Photo By Staff Sgt. Jennifer Bunn | Sgt. Anastasia Halbert is a squad leader assigned to Charlie Company, 210th Brigade...... read more read more
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FORT DRUM – Soldiers from 210th Brigade Support Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (LI), provided support to the Ellis Island Medals of Honor Ceremony in Manhattan, N.Y., May 12.
Several armed forces units across the country attended the event and served primarily as the support detail for the ceremony.
Seventeen service members from the 210th BSB served as the receiving party for the honorees as they entered and exited Ellis Island via ferry; three of the seventeen were selected to present the awards to the honorees which is considered a highly coveted role to serve in.
"It was a great experience to be able to present the Medal of Honor awards (to the honorees),” said Sgt. Anastasia Halbert, a squad leader, assigned to Charlie Company, 210th BSB, 2 BCT. “I was able to meet many interesting and influential people who have made an impact with their charitable work.”
The annual high-profile ceremony is intended to pay homage to the immigrant experience. Award recipients are Americans who display outstanding qualities in both their personal and professional lives while maintaining the values and heritage of their ancestors.
“Being at Ellis Island and hearing the awardees' stories really showed that it doesn't matter where you or your family came from in order to make a difference,” said Halbert. “And since my mother is an immigrant, it really made her Mother's Day to know I was at Ellis Island."
Recipients are also recognized for their professional leadership and significant contributions to America. Some previous recipients include former professional boxer Muhammad Ali; hall of fame baseball player Joe DiMaggio and the 41st President of the United States, George H.W. Bush. A couple of the 2012 honorees include the Army Chief of Staff, Gen. Ray Odierno and actress Brooke Shields.
"It was a humbling experience and a privilege to represent the 10th Mountain Division and the Army in honoring such a diverse group of outstanding individuals,” said Sgt 1st Class Renan Martinez an electronic maintenance supervisor assigned to Bravo Company, 210th BSB.
The day began at Liberty Park, NJ where service members boarded a ferry and departed for Ellis Island. After a light lunch, a grueling day of extensive rehearsing began. Trying to synchronize the movements of 200 service members proved to be a very daunting task.
The long hours of rehearsal paid off with a successful event. The ferry of senior military representatives, celebrities and people from various other distinct professions arrived and the ceremony commenced. As they exited the ferry and the honorees proceeded up the red carpet to the reception area, all service members proudly saluted each of the over 100 honorees while proudly accepting their warm smiles and kind gestures.
| Date Taken: | 05.12.2012 |
| Date Posted: | 05.22.2012 14:00 |
| Story ID: | 88796 |
| Location: | NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 91 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Ellis Island Medals of Honor ceremony, by SSG Jennifer Bunn, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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