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NEWPORT NEWS, Va. (January 17, 2023) – The town of Covington, Georgia is known for many things. A rural community located on the outskirts of the Atlanta metropolitan area, Covington is commonly referred to as “The Hollywood of the South”, the town’s idyllic nature and Southern charm lending itself to serve as the backdrop for such productions as “The Vampire Diaries,” “In the Heat of the Night” and “The Dukes of Hazard,” to name a few.
In addition to being a hub for Southern cinema, Covington is also the hometown of USS John C. Stennis Sailors, and cousins, Master Chief Master-at-Arms Notorian Morris and Chief Boatswain’s Mate Kavaurio Harris, who both remember their time there fondly.
“When we were growing up, and I was getting ready to enter high school, he was always around. It was a small neighborhood back then, so we’d see each other on a weekly basis,” said Morris when speaking in regards to his younger cousin.
“Before you left,” laughed Harris.
After Morris enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1997, the cousins were split up. Their reunion would come some years later when Morris returned to Covington for his second duty station. The Master-at-Arms had returned to his hometown to serve as a U.S. Navy recruiter, where in 2009 a familiar face would walk into his office.
“I came back home to recruit in Covington. One day I had the opportunity to meet a young man that I remembered from many years ago,” said Morris gesturing towards Harris. “He had grown up and now he was the one in high school.”
Fast forward 13 years and several duty stations, the pair again found themselves together in November 2022. This time on the decks of the Stennis as it began its midlife Refueling and Complex Overhaul (RCOH) process in Newport News, Virginia. And this time it was Harris providing his older cousin with a bit of advice.
Harris had arrived at the Stennis in 2019, and as most boatswain’s mates, this was just the most recent of the many ships he had served aboard. For Morris however, even though he had been in the Navy longer, as a master-at-arms this was his first ship.
“He called me before he took the orders, just asking what ship life was like, what the working hours were like, stuff like that,” said Harris. “It felt good to give him some insight. This is most likely going to be my last ship, so he (Morris) was there at the beginning and now he’s here towards the end. It meant a lot to have him here to see me make chief.”
In many ways, both Morris and Harris believe their Navy journey has finally come full circle following Harris’s selection for Chief Petty Officer, and his subsequent pinning by his cousin in September of 2023.
“It’s like the whole cradle to grave thing, right? I saw him when he first came in, and now I’m on my way out, but I’ve gotten to see him progress,” said Morris. “I’ve seen him become a chief petty officer, seen him truly lead and take care of his Sailors.”
In the Navy the rank of chief is held in a special regard. Chiefs are expected to be subject matter experts in their respective fields, holding a vast array of knowledge on how a ship is to ideally function. It is their job to uphold tradition and enforce standards in the Sailors under their charge. The Chiefs Mess is often referred to as our nation’s oldest fraternity.
“It was an honor, first and foremost, to be the one to pin him as chief,” said Morris. “It was definitely a privilege for me to be able to do that for him and his family. I know what it means to his family. I know what it means to ‘our’ family. It was huge, it goes beyond words.”
When asked what it was like to now be a part of the Chiefs Mess with his cousin, Harris had this to say, “I’ve always looked up to him, regardless, nothing has changed. He’ll always be my mentor and one of my heroes.”
“You’ve always looked up to me because you’re shorter,” quipped Morris as the cousins laughed together.
Chief Harris urges his Sailors to accept their days and all that come with them, no matter how bad they may seem. Learn from them. To remember why they joined the Navy, because it is that which will continue to push them through.
“He’s always been my cousin,” said Morris. “But only recently has he become a brother too.”
| Date Taken: | 01.17.2024 |
| Date Posted: | 02.06.2024 12:55 |
| Story ID: | 463013 |
| Location: | NEWPORT NEWS, VA, US |
| Hometown: | COVINGTON, GA, US |
| Web Views: | 41 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, From “Cradle to Grave”: USS John C. Stennis Sailors Journey Comes Full Circle, by PO3 Max Biesecker, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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