That Monday in May

Observing today's remembrance, a Memorial Day ceremony took place at Naval Air Station Miramar, attended by SL US Navy and SL USMC service members from Third and Seventh Fleets, as well as USCG in SL members. Here is a record of the event. As usual, click on the images to enlarge.

The guests started arriving early at Miramar.

CDR. An Rainbow is escorted by CAPT. Vickster Kühn for the Memorial flight.

Miramar's main entrance was the stage of the ceremony.

CAPT. Sidney Pobieski delivers her remarks.

 
CAPT. Sidney Pobieski's remarks.
SFCOM, CV-63CO

Good morning. I only found out I was going to speak about an hour ago, so I am going to have to be uncharacteristically brief. I should wrap this up in 45 mins or so.
I was speaking with a woman at Church yesterday who is rather on in years, and she was lamenting that we no longer call today "Decoration Day". Which is used to be called until, I think, 1970, at which time it was renamed and moved to a Monday to give the Post Office a long weekend.

A lot of people think Decoration Day refers in some way to military medals or badges. It does not. In fact the name came about when groups of women in the South began to "decorate" the graves of fallen Confederate soldiers in the years after the Civil War. In 1868, a group of women in northeastern Georgia were doing just that when they noticed the intended cemetery containing the graves of Union soldiers nearby. It was in sad disrepair and many of the women were appalled by this. So they took to "decorating" the graves of all fallen soldiers, (...). It caught on with a National Union Veterans Group and became a National Holiday from there, with the intent of caring for the physical graves and the communal memory of all soldiers who gave their lives in all wars.

That is what we need to be remembering today. That real people, children often, died a real death so that we can behave as disgracefully as we do today - politically, socially and personally. We've made a game of it here, but its not a game to many families. So as you go about your SL military careers, try to do so in a way that reflects credit upon the institution and the people who have been part of it.

I will conclude with this... "And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works." - Revelations 20:13. I do not concern myself that any of our war dead need be concerned when their time to be judged arrives.

Senior Commanding Officers of the USS Kitty Hawk and NAS Miramar.

CAPT. Vickster Kühn making her speech, after CAPT. Pobieski.

CAPT. Vickster Kühn's remarks.
TFCOM, NAFENCO, NFDTCO

Thank you Captain Kron, thank you Captain Pobieski also.The fact is I know a lot of veterans and the fact is memorial day rooted in history though it is well, unfortunately, the roles of the honored dead continue to grow. All the lives spent on those battlefields - and lets face it not always well spent but honorably - and the shattered families who eventually heal and move on.

It is not a game what we do if we do it right, its a living memorial to the men and women who served as well as those who died. It is rather Memorial Day every day for us if you push it that far because this place, this navy, is a living memorial and monument to them, and its appropriate to remember that it's done with reverence and respect. Thank you all for your attention. 

View of the ceremony ground with USCG vessels off the coast.

The USCG cutter "Scimitar" and a USCG fast boat joined the ceremony.

CAPT. Asra Kron delivers the closing statements before noon.

 CAPT. Asra Kron's remarks.

TFCOM, NASMCO, NFDTXO

Thank you CAPT. Pobieski and CAPT. Kühn for your words. At this point we would have a chaplain come forward and grace us with his words as well, but unfortunately he is not available so I will close the remarks as we approach noon and the restoring of the flag to full staff.
 
Distinguished commanding officers, fellow service men and women, ladies and gentlemen, thank you for joining us at Naval Air Station Miramar for this year’s Memorial Day ceremony. We are into our third year of existence and proudly look forward to many more, remaining one of the finest mirrors of the United States Armed Forces in this virtual world. As such we carry on our shoulders the responsibility of portraying the real life institutions we represent honorably and this particularly comes to mind in days like this one.

Memorial Day is the time to celebrate the lives that were given for a greater cause in the ultimate sacrifice one can make for one’s country. We should remember those fallen heros always and not just today, but on this day we choose to collectively pause and think about their service and their precious gift to us all. Yesterday I placed a little flag on the grave of a family member who served in the United States Navy, like his father before him. It is a beautiful cemetery, very large and well kept, long and wide stretches of well tended grass with old luscious oaks. Very near is the military memorial site with all branches represented and an enormous American flag waving majestically up on high. It made me think of what I wanted to say to you today.

We honor all those who served, and neither of my Navy family members lost their lives in the line of duty, but today in particular we honor those who did so, and in honoring them we must also remember what their sacrifice was for. We live in controversial times, difficult times. We are faced every day with a myriad of news that tell us of a troubled world and a troubled country, where so many are pitched against each other and fail to find common ground. In such times we must hold ourselves in an even higher standard and stand fast for what we believe in and represent.

The lives selflessly given by those whose memory we honor today were given for what our country stands for, above all freedom. Freedom that is ensured by a system that at its core has both democracy and the rule of law, for you can not have a free society without representation and justice. In these troubled times we must stand fast in the defense of these values and what makes them possible, and more than ever represent our real life mirrors with dignity and pride, but also with humility and responsibility. This is what gives the sacrifices we honor today meaning and does them justice.

