Monday, September 20, 2010

A Very Special Day

Good Morning Everyone,

Yesterday was a very special day as we celebrated with a Friend “The Change of Command Ceremony” at an air field here in Jacksonville, Florida. It was held in a Military Hangar that my Husband and his company refurbished earlier this year. He also built them a new Hangar as well.

Today however we celebrated “The Change of Command”. It was and awesome Ceremony and we felt so privileged to be a part of it. Her are some of the troops (in the background) waiting for the Ceremony to begin….

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…here is my Husband Darrell

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….and awesome sight even as a silhouette…with the Black Hawks in the background.

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….getting ready to begin….

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starting….

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ceremony begins……

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Change of Command

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Passing of the unit Flag

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The Colonel

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….and the SaluteColonel Lords 022

…ending of the ceremony

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The soldiers gather to hear the from the old Commander and the new Commander (I’m in the center)

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Had to share some of the Aircraft in the fleet and look at that beautiful sky!

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My Husband Darrell

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and again seeing the inside of the Black Hawk

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Here I am sitting in the  Black Hawk….what an amazing piece of equipment. He explained a lot of it to me.

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…and then again with Scott…who said: “Ma’m please don’t press any buttons”!!!

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Darrell with the Colonel

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The three of us.

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This is the inside of a Chinook aircraft ….is not all that comfortable to transport our soldiers

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I was told not to push any buttons again…..looks like I’m truing green already, huh?

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Stay tuned as I hope to work with this unit to bring them some cheer from home a few months down the road. Everyone of the military will be headed to Afghanistan in the summer. I will be asking for you help and hope you will be there for them…as they are for us.

hope you enjoyed my littel tour of yesterday….I know it’s not stamping  related, not yet anyway…..it will be though!!!

Have a Stampinglee Good Day!

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12 comments:

Tammy Mendiola said...

Lee,
Thanks for sharing! As a Navy wife, Change of Command and other ceremonies are just part of my world, but I know tht there are so many others out there who don't have the opportunity to attend/take part. Your pictures are great! And I appreciate your support of our military!

Unknown said...

Absolute awesome Lee!!! I love that your dress just fits right in with all the uniforms. :0) What an awesome accomplishment for your husband to be involved with. The blackhawks are just amazing!!! Thank you for sharing your special day!!!
Lorraine Castellon-Rowe
www.lorrainerowe.blogspot.com

MaGoooo said...

THANK YOU for sharing this with us! As the "MOM" of an Army Solider and a Navy Airman I so APPRECIATE what you are doing!

I will be following and will try to lend my helping hand when you need.

HUGS

Gale Smith said...

Thanks for your pictures Lee. I love the change of command ceremonies. My husband is an Army Colonel and we are stationed in Orlando. I would like to help the soldiers in any way I can.

Mary Davidson said...

Hi Lee,

Thanks for sharing pictures of the ceremony. They are very moving. What a thrill it must have been to be there and see everything up close and personal. I'm down in Palm Coast and I'll be happy to help in any way I can.

Cynthia Ferenz said...

Thank you for sharing. I never went to Cecil Field, but we wee stationed at NAS Jax and later at MB Mayport. I went been to a few Changes of Command when my DH was a Naval Officer (now retired) and will probably be to a few more since the boys are in the Army. My youngest just returned from Iraq and the oldest will be going to Iraq next year. Let me know if there is anything I can do to help you when this group of soldiers head over.

Cynthia Ferenz
Proud Parent of 2 Soldiers

Vicky said...

Lee, thank you for sharing that with us. My husband retired from the Air Force after 24 years and it does my heart good to see people reaching out to help all of the soilders all over that keep us safe.
God bless!
Vicky

Beth said...

Thanks for sharing Lee. My friend, LaMuir Baze's husband is a pilot with the 3rd ID and he flies a black hawk. He is scheduled to come home by November...he's on his 3rd deployment and is getting out in February.

Jan Hoyt said...

very cool COC photos, Lee. They brought back many memories for me! I am retired Navy and my first duty station was NAS Jax (near Cecil Field, obviously!) and my husband is a retired Navy helo pilot so we were around many similar events and I always loved seeing the helicopters.

I think the Navy closed Cecil a while back, is it a guard base now? or maybe Marine? Those definitely were not Navy uniforms in the photos. But it did look like some Medivac aircraft...near and dear to my heart due to my Nurse Corps background.

So glad that you were able to participate in the day and I am sure the unit will appreciate your future card support. Go USA!
Jan Hoyt
http://www.inkerzaway.blogspot.com

Ruby Taylor said...

Hi Lee,
You don't know how that touched my heart. I think I told you I was raised in Jacksonville. When I was 15, I was introduced to a gorgeously handsome (to me) 19 yr. old, just out of Naval basis training. He was in catapults and arresting gear training at Cecil Field. Later, I was all of of 16 and he was then 20, we married. He was sent to Hunter's Point Naval Shipyard in San Fran and I went to his hometown, Spokane, WA, where out first son was born. The Navy was in the process of refitting and modernizing the USS Midway for re-commissioning.
Years ago, I was told Cecil had been closed. It is good to know she still lives and breathes....I'm 57 now and weepingly sentimental. Thank you!

Ruby

PS Trying to save that money!

TN Granny said...

Lee, Thank you for sharing this with us I would have been crying like a baby I'm such a Patrotic person. Again thank you and God Bless,
Jeanine

ArtisticInkspirations said...

TFS..brings back memories. I have attended many similar ceremonies while in the AF..many because I was part of a color guard drill team..Have even flown in one of those planes with just the little sling seats.. and no.. they're not too comfortable.. but they get you to your destination in one piece!!