Spectacular vistas greeted guests at the Honor & Remember Reception hosted by the Santa Barbara Navy League honoring visiting members of the USS Halsey at the Reagan Ranch Center in downtown Santa Barbara.
More than 120 attendees, including SBNL board members, council members and friends from the community with about 50 officers and crew members from the USS Halsey, plus some of their spouses, gathered on a rooftop terrace enjoying scenic views of the pier and the ship in the distance.
Guests relished in a unique opportunity to enjoy appetizers, wine, beverages and live music with these true American heroes.
The USS Halsey (DDG 97) staffs a 338-member crew, and over the course of this Sept. 11 weekend more than 600 honored guests were provided with the opportunity to visit the 47th ship in the Arleigh Burke (DDG 51) Class of Aegis guided missile destroyers. As the most powerful destroyer fleet in the U.S. Navy, these multi-mission ships conduct peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection in support of National Military Strategy.
“It’s so wonderful to have that big, beautiful ship out there anchored in the Santa Barbara Channel, and my goal is to have the community connect with these wonderful young men and women in uniform,” SBNL President Patricia Westberg said. “They do so much, they make so many sacrifices to protect and serve our country, and I think it’s just a wonderful opportunity for people to understand who they are and what they are all about.”
All donations received from the evening reception and through other online avenues go directly to activities, amenities and services for the men and women of adopted military units in the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, Coast Guard and Air Force.
The Santa Barbara Council of the Navy League, chartered in 1956, is a nonprofit civilian organization that supports active-duty military personnel and their families. Since the league’s inception, SBNL has adopted military units, including the local U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Blackfin, the Marine Safety Detachment, the USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76), the USS Stockdale (DDG 106) and the USS California (SSN 781).
“We have 13 active-duty military adopted units, and what we do is we provide for their morale, welfare and recreation,” Westberg said. “We basically support them where other people may not be able to help them out because the government can only do so much.”
An awards ceremony during the reception was twofold as both a remembrance of 9/11 and to honor the USS Halsey crew, who have had 18-month, back-to-back deployments away from their home port of San Diego.
“The first concept was that this was in remembrance of 9/11 and how it affected our country and the effect to our people and our feeling of being insecure and vulnerable, and how the men and women who are serving in the armed forces came to the call and have put their lives on the line. And so we actually had a moment of silence and a remembrance of that horrible, horrible day when those two planes struck,” said Karen Crawford, Navy League national vice president for public affairs and education. “The second idea was to talk about specifically the USS Halsey coming to town and honoring these men and women.”
Gifts of gratitude were exchanged between the ship crew and SBNL as SBNL received an engraved shell casing and United States flag. The crew of the USS Halsey also graciously accepted a book about the Navy League and a book about Santa Barbara.
The terrace-top reception also offered tasty appetizers courtesy of Lorraine Lim Catering and a live performance from the Santa Barbara Sheriff Pipe and Drum Corps.
The excitement was just part of a busy day for USS Halsey crew, with some sailors also participating in a softball game held at Pershing Park, and a visit with Commanding Officer Mike Weeldreyer, USN, to gracious seniors at Villa Santa Barbara for lunch and a social gathering spoke of the impact of this weekend visit.
“Events like this, where we bring them into Santa Barbara and we have a variety of activities for them to engage in,” Westberg said. “They have been up and down State Street, they have been kayaking, they have been playing softball and volleyball, and this event tonight is just to let them know that we love them and we appreciate them. And not only do we entertain them but we also provide them with educational scholarships and fellowships.”
Additionally, the day after the reception, the excitement continued as crew from the USS Halsey and community supporters gathered at the Santa Barbara Yacht Club Regatta benefiting Visiting Nurse & Hospice Care. Stay tuned to Noozhawk for a story on this other wonderful charity event.
More information on the Santa Barbara Navy League can be found by clicking here to visit its website. Members need not have served in the military to be a member.
The Reagan Ranch Center, at 217 State St. near the train depot, features original artifacts and multimedia exhibits highlighting the history of President Ronald Reagan’s time at Rancho del Cielo. The Young America’s Foundation preserved Rancho del Cielo in 1998 to create a lasting record of Reagan’s accomplishments and love for his mountain-top ranch.
Youth outreach for the conservative movement is accomplished through YAF, which provides conferences, seminars, internships and speakers to inspire thousands of young people across the country.
The inviting atmosphere of the city and these organizations was paramount in providing joy to the USS Halsey crew during this short visit.
“I love the beach so I’ve been just hanging out at the beach and I just love the whole city here in Santa Barbara with the Spanish-style roofs and the colors of the buildings. It’s a beautiful city,” said Lt. Jun Chong, 26, originally from Saipan and an officer on the USS Halsey since February 2011. “This is one of the very few ports where the local population has been very generous and very receptive at the same time. I’ve met a few people here so far, and I kind of feel like I’ve been here for a while. They kind of give you that warm and friendly feeling definitely.”
M.L. Weeldreyer, CDR USN, commanding officer of the USS Halsey, further reinforced the thoughts on city support and the SBNL relationship.
“The community of Santa Barbara has a long history with the Navy, and the Santa Barbara Navy League has been very active and very present in the Navy community,” Weeldreyer said, “and I think that us being here and the opportunity to participate in these city events is a reflection of that friendship and an opportunity for us to strengthen those bonds.”
— Noozhawk iSociety columnist Melissa Walker can be reached at mwalker@noozhawk.com. Follow Noozhawk on Twitter: @noozhawk, @NoozhawkSociety, @NoozhawkNews and @NoozhawkBiz. Become a fan of Noozhawk on Facebook.