In remembrance of our fallen service men and women we had our flags at half staff for the first twelve hours of the day. We shall now restore the flag to full staff so it waves high proudly once more. Remember this when you look at it. Remember what it means. Lest we forget.

Miramar's flag was raised to full staff at noon as the National Anthem played.

Gathering for champagne at the end of the ceremony. A fine day it was.

Thank you to all the US Navy, US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard in Second Life service members who attended this ceremony.

CAPT. Asra Kron
NASMCO / TFCOM

Thank you 7th Fleet

CAPT. Sidney Pobieski, the USS Kitty Hawk's Skipper, after unveiling the plaque at NAF Eagles Nest.

On November 16, CAPT. Sidney Pobieski was at NAF Eagles Nest, home of the Blue Angels, to unveil the plaque offered by the USS Kitty Hawk to mark the Blues participation in this year's Veterans Day celebrations that took place aboard the Battle Cat (see here). A initiative by LCDR. Bambi Baxter, the plaque is set in the Blues award wall inside NAFEN's main building. Attending the simple but meaningful occasion were CAPT.'s Vickie Kühn and Asra Kron, NFDT's CO and XO, LTJG. Matter Blueskind, as Angel 3, and from the Kitty Hawk and 7th Fleet we were pleased to have the unexpected visit of RADM. Yan Aboubakar, who joined CAPT. Pobieski, CDR. Helena Stenvaag, CV-63's XO, and the "culprit" LCDR. Baxter.

 As the plaque was about to be unveiled, CAPT. Pobieski offered these words:
"On behalf of the USS Kitty Hawk and Task Force 77, I would like to present this plaque as an expression of our appreciation for participating in our 2017 Veteran's Day observances, and for the fine work you do in raising Naval Aviation to standards unexceeded anywhere."
Although it is the Navy Flight Demonstration Team's job to fly all over Second Life's grid and attend SL Navy inspired events as the ambassador squadron of the Fleet, we were touched by this singular gesture that, as simple as it was, meant a lot to all the Blues.
The Blue Angels Boss, CAPT. Kühn, expressed our feelings well:
" Thank you Captain Pobieski, on behalf of the Blue Angels I accept this plaque with gratitude, both for the plaque itself and for the opportunity to serve."
Thank you 7th Fleet.

CAPT. Asra Kron
Angel 7

Blue Angels VIP Ride - CAPT. Sidney Pobieski

CAPT. Pobieski is awarded her V.I.P. Ride certificate by CAPT's Vickster Kühn and Asra Kron, Angels 1 and 7, 11/11/2017.

Opening the 2017 Veterans Day celebrations on the deck of the USS Kitty Hawk (see here), Captain Asra Kron, Angel 7, took CV-63's Skipper, Captain Sidney Pobieski, for a very special V.I.P. Ride. Launching from the Kitty Hawk, CAPT. Pobieski could experience first hand the capabilities of the Navy Flight Demonstration Team's Cougar, as CAPT. Kron went through some of the maneuvers performed by both the Diamond and the Solos in this season's demo layout.

No need for paper bags during flight as the Skipper is a seasoned naval aviator, and after touching down on the Kitty Hawk's deck she was quick on her feet and on her wits, taking the opportunity to ask very interesting questions about the Cougar's performance she had just gone through.

The Blue Angels wish to extend their gratitude to Captain Sidney Pobieski in her support for the squadron, namely allowing 7th Fleet naval aviators to serve with the NFDT, making our effort to be the ambassadors of the United States Navy in Second Life more rewarding and meaningful, as our pilots come from different fleets and USN inspired groups.

CAPT. Asra "Cougar" Kron
NFDTXO / Angel 7

Veterans Day 2017

The branches colors fly on the Kitty Hawk deck on Veterans Day, 11/11/2017.

November 11, we gathered on the USS Kitty Hawk's deck to celebrate our veterans and remember their service and sacrifice. Hosted by 7th Fleet, in the Gulf of Tonkin, the celebrations were joined by members of other fleets and branches, and the Blue Angels performed a singular fly over Second Life United States Navy's most awarded and long serving vessel.

On this occasion, opening the ceremonies and prior to the fly over, the Blue Angels took CV-63's Skipper for a long overdue V.I.P. Ride aboard Angel 7, the squadron's two seat Cougar (see here). Captain Sidney Pobieski's service in support of the Navy's endeavor in Second Life, that reaches above and beyond the fleet she serves in, was thus highlighted in this day. We thank her for the occasion and for letting us be a part of the celebrations, as Third Fleet officers and Blue Angels pilots. Below, some captured moments of the day. As usual, click on the images to enlarge.

The Skipper aboard Angel 7 during preflight, before the V.I.P. Ride.

The Blue Angels present CAPT. Pobieski with the V.I.P. Ride certificate.

The Skipper poses next to her cert after the ride on Angel 7 (see here).

Formed on Phu Yen's airfield the Blues wait for clearance to take off.

On deck, all stand for the national anthem.

Thank you to the men and women who served honorably under our flag. They will be respected and remembered.

CAPT. Asra Kron

NASMCO / NFDTXO / TFCOM