GOSPORT
PA G E
August 15, 2014
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A flag for the future USS America By Lt. Jonathan Bacon NATTC PAO
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retired fourth grade teacher visited NAS Pensacola’s Naval Air Technical Training Center (NATTC) Aug. 1 with a special flag he is taking around the country. “How will you live your life? What will you do with the liberty you have been given? How will you pursue happiness?” These were the questions Larry Ross, a teacher from Canaan, Maine, posed as he pulled a black accordion folder and an American flag out of his backpack. Ross has been taking this flag around the country and using it to teach young people about life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. NAS Pensacola was one stop on this journey, which will end in San Francisco Oct.11 at the commissioning ceremony for the future USS America (LHA 6). The flag itself is an ordinary national ensign, but Ross is taking it around the United States to create what he calls “teachable moments” in the lives of young people. He describes the flag as a symbol of the many service men and women who have sacrificed their lives for their country. He then tells the life stories of servicemen and women who made the ultimate sacrifice. During the Pensacola stop, the presentation was given to a group of service members, rep-
resenting commands from across NASP including the Naval Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels; Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 (MATSG-21); Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) and NATTC. As part of his presentation, he told the stories of five Sailors and Marines who lost their lives during service to their country. They all had a different story of why they joined, where they were from and how they became an American hero we should all remember. They all demonstrated their commitment to living positive lives and exemplifying life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Ross has stories of Sailors and Marines from across the United States in all 50 states and each has a story that he uses to help teach young people about the sacrifices they made and how it has impacted their families today. Ross wrapped his presentation up posing the questions “how do you use your life, and liberty? And how will you pursue happiness?” He passed out a card with the seal of the future
HM2 Jonathan Vandervis of the Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, the Blue Angels; Maj. Frank Shone from Marine Aviation Training Support Group 21 (MATSG-21); Lt. Jonathan Bacon from Naval Air Technical Training Center; and Lt. Cmdr. Kate Meadows from Naval Education and Training Command, hold the American flag that Larry Ross has been taking around the country. He will present the flag to the crew of the future USS America (LHA 6) at the ship’s commissioning ceremony in San Francisco Oct. 11. NATTC photo
USS America on one side and a pledge to consider on the other. The pledge, built out of the examples he shared, was to “protect my life and the lives of others, to use my liberty for good and to help others do the same, and to pursue my happiness.” Those who were interested could make the pledge, sign the card, and the signed cards would be presented with the flag to the crew of the USS America at the ship’s commissioning. Ross will continue his flag tour throughout the summer, with stops in Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La., as he heads across the country. Since 1942, NATTC has
been committed to delivering training and increasing readiness within the Naval Aviation Enterprise. NATTC graduates approximately 15,000 Navy and Marine students annually. The majority of the student population is made up of enlisted personnel attending “A” schools, where they are learning the skills and knowledge required to perform as apprentice level technicians in the fleet. The center also provides airman apprenticeship training, personal financial management, and shipboard aircraft firefighting training. Advanced schools provide higher level technical knowledge for senior petty officers, and technical training for
officers in aviation fuels, carrier air traffic control center operations, amphibious air traffic control center operations, aircraft launch and recovery equipment, and shipboard aircraft fire fighting. Additionally, NATTC supports the fleet by providing team training to ships personnel during their pre-deployment workups, to ensure that shipboard personnel have the proficiency required to take their ship on deployment, after a prolonged period in port. For more information about Naval Air Technical Training Center, visit https://www. netc.navy.mil/centers/cnatt/nattc /Default.aspx.