Georgia Southern Ceremony Honors Victims of 9/11

Georgia Southern University paused Thursday morning to honor the victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

The University’s Military Science Department hosted a ceremony at the Russell Union Rotunda to reflect on the tragedies seven years ago in New York, Washington, D.C., and Pennsylvania.
More than 100 cadets from Georgia Southern’s Army ROTC Eagle Battalion stood in formation as the ROTC Battalion Commander, Cadet Lt. Col. Amy McIntyre, addressed the crowd. Special guests included several members of the Statesboro Police Department, Statesboro Fire Department and Georgia Southern University Police Department.

“The events of Sept. 11, 2001, transformed America, and the current security environment will remain ‘guarded’ for the foreseeable future,” said Lt. Col. George Fredrick, Chair of the Military Science Department. “So it is vital that communities pay the appropriate tribute.”

“It is also important that we teach our students and cadets about the impacts of this most significant event, because it is up to them to deter, prevent and possibly respond to the next 9/11,” Lt. Col. Fredrick added.

The ceremony ended with a special presentation to the Georgia Southern Museum. Lt. Col. McIntyre gave a Georgia Southern University flag in a display case to the museum’s assistant director, Debra Gleason.

The flag was flown over a patrol base in the Karbala province of Iraq this spring by Georgia Southern graduate Maj. Kevin Rice (Class of 1988). The flag will now be displayed at the Georgia Southern Museum.

“In light of the University’s recent centennial celebration, this is a wonderful way to continue preserving and interpreting Georgia Southern’s history in the making,” Gleason said. “This particular artifact is a great testimony on how Georgia Southern graduates are really helping make a difference in the world through their deeds and their sacrifices.”

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Bush Proclaims National Flag Week

GFP Note: Fly her high, fly her proud. Fly "Old Glory" on