo Sailor Sends a Message in a Bottle, by SGT Emily Greene, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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