We in Naval Aviation have it great. We fly outstanding machines. We are in a profession that others dream about. And most importantly, we work with some of the greatest folks in the world. But, because so many great people surround us, we often take this fact for granted. The caliber of people and the things they have done is amazing, and yet we often overlook the significance of what we all do, and what those around us have accomplished.
Assigned to the Naval War College, in Newport, R.I., where we educate some of Naval Aviation’s best and brightest future leaders, conduct high-level strategic research and war gaming to prepare our leaders for the threats of tomorrow, I saw a great opportunity to bring together Naval Aviation’s heroes past, present and future. With this in mind, and working with the other Tailhook aviators in Rhode Island, I started a Tailhook Ready Room, here in the cradle of the Surface Warfare Navy.
In April, we hosted the Navy’s then reigning Grey Owl, RADM Jamie Kelly, USN, who was in town as part of a U.S. Pacific Fleet war game. He took time out of his busy schedule to share his time and war stories at a ready room event with many of the junior officers who attend the War College in between department head tours, post-command commanders who are awaiting screen results, and captains who are on there way to Joint billets. Anyone who knows RADM Kelly understands his superb leadership and has high regard for him. He is one of the truly great warrior’s of our profession. I had the pleasure of being on board USS Constellation (CV-64) when he was CO. I witnessed his energy and enthusiasm that permeated throughout the ship. That same energy and enthusiasm was evident when we hosted him in the ready room. RADM Kelly was the gentleman he always is, and all in attendance were honored to have a chance to share stories with him.
Our second guest was CDR Porter Halyburton, USN(Ret). A prisoner of war (POW) in the Hanoi Hilton for more than seven years, Porter returned to become an instructor at the Naval War College. He retired from the Navy in that capacity and remained as a civilian professor for many years. He is now professor emeritus and returns to the Naval War College a few times a year to provide lectures on his experience, along with his wife Marty. Porter and Marty had recently returned from another trip to Vietnam. (I highly recommend his book, Two Souls Indivisible, which is the true story about Porter and another POW, Col Fred Cherry, USAF(Ret).) Getting to meet Porter and hear his amazing story of survival and sacrifice is an experience I will never forget, nor do the many who share this experience each year at the Naval War College. That afternoon at happy hour, watching him share his experiences in such a “matter-of-fact, post flight debrief-like” manner, and then watching him listen to the experiences of our current heroes reminds me of what we are all about — a family of warriors, willing to put it all on the line and then tell about it at the end of the day. And if called upon to do it again, each of us would man up the jet and have another go at it. Because that is what we do.
I bring this up to remind us all that opportunities are only opportunities if we seize them. If we do not, they are behind us, only as regrets. The Tailhook Reunion is an opportunity for us all, to be with our fellow warriors, share stories with friends, comrades, heroes from today and yesterday and meet the heroes of tomorrow. I encourage you to make every effort to attend Hook ’09 and enjoy the company of our profession, meet some of the legends of Naval Aviation and give them the opportunity to share their experiences with you, and you with them. I am confident you will walk away from the reunion with a renewed sense of pride, reenergized by the great people who make it all possible — The Heroes and Legends of Naval Aviation, past, present and future.
Your signal is Charlie for Hook ’09. See you there.