USS Turner Joy Memorial Day Service                                      Photo by James Klose

The general pubic is invited to attend a Memorial Day Service, Monday, May 27 at 10 AM on the fantail of the historic ship, USS Turner Joy on the waterfront in Bremerton. Rear Admiral Dietrich Kuhlmann, Commander Submarine Group Nine will be the Keynote Speaker

The ceremony is sponsored by the US Navy League, Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Council and coordinated by Navy League President Tim Katona, who serves as master of Ceremonies.

The USS Turner Joy is located near the Bremerton ferry terminal at the north end of the marina. Parking is available at the Convention Center nearby. Coffee and donuts will be provided in the ship’s crew’s mess after the ceremony.

Come early, as seating is limited.

KEYPORT, Wash. (May 23, 2013) Submarine Veterans stand at attention while the national anthem is played at a “Tolling of the Boats” ceremony at the Naval Undersea Museum Jack Murdock Auditorium in Keyport, Wash. 

KEYPORT, Wash – More than 200 Sailors, veterans and civilians attended the “Tolling of the Boats” ceremony hosted by members of the U.S. Navy Bremerton Base Submarine Veterans (SubVets) at the Naval Undersea Museum’s Jack Murdock Auditorium, May 23. The ceremony honors the memory of the submariners who lost their lives in the line of duty, especially those during World War II. In the ceremony, the names of every U.S. submarine lost, along with the fate of its crew, are read aloud as a ship’s bell is tolled for each in turn.

Cmdr. Jeffrey S. Smith, commanding officer of USS Kentucky (SSBN 737), delivered the opening remarks at the ceremony and said to everyone in attendence, “Why do we remember?” “This ceremony is a glimpse into the soul of the submariner … courage, sacrifice, duty, honor, humility,” said Smith. “ We remember because it would be shameful beyond words not to. We will remember … we who dive the ocean depths, who brave its icy grasp, who silently guard our nation’s freedom.”

“The fact remains that our brothers and sisters in the submarine force, just as in the days past, are ready to make sacrifices in the defense of our nation,” said Smith. “The young men and women proudly wearing their dolphins today have inherited the legacy of our ancestors. To our submarine fathers, you taught us well, we have the watch and rest assured it’s in good hands.”

BREMERTON, Wash. (May 18, 2013) Bremerton-Olympic Peninsula Navy League President Tim Katona, left, and Capt. Mark VanYe, chief of staff for Submarine Group (SUBGRU) 9, present the Olympic Trophy to Cmdr. Jeff Joseph, Gold crew commanding officer of the ballistic missile submarine USS Nebraska (SSBN 739), at the Bremerton Armed Forces Gala. The Olympic Trophy is presented annually to the top ballistic missile submarine in the U.S. Pacific Fleet.

KITSAP HARBOR FESTIVAL

Saturday & Sunday – Memorial Weekend May 25th & 26th

Bremerton Marina & Boardwalk

Downtown Bremerton & Port Orchard Marina & Park

Kitsap Harbor Festival Bremerton Boardwalk Events include over 50 booths featuring fabulous food, crafts and many interesting new and familiar items to see and purchase.

Two days of entertainment on the Main Stage with some of your favorite bands, featuring the very popular Navy Band Northwest on Saturday from 4 to 6pm. For information on all Main Stage schedule, access the Entertainment section.

Enjoy the beer garden, again sponsored by Bremerton Bar & Grill on the viewing platform. A great view of the activities in the Port of Bremerton Marina and Main Stage Entertainment. Open all hours of the festival.

Also bring the little ones for story time presented by the Kitsap Regional Library, both mornings at 11am to start the day and then the Venture Crew 1517 will dive for sea creatures, bring them to the stage, tell you about them and the kids can see them up close and even touch and learn about our amazing ‘friends’ that live in the water.

Visit the new KidZone this year with many activities for the little ones and the young at heart.

May 25th and 26th on Saturday from 10 am to 6pm and Sunday from 10am to 5pm on Memorial Weekend.

Junior officers from Naval Hospital Bremerton, USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), Puget Sound Naval Shipyard and Intermediate Maintenance Facility and U.S. Coast Guard Maritime Force Protection Unit Bangor, were recognized by the Kitsap Chapter of Military Officers Association of America May 17.

In conjunction with the annual Armed Forces Festival, Lt. Jenique Keys, NHB labor and delivery nurse, Lt. Cmdr. Wayne Lewis. assistant operations officer on Stennis, Lt. Jeremiah Smith, IMF Electrical Repair Division officer, and Lt. John Mackinnon, assistant operations officer with MFPU Bangor received the Military Officer Association Annual Award for outstanding professionalism and service.

Northwest Navy Life article

USS Scorpion (SSN-589). Photographed on 27 June 1960, off New London, Connecticut, during builder’s trials. Vice Admiral Hyman G. Rickover is standing on her sailplanes with another officer.

