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Navy Chief Petty Officer Cory Bell leads the crowd in singing "Anchors Aweigh" during a ceremony Tuesday to dedicate the field of flags at Blue Angels Park on Naval Air Facility El Centro. (ELIZABETH VARIN PHOTO / October 2, 2012) |
NAVAL AIR FACILITY EL CENTRO — Fifty-three flags stood tall above the crowd, showing what some said is the diversity of the United States.
On Tuesday, Navy supporters and base officials dedicated a new piece to the Blue Angels Park, 50 flags to represent the 50 states. They joined the already standing Prisoner of War and Missing in Action, Navy and United States flags.
A lot of work has gone into the renovations at the park as a whole, including the new project, base Commanding Officer Capt. Devon Jones said.
“As I look at these flags and the beauty, a few things to come to my mind in addition to the color and the pageantry,” he said. “The first one, Chaps touched on it in his invocation, is the diversity of our nation.”
Usually when talking about diversity, people are referencing racial and ethnic background, he said. There are many differences between all of the states and how they became part of the United States. “Yet we remain extremely unified as a country,” he said.
The project as a whole shows the close ties the base has with the community, and specifically the Navy League, Jones said. It also demonstrates what a talented Navy crew there is on base.
The sailors who worked on the project, Petty Officer 1st Class Chris McClure, Chief Petty Officer Manny Peralta, Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Napier and Airman Daniel Monson, are not professionals at putting poles in the ground or painters, Jones said before the crowd gathered at the park. That they were able to build the project so well is a reminder of the “great and talented sailors we have out there,” Jones said.
The field of flags overall turned out great, said Imperial Valley Navy League President Gaylla Finnell. Command Master Chief Theodore Gallinat suggested the project, and it’s this type of thing that the Navy League likes to support, she said. The Navy League, led by project chairwoman Betty Tucker, raised funds and got the supplies, and sailors on base put it together.
It’s important, Finnell said, to recognize that the country is made up of 50 states, all with different histories and cultures, she said.
“We’re one nation, but we’re made up of many parts,” she said.
For those sailors who are stationed at the area Navy facility, the field of flags will mean a lot to them, she said. They’re away from their families, but this is “a little touch of home.”
For Navy League member Roy Caldwell of Imperial, the project that he donated to is great, he said. The company he works for, Ormat Technologies, donated all the poles the flags hung on as well as the flag for Nevada. Caldwell also donated to put up the flag of Kentucky.
“This is something that will be here,” he said. “The way they installed this, and they’re made of solid steel, they’ll be here forever.”
Digital Media News Editor Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
To join the discussion and add your comments to this story, please click here to be directed to Facebook.
On Tuesday, Navy supporters and base officials dedicated a new piece to the Blue Angels Park, 50 flags to represent the 50 states. They joined the already standing Prisoner of War and Missing in Action, Navy and United States flags.
A lot of work has gone into the renovations at the park as a whole, including the new project, base Commanding Officer Capt. Devon Jones said.
“As I look at these flags and the beauty, a few things to come to my mind in addition to the color and the pageantry,” he said. “The first one, Chaps touched on it in his invocation, is the diversity of our nation.”
Usually when talking about diversity, people are referencing racial and ethnic background, he said. There are many differences between all of the states and how they became part of the United States. “Yet we remain extremely unified as a country,” he said.
The project as a whole shows the close ties the base has with the community, and specifically the Navy League, Jones said. It also demonstrates what a talented Navy crew there is on base.
The sailors who worked on the project, Petty Officer 1st Class Chris McClure, Chief Petty Officer Manny Peralta, Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Napier and Airman Daniel Monson, are not professionals at putting poles in the ground or painters, Jones said before the crowd gathered at the park. That they were able to build the project so well is a reminder of the “great and talented sailors we have out there,” Jones said.
The field of flags overall turned out great, said Imperial Valley Navy League President Gaylla Finnell. Command Master Chief Theodore Gallinat suggested the project, and it’s this type of thing that the Navy League likes to support, she said. The Navy League, led by project chairwoman Betty Tucker, raised funds and got the supplies, and sailors on base put it together.
It’s important, Finnell said, to recognize that the country is made up of 50 states, all with different histories and cultures, she said.
“We’re one nation, but we’re made up of many parts,” she said.
For those sailors who are stationed at the area Navy facility, the field of flags will mean a lot to them, she said. They’re away from their families, but this is “a little touch of home.”
For Navy League member Roy Caldwell of Imperial, the project that he donated to is great, he said. The company he works for, Ormat Technologies, donated all the poles the flags hung on as well as the flag for Nevada. Caldwell also donated to put up the flag of Kentucky.
“This is something that will be here,” he said. “The way they installed this, and they’re made of solid steel, they’ll be here forever.”
Digital Media News Editor Elizabeth Varin can be reached at evarin@ivpressonline.com or 760-337-3441.
To join the discussion and add your comments to this story, please click here to be directed to Facebook.
