U.S. Navy Petty Officer 1st
Class Corwin Colbert offers the below piece:
JOINT BASE PEARL
HARBOR-HICKAM, Hawaii, Jan. 3, 2018 — As sailors hoisted the colors here Jan. 1
to start out the new year, the “First Navy Jack” rose under Old Glory, as it
will throughout 2018 in honor of the 17 sailors lost when the guided missile
destroyers USS Fitzgerald and USS John S. McCain collided with merchant ships
in separate incidents last year.
The First Navy Jack is a flag
consisting of a rattlesnake superimposed across 13 horizontal alternating red
and white stripes with the motto, “Don't Tread On Me.” Commodore Esek Hopkins
first employed it in 1775 as he readied the Continental Navy in the Delaware
River during the Revolutionary War.
In recent years, the Navy has
used the flag during difficult times to signify resolve.
Navy Rear Adm. Brian P. Fort,
commander of Navy Region Hawaii and Naval Surface Group Middle Pacific, said
the First Navy Jack is a reminder that the Navy’s warfighting edge not only is
back, but also is renewed and forged with purpose.
“Here in Pearl Harbor, we
rose to the challenge 76 years ago, as ‘Remember Pearl Harbor’ sharpened our
warfighting culture,” he said. “In the wake of 9/11, when our culture was
tested, we rose to the challenge once more. At the direction of the Secretary
of the Navy Gordon England, we returned to our First Navy Jack, ‘Don’t Tread on
Me,’ on the jack staffs of all Navy warships as a historic reminder of the
nation’s and Navy’s origins and our will to persevere and triumph.”
Symbol of Resolve
Navy Command Master Chief
Petty Officer Allen Keller, the base’s command master chief, said flying of the
First Navy Jack is a symbol of resolve. He challenged the joint base family,
service members and civilians alike, to move forward and build on the history
and legacy of the country and the Navy.
“2017 was a challenging year
for the Navy,” Keller said. “We as an installation will fly the Navy First Jack
as a reminder to every airman, sailor, civilian and family member to get back
to basics, honor our country and remember our history.”
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