PHOTO COURTESY OF THE U.S. NAVAL ACADEMY
ALL HAndS
First Lieutenant Kimberly Colby ’14, USMC, first began visiting dying veterans as part of the Honor Salute program six years ago when she thanked a Marine infantryman dying of colon cancer for his service. He had 1stLt Colby ’14, USMC, visits with a veteran in support of the earned the Purple Heart Honor Salute program. while serving during Vietnam. Despite being in immense pain, the Marine remained stoic throughout the entire ceremony and just as Colby was about to leave, he turned to her and said, “You know what? That’s the first time I have ever been thanked for my service.” “The program struck a chord with me,” said Colby. Her grandfather was in the Army Air Corps during World War II and her father served in the Marine Corps during the post-Vietnam era. Formally known as Final Salute, Honor Salute began in 2010 at Hospice of the Chesapeake in Pasadena, MD. The program encourages young military members at the beginning of their careers to pay tribute to veterans at the end of their lives. Currently stationed at Camp Pendleton in Oceanside, CA, Colby brought the program with her to the West Coast where it is now operating in connection with the Escondido-based Elizabeth Hospice and the Carlsbad-based Hospice of the North Coast. Since 2012, Elizabeth Hospice has recognized more than 2,300 veterans during ceremonies held in dining halls of area senior living communities and at bedside for hospice patients. Following the ceremonies, Colby and the other Marines from Camp Pendleton often have the opportunity to spend time with the veterans. “The time is especially meaningful for those who were never welcomed home or thanked for their service,” said the hospice’s veterans specialist Lisa Marcolongo, whose husband served in the Marine Corps. “Go out of your way to honor veterans,” Colby said. “In our lifetime we will lose all World War II and Korean War veterans. Their stories and sacrifices should be honored.” ®
The Naval Academy Glee Club will perform during “A Salute to America’s Heroes” this November.
Naval Academy Glee Club to Perform with Memphis Symphony Orchestra The Naval Academy Glee Club will perform with the Memphis Symphony Orchestra in Memphis, TN, for a two-concert series in November to commemorate Veteran’s Day. Featuring “A Salute to America’s Heroes,” the performances are scheduled for 11 November 2017 at 7:30 p.m. at the Cannon Center for the Performing Arts and 12 November at 2:30 p.m. at the Germantown Performing Arts Center. Tickets are available through the Memphis Symphony Box Office at 901-537-2525 and online at www.memphissymphony.org. ®
USNA Comes in Second at the 79th annual Edgartown Yacht Club Race Weekend
Hurley Hosts Military Members Billy Hurley III ’04, the first service academy graduate to win on the PGA Tour, hosted the Billy Hurley III and the Brave Golf Tournament on 31 July at the Naval Academy Golf 18 military members were selected to participate in the Billy Course in Annapolis, Hurley III and the Brave Golf Tournament. MD. Eighteen military personnel were selected to compete in the tournament with Hurley. ®
PHOTO COURTESY OF BILLY HURLEY III OFFICIAL WEBSITE
PHOTO COURTESY OF THE SAN DIEGO UNION TRIBUNE
Grad Brings Honor Salute to West Coast
Calm seas and gentle winds made for a speed-challenged weekend at the 79th annual Edgartown Yacht Club Race in Massachusetts. Held from 20 to 22 July, the 2017 race got off to a late start and ended with an early finish. Fifty-seven entrants in nine classes departed Edgartown’s Outer Harbor at 9 a.m. with light air delaying the start of the 54.6-mile race by nearly an hour. The fleet rounded a mark off Cape Poge and proceeded south along Chappaquiddick Island to the turning mark RW “MC,” the red and white Morse Code Alpha buoy marking the shoals south and east of Martha’s Vineyard. From there, the faster boats proceeded west toward Devil’s Bridge. Ultimately, the race was shortened to the first virtual scoring gate, a longitude line on the south side of the Island. The Naval Academy’s WAHOO, skippered by Midshipman William Johnson ’18, came in second behind SPOOKIE with a time of 8:06:43. Both ships topped the fleet in the Performance Class Racing Fleet Class 7. ® SEPTEMBER-OCTOBER 2017 • SHIPMATE 15