Honor • Duty • Respect - The Citadel

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y Cadet Alexander MorganThousands of visitors every year pass into the towering hull of the U.S.S. Yorktownwhere they are inspired by its history, service and stories of sacrifice. Commissionedlate in World War II, the ship earned 11 battle stars and the Presidential Unit Citation.After World War II, the Yorktown was modernized to prepare for contemporarythreats. Although the Yorktown did not see combat in Korea, it made a comebackduring the Vietnam War where it earned five more battle stars. In retirement, theYorktown now sits in Charleston harbor not far from the Arthur Ravenel Bridge.Throughout 27 years of service, the Yorktown, which was nicknamed the FightingLady, fought valiantly, but today the aging ship faces a new battle.Since docking at Patriots Point in 1974, the Yorktown’s hull has settled into 26 feet of Charlestonmud and is battling severe corrosion. According to The Post and Courier, the U.S. Navy has called for$100 million in repairs. When the Navy donated the ship to Patriots Point, the museum agreed toundertake the cost of maintenance and possible disposal of the carrier, but the financial burden hasbecome too great for Patriots Point to bear alone.Enter The Citadel Naval ROTC Unit.In the 2009-2010 academic year, then senior Officer Candidate Joshua Bergeron decided that as anew generation of sailors, the members of the unit should take the initiative to help save the monument.As an officer candidate, Bergeron was participating in the Seaman to Admiral-21 Program, also known asSTA-21, which is a commissioning program for enlisted sailors, allowing them to take classes alongsidecadets while remaining on active duty.Bergeron contacted Patriots Point Events Coordinator Bobby Kotlowski to organize the cadetparticipation on the Yorktown. Since the inception of this volunteer program, midshipmen and officercandidates have spent more than 3,700 man-hours restoring the ship.14 The Citadel 2011
The work is not glamorous. Kotlowski first assigned thevolunteers to fo’c’sle (forecastle) restoration, an area in thebow of the ship below the flight deck. Cadets worked in thehot, dusty compartment amid the sound of scraping and thesmell of paint.“That area of the ship used to be on tour, but it wasin such disrepair that it had to be closed. The space wasimportant to the enlisted sailors, so it was a real shame to seeit close. Until the cadets came along, no one had been inthere for years. The fo’c’sle still is not on the main tour, butnow that they have primed it, painted it and shined it, wehope to open it back up to the general public in the future,”Kotlowski said.The volunteers, who labored every Thursday afternoon forseveral weeks, were excited about the work they began, andPatriots Point was thrilled with their progress and happy togive them more responsibilities, thus beginning an ongoingprogram of service.“Each Thursday, my staff asks for the midshipmenand officer candidates,” said Kotlowski. “It has been anhonor to have these future officers out here preservingour naval tradition.”After Bergeron graduated and commissioned, OfficerCandidate Steven Hucks became the lead on the volunteermission. Under Hucks’ leadership, the unit restored theforecastle, helped in the restoration of the flight deck, preparedthe camping area for Civil War re-enactments and even beganrestoring the A-3 jet that sits aboard the flight deck.The plans for this year include work on the restorationof the F-14. Like all of the volunteers involved, Hucks isproud of the work they have accomplished in such a shortamount of time.“I think this project has been great for everyone involved.It gets our unit out in the community, not only performingcommunity service, but also preserving part of our navalheritage,” said Hucks.The work performed by the cadets saved Patriots Pointmore than $100,000 in labor costs and invigorated thepartnership between Patriots Point and the NROTC unit.Each semester, the officer candidates and midshipmen conductfield training exercises aboard the Yorktown, something thatKotlowski says they would not have been able to offer to theunit had they not been so giving of their time and energy.Typical training includes a tour of the engineering spaces,force protection exercises and navigation training. After theofficer candidates, who usually act as instructors, completethe training with the midshipmen, both groups partner up toconduct training and give tours to the Boy Scouts and membersof the public. Although the NROTC unit cannot completelyrestore the noble ship that graces the Charleston harbor, itsefforts have saved Patriots Point money and extended the lifeof the aircraft carrier. In addition, the partnership betweenthe NROTC unit and Patriots Point has opened the avenuefor training that will help prepare midshipmen and officercandidates for their future as officers in the Navy.Kotlowski, a retired Marine Corps sergeant major, wasimpressed with the cadets’ commitment.“I spent 30 years in the Marine Corps, much of ittraining officers. For them to come here and give up theirtime speaks volumes for them as future officers. By doingthis work, they get to see what the enlisted men do everyday, and that will only leave them better prepared to serve asofficers in the fleet,” he said.The partnership between the NROTC unit and PatriotsPoint not only honors the former sailors who served on theYorktown, it also serves as a lesson to the cadets about theimportance of making a difference. Through their efforts,thousands of visitors are able to come to the Yorktown everyyear and learn about the value of service and sacrifice.Cadet Alexander Morgan is a senior English major andthe Romeo Company commander. He also serves as an honorrepresentative as well as the Navy battalion’s midshipmancommander. He will earn his commission in the spring.The Citadel 2011 15
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Page 6: The Citadel named toppublic college
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Page 19 and 20: Hard work is something that Winch s
Page 21 and 22: “The sophomore seminar was create
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Page 27 and 28: y Patricia McArverA supervisor lead
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Page 31 and 32: In 2007, Phillip Pandak was a walk-
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Page 47 and 48: HeartServant leadershipof Africain
Page 49 and 50: fill his shoes as he traveled to he
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Page 55 and 56: Dr. Hank Cross Human Performance La
Page 57 and 58: Photo courtesy of Grace Beahm, The
Page 59 and 60: Capt. Abigail R. Zuehlke, USMCR,
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Expanded studentsupport servicesImp
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