Remembering USS Scorpion (SSN-589), which was lost with her crew south-west of the Azores on this date in 1968. In late October 1968, her remains were found on the sea floor over 10,000 feet below the surface by a towed deep-submergence vehicle deployed from USNS Mizar (T-AGOR-11).

BREMERTON, Wash (NNS) — The commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74) and the sailor of the year led Stennis Sailors in the 65th Annual Armed Forces Day Parade in Bremerton, May 18.

Capt. Ron Reis, Personnel Specialist First Class Marionogerad Zamora and more than 300 fellow Stennis Sailors participated in the parade to honor our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country. ”It was very humbling,” said Reis. “Stennis has been to sea 17 of the last 24 months, but this community continues to open its arms and hearts as if we’ve never left. This is our home, and I’m very honored and proud to say that.”

The parade was organized by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce and Bremerton Kiwanis Club and included more than 143 groups ranging from active-duty military, veterans, state and local officials, community leaders and local students. ”Being a native of Bremerton, it is great to be part of a tradition that honors military service members,” said Mike Strube, president and CEO of the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce. “It’s a good feeling to see the community step up and continue to share in that tradition.”

“The parade is the longest running, and one of the biggest Armed Forces Day parades in the country,” said Cris Larsen, chairman of the Armed Forces Festival in Bremerton. “We take pride in our support of the military, and I understand the sacrifices that [service members] do. It’s important to honor that. That’s why this day exists.”

On May 3, Stennis returned from an eight-month deployment to the U.S. 5th and 7th Fleet areas of responsibilities in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and continued Theater Security Cooperation efforts.

BREMERTON, Wash. (May 18, 2013) — Boatswain’s Mate Petty Officer 2nd Class Brandon Adams helps in the unraveling of the flag in preparation for Bremerton’s Armed Forces Day Parade.

BREMERTON, Wash. – More than 40,000 active-duty service members, retirees and civilians from the Pacific Northwest gathered in Bremerton, Wash., to watch the 65th annual Armed Forces Day Parade May 18. The parade was presented by the Bremerton Chamber of Commerce as part of the city’s Armed Forces Festival to pay tribute to all veterans past and present.

The Military Grand Marshal of this year’s parade was Rear Adm. Markham Rich, commander, Navy Region Northwest. Sailors assigned to Navy Band Northwest (NBNW), the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis (CVN 74), and the Ohio-class fleet ballistic missile submarine USS Kentucky (SSBN 737) also participated in the parade.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (May 12, 2013) Navy Mineman 1st Class Linda Simpson performs a seated discus throw during a team Navy Coast Guard track and field practice at the 2013 Warrior Games. From May 11-16, More than 200 wounded, ill and injured service members and veterans, as well as an international team representing the United Kingdom, will compete at the U.S. Olympic Training Center and U.S. Air Force Academy. The military service with the most medals will win the Chairman’s Cup. (U.S. Navy photo)

On May 16, the athletes hit the pool for swimming, the final competition of the games. Team Navy secured four medals – two silver and two bronze medals.

Navy Mineman 1st Class Linda Simpson took silver in the women’s 50-meter freestyle (single-leg amputee (SLA)) and the women’s 100-meter freestyle (SLA); she also claimed bronze in the women’s 50-meter backstroke (SLA).

 

Navy Band Northwest has a busy schedule locally in the coming weeks. The parade band will appear in the Port Townsend Rhododendron Parade on Friday, May 17, and the Armed Forces Festival parade in downtown Bremerton on Saturday, May 18, from 10 a.m. to noon.

On Wednesday, May 22 at 6 p.m. the “Deception Brass” ensemble will perform at the Silverdale Waterfront Park as part of Olympic High School’s annual Jazz Night.

On Saturday, May 25 at 4 p.m. the band’s popular music group, “Passage” will perform on Bremerton’s Boardwalk; and on Sunday, May 26 at 3:15 p.m. Deception Brass will perform at the Port Orchard Waterfront Marina Park.

HOOD CANAL — The Navy has proposed a conservation easement on state lands in Hood Canal, a proposal that could kill the controversial pit-to-pier project. The conservation easement, which would apply to subtidal lands in Jefferson County, would effectively preclude new commercial or industrial construction that would extend from the shoreline, according to information provided by the Navy and Washington Department of Natural Resources.

The goal is to “safeguard Navy operations in Hood Canal from encroachment and preserve the local marine environment,” according to the joint statement.

The easement will be a strip of underwater area from the Hood Canal bridge south to a point just south of the Jefferson-Mason County line near Eldon. In most areas, the protected bedlands will be defined by their depths, from 18 feet below the average low tide to 70 feet down. More than 4,000 acres are covered by the easement.