Stennis Sailors Observe Holocaust Remembrance

PACIFIC OCEAN – Sailors aboard USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) paused their busy schedule to remember the tragic events of the Holocaust during a ceremony in the ship’s forecastle, April 24.

The theme of the observance, organized by Stennis’ Multi-Cultural Heritage Committee, was storytelling. After an opening prayer from Lt. Cmdr. John Monahan, one of Stennis’ chaplains, Aviation Maintenance Administrationman 3rd Class Shanice Smith, the master of ceremony, introduced six Sailors who told the stories of Holocaust survivors.

Each speaker found and researched the experiences of a survivor that resonated the most with them. Then they wrote accounts of those events from the first person perspective and read them.

“It was eye-opening to look at someone’s history, what they had to do to survive and to be that person’s voice,” said Personnel Specialist 3rd Class Jason Caffey, from Corpus Christi, Texas.

Aviation Electronics Technician 1st Class Malkey Halpert, from Brooklyn, N.Y., shared a story from her childhood about her grandfather, a Holocaust survivor.

“I’ve done a lot of Holocaust trainings before, but I generally don’t tell people my family stories,” said Halpert. “I felt like it was part of something that people needed to know. It felt like it was the right time.”

She shared how she grew up in an environment where Holocaust stories were commonplace, how she uncovered her grandparents’ story of sacrifice and perseverance, and the importance of learning from the past.

“These stories we heard today are not just stories,” said Halpert. “They represent people with hopes, dreams and ambitions, many of which were destroyed before they had a chance to come to fruition.”

Following the stories, Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 2nd Class Anjessica Gabriel, from Tampa, Fla., and Aviation Boatswain’s Mate (Fuel) 3rd Class Jonte Johnson, from Miami, recited an original poem about coming to terms with the tragedies of the past.

Capt. Mike Wettlaufer, Stennis’ commanding officer, offered these words in closing.

“This morning we had the opportunity to share a listening experience,” said Wettlaufer. “To have people from all different walks of life but wearing the same uniform telling the story as if it were their own was pretty powerful, and I am absolutely moved.”

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Stennis Sailors Rock the Mic

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Jiang

PACIFIC OCEAN – Sitting at a warmly decorated table under dimmed, tinted lights amongst a thumb snapping crowd, someone could almost forget they were on the mess decks of a U.S. Navy aircraft carrier underway in the Pacific Ocean. This was the setting for the Sailors aboard USS John C. Stennis who performed during a talent show April 16.

The 30 performers showcased a range of artistic backgrounds including spoken word poets, guitarists and even an opera singer.

“The show allows everybody to get away from the daily ship life and go to a place of peace whether it’s poetry, singing or however they want to express themselves,” said Aviation Ordnanceman 3rd Class C. J. Knox, from Los Angeles, Stennis’ Junior Enlisted Association’s (JEA) public affairs officer.

‘Who Rocks the Mic’ was the second live performance event organized by the JEA.

“It started off with the idea of being a spoken word event,” said Knox. “Then we decided to branch out more, and it became a talent show.”

The audience had their own role to play in the show, using their applause to choose the winner. Their choice was Aviation Electronics Technician Airman Darious Dantzler, from Orlando, Fla. and a member of Helicopter Sea Combat Squadron (HSC) 14.

Dantzler wowed the crowd with his voice and a guitar borrowed at the last minute.

“We all had lives before we became Sailors,” said Dantzler. “This show gave us the chance to express some of those non-Navy related skills.”

Dantzler didn’t receive a tangible prize, but he did gain the adulation of his shipmates and the chance to perform in front of a crowd.

The event had a much larger than expected turnout. Every seat on the forward mess decks was filled and the majority of the audience had to stand packed in along the edge of the space.

“I was blown away by the numbers,” said Knox. “We’re going to have to find a bigger place.”

For more news from USS John C. Stennis visit http://www.stennis.navy.mil or http://www.facebook.com/stennis 74.

Stennis Gets Visited by Marley’s Ghost

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Jiang

PACIFIC OCEAN – Marley’s Ghost, an eclectic band with a strong country influence, performed for John C. Stennis Strike Group (JCSSG) Sailors as part of a variety show in USS John C. Stennis’ hangar bay April 17.

Founded in the 1980s, the five members of Marley’s Ghost, Dan Wheetman, Jon Wilcox, Mike Phelan, Ed Littlefield Jr. and Jerry Fletcher, come from various musical backgrounds. For their first carrier concert they performed songs from a range of genres, including the somber, accapella ‘Seaman’s Hymn,’ the Mardi Gras song ‘Iko Iko’ and a cover of ‘God Bless the USA.’
“We were thrilled and so excited,” said Wilcox. “It was payback for the kindness we were shown.”

In addition to the band, the show featured ventriloquist Jay Johnson and musical performances from singer-songwriter Livingston Taylor, Billy Valentine and fiddler Phil Salazar, all with introductions from the show’s emcee and comedian Dick Hardwick.

Two Stennis Sailors, Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Patrick Enright and Ship’s Serviceman Seaman Arrington Jenkins, joined the band for a rendition of ‘Shout Baby Shout,’ with Arrington on guitar and Enright on drums.

“It was an amazing blessing I received last night,” said Jenkins. “These were professional musicians we were playing with so it meant a lot that they wanted Enright and me to go up there.”

The audience joined in for the final song of the night, ‘America the Beautiful.’ Even Capt. Mike Wettlaufer, Stennis’ commanding officer, and Rear Adm. Ronald Boxall, JCSSG commander, joined the performers on stage.

“We had a good time and had some good laughs,” said Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Alexander Morris, from Bossier City, La., who saw the show with Information Systems Technician 3rd Class Abraham Gonzales, from Montebello, Calif.

“We went up to the hangar bay and ended up staying for the entirety,” said Gonzales.

The performers also toured Stennis before and after the concert, seeing the crew in action on the flight deck, combat direction center, mess decks and other operational spaces.
“The quality of the personnel on board is a huge surprise,” said Wilcox, “I got a sore hand from shaking hands so much.”
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Happy Birthday Chiefs

Story by Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Jonathan Jiang

PACIFIC OCEAN – Chief Petty Officers (CPO) from USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 9 and Carrier Strike Group 3 celebrated their 122nd birthday in Stennis’ Chiefs Mess April 1.
For this year’s celebration, first year chiefs organized a series of events that celebrate and commemorate their Navy heritage while underway.

“For me it was an opportunity to learn and to give back,” said Chief Logistics Specialist Marcus Allen Burdios, from California, one of the event organizers, about the process of planning the events while underway. “It was something I wanted to do and something I wanted to be a part of. It was tough, but it made me stronger.”

The morning kicked off at 5 a.m. with a recital of the CPO creed and a CPO only physical training session, followed by an all-day scavenger hunt that led participants around the ship and tested their knowledge of CPO heritage.
The festivities ended in the Chiefs Mess with a special dinner, a speech from CVW 9 Command Master Chief Fermin Timothee and a birthday cake cutting.

The winner of the scavenger hunt, Chief Electronics Technician Gregory Geske, from Pearland, Texas, received a CPO cutlass engraved with the words Unity, Service and Navigation and the phrase ‘Deckplate leadership since 1893.’

“Individually we are nothing more than well-seasoned veterans filled with confidence and pride,” said Timothee. “Together … the Chiefs Mess becomes the power commanding officers rely upon and Sailors strive to achieve.”
For more news from USS John C. Stennis visit http://www.stennis.navy.mil or http://www.facebook.com/stennis 74.