Theme of this month’s honors ceremony at Pearl Harbor Visitor Center: African American History and Heritage in the United States Navy
PEARL HARBOR-HICKAM – The next Pearl Harbor Colors, a monthly military ceremony open to the public, will be held Thursday, Feb. 26 at 7:30 a.m. at the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center. The theme for this month’s event is, "African American History and Heritage in the United States Navy."
Sponsored by Navy Region Hawaii in coordination with the National Park Service, the ceremony will feature the U.S. Pacific Fleet Band, the Honors and Ceremonies Guard from Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and an official observance of "morning colors," with remarks by Navy Capt. Stanley Keeve, commander of Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam.
Video footage of January’s event available at:
https://www.dvidshub.net/video/391914/pearl-harbor-colors#.VOfQPMJ0yUk
For photos, visit:
http://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrh/about/history/-pearl-harbor-colors--ceremony.html
For more information about African Americans in Navy history, visit:
http://www.history.navy.mil/browse-by-topic/diversity/african-americans-in-the-navy.html
Pearl Harbor Colors is an opportunity for local residents and international visitors to witness a U.S. military ceremony and meet veterans, service members and their families. Attendees can learn about various aspects of military history.
For example, here are a few highlights of African American history and heritage in uniform:
- Blacks demonstrated heroism in all of our nation’s conflicts, including the Revolutionary War, War of 1812, Civil War, Spanish-American War, both World Wars and all conflicts of the modern era.
- In the attack of December 7, 1941, Mess Attendant Doris "Dorie" Miller distinguished himself in action, leading to a Navy Cross awarded to Miller by Admiral Nimitz.
- In 1971, Samuel L. Gravely became the Navy’s first admiral of African American ancestry; he served as Commander, U.S. Third Fleet in the 1970s when headquarters were located at Ford Island, Pearl Harbor. The U.S. Navy commissioned the guided-missile destroyer USS Gravely (DDG 107) in 2010 in honor of VADM Gravely.
- The nuclear-powered ballistic missile submarine USS George Washington Carver (SSBN-656) was named in honor of an African American. The submarine namesake honors scientist and inventor George Washington Carver (1864-1943).
- There are 22 African American flag officers (admirals) currently serving in the Navy. Among them two are in the top tier, with four stars: Adm. Cecil B. Haney, Commander, U.S. Strategic Command, and Adm. Michelle Howard, Vice Chief of Naval Operations.
The setting for Pearl Harbor Colors is the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at the World War II Valor in the Pacific National Monument, which is home to Hawaii’s most visited historic site – the USS Arizona Memorial – expected to draw 1.5 million visitors in 2015.
"Through Pearl Harbor Colors we honor our history and heritage, build relationships with our partners and the surrounding community, and recognize the dedication and hard work of our service members and their families in a committed and sustainable way," according to Rear Adm. Rick Williams, Commander, Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific.
Event: Pearl Harbor Colors
Date/Time: Thursday, Feb. 26, 2015; 7:30 a.m.
Location: Pearl Harbor Visitor Center
Performance By: Pacific Fleet Band; Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Honors and Ceremonies Guard
#PearlHarborColors Ceremony Twitter and "Selfie with a Sailor" Campaign:
Take a selfie with Sailors, Airmen or Veterans at the Pearl Harbor Colors ceremony using hashtag #PearlHarborColors and see your image retweeted on @NavRegHawaii or @JointBasePHH. The best selfies will be featured as the cover photo of the month on Navy Region Hawaii or Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam Facebook.
For more information about Pearl Harbor Colors, contact 808-473-2920. For more information on the Pearl Harbor Visitor Center at the WWII Valor in the Pacific National Monument, contact 808-422-3315.