Sailor of the Year Award to Tim Jr. and the Navy Ball.

Last night I attended the Navy Ball / Christmas Party for the Navy Operational Support Center (NOSC). To say it was "Something Else" is an under statement. Talk about "Tradition", these sailors have it and never intend to let it go. It was great.

Tim Jr was presented with the Sailor of the Year Award. It was the absolute "nuts" to see my son's name called when the award was called for presentation.

They started off with the National Anthem. That was just a warm up for the Invocation. Yeah, that's right, a prayer. After that, a "Welcome" was delivered by the Commanding Officer, Commander O'Neal. She told a story about a Vietnamese kid who left Saigon during the fall, managed to get on a fishing boat and make his way to the United States.

This kid worked hard, entered the Academy, worked his way up the ladder and became a Captain of a ship in the US Navy. Talk about an immigrant who did it by the numbers, this kid is it. She explained the story of his life and success in such a manner as to receive a standing ovation at the end of the presentation. I'm telling you, it was the nuts!

I brought my walking cane with me as I knew there was no way I was going to be able to be on my feet for that many hours without needing it. Despite that, at the end of the presentation and during the beginning of the music, she walked over to my table and asked me to dance. I held up my cane and said" Are you sure". She just smiled and said: "You'll be fine". We went to the dance floor and started to do my version of the jitterbug, cane included.

I saw Tim Jr looking at me dancing with his Commanding Officer and I noticed that "Oh, My God" look on this face. I told her Tim Jr was watching and we both began to laugh. When it came time to do the "Swing your partner around" part of the dance, my cane was in my right hand and as I put my arm around her back, I realized where the cane MUST be landing. I just looked at her and said: "Don't worry, THAT'S MY CANE". We both had a good laugh off that comment.

We both returned to our seats and I noticed that her husband looked exactly like my nephew, Mackey. I realized how young they all were and really got a good idea of that when they asked everybody who was over 60 to raise their hands. When it came to the part where they asked everybody who was 65 or older, I realized that there were just a few of us and for the most part, the room was full of kids and young adults just over 30.

They recognized two people that were key to the success of the NOSC. One guy, Scott Wells, was in a wheel chair and was recognized for doing charity work for Service members who suffered from TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury and Spinal Column Injuries. He wheeled himself over 100 miles for charity and was a most deserving honoree.

The other person was an older lady named Cybil Kelly. She put together care packages to send to Sailors that had deployed overseas so they would know they weren't forgotten. She had sent more than 600 of them. These two people were rock stars among the Navy people there. It was one sweet feeling to be around that group and I'm still digging on it.

After we ate, they have a tradition where they propose a Toast to whoever they wish to. One officer, a medical officer who was sitting at my table next to Tim Jr, stood up and announce the he "Wished to Propose a Toast". When he was recognize and addressed with "Propose Your Toast", he said: "I would like to Propose a Toast to the United States Army". There were cheers and lots of chants of "Here Here". .

The next person proposed a toast to the United States Navy. After that, it was the Marine Corp, the Air Force and then the Coast Guard. Cheers and Here Here filled the room. Talk about pride. These are real Americans.

Toward the end of the evening, I approached the Commanding Officer and told her how much I appreciated her opening comments especially the part about the immigrant from South Vietnam. I've been giving hell to some of the bad ones and have neglected to mention the great ones that we have the good fortune to have as citizens of our Country. I apologize for that here and now and hope that focusing on the problem has not taken away the good part and the asset that comes from great men and women who migrate to our Country.

I told the Commander, as we were preparing to leave, that I had a vision that came when I looked around the room at all the military members. I told her that her reference to 1975 and the accomplishments of the immigrant she spoke about, gave my an insight to the members of the military that were in that room. I said:

" If you go back further than 1975 and return to 1770, the year of the Boston Massacre, you may remember people who gathered in barns and taverns to prepare for the war that they all knew was coming. If you look around this room, you may see the same thing I do. This is a room full of Patriots and I want you to know that I'm proud to be here among so many great Americans and I wanted to thank you for allowing me to attend". With that, she told me that I was welcome at anytime.

As we were talking toward the car, I told Tim Jr how wonderful it was to witness the whole thing especially the awards and decorations ceremony that included his Navy Achievement Medal. For the next 20 minutes he began a non stop explanation of what the Navy had done for him in his life and how he, just like his Grandfather, had a 30 year plan that included going from E 1 to E 7 and then Officer Candidate School. Papaw, Major General George McGovern, (rip) did it that way and it was Tim Jr's firm commitment to follow in his Papaw's foot steps. What a great plan. I can see him making Captain one day even if I might not be around to make it.

I wanted to share these things with you especially with all the concerns we older Veterans have about the current state of affairs that come from the circumstances that our military is having to put up with now. Not to worry. Things will change for the better when the next administration comes on board to put our military back in the order it was before 2008. I will close this by saying "Our Navy Rocks".

God Bless our military men and women.