VOL.53 NO. 50 DECEMBER 18, 2014
SERVING NAVAL AIR STATION OCEANA, DAM NECK ANNEX, AND NALF FENTRESS AD1 (AW) Karlyn Medley and YN2 (AW) Adam Freeze, both from VFA103, place wreaths on the graves of veterans during the annual Wreaths Across America tribute at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk Dec. 13. Nearly 6,000 wreaths were placed on graves by volunteers during the event.
JET
INSIDE
BLUE ANGELS RETURNING TO OCEANA IN 2015 —Page 3
Photo by MC2 Alysia Hernandez
VOLUNTEERS HONOR MILITARY, FAMILY MEMBERS AT SUFFOLK VETERANS CEMETERY
BOBBY ROUNTREE ENDS SECOND CAREER AT OCEANA —Page 9
BY CATHY HEIMER Jet Observer Hundreds of volunteers, including active duty military across Hampton Roads, paid their respects to military veterans and their families during the “Wreaths Across America” tribute Dec. 13 at the Albert G. Horton Jr.Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk. Volunteers, including members of the Patriot Guard Riders, began arriving before dawn to help with the annual wreath-laying ceremony, also taking place at veterans’ cemeteries across the country. By 9 a.m., they were joined by hundreds of military members from all branches, Boy and Girl Scout troops, local veterans’ organizations and other volunteers,
who placed nearly 6,000 wreaths on the graves. Virginia Secretary of Veterans and Defense Affairs John C. Harvey Jr. was the guest speaker for the ceremony, where attendance was estimated at 3,000. “Virginians understand what it means to serve. Virginians understand what it means to be a veteran … There is a natural affinity in the ‘Old Dominion’ for those who serve,” said Harvey, a retired Navy four-star admiral and former commander of U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Harvey said the day is all about remembering.“Remembering who they were,what they did,your grandfather, your father, your uncle, your brother, your son, your daughter; remembering what they did in their lives to give
us our lives.This day is about recalling and renewing your commitment to what they understood so much and so well, so that we can go forward, not burdened by our history, but renewed and rejuvenated by it, and understand what we must do each day to retrieve the promise that they gave us with their lives and their sacrifice.” Lt. Col. Dean Gould, commander, Group 2 Civil Air Patrol asked for a minute of silence to honor all veterans and read a tribute to Wreaths Across America. He also explained how the Civil Air Patrol, which provided the flyover, became involved with the event. The formal ceremony concluded
— See Wreath Laying, page 8
Horton Wreath Society Since 2008, the Horton Wreath Society has provided live wreaths for every grave site at the Albert G. Horton Jr. Memorial Veterans Cemetery in Suffolk. These wreaths are made possible by donations. For more information, visit www. hortonwreathsociety. webs.com.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS This is the final Jet Observer for 2014. The newspaper will not be published over the holidays but will resume publication with the Jan. 8, 2015 issue. Coverage of command events will be available on a limited basis during the holidays. Call 433-3360 or email jet@ militarynews.com for more information or to request coverage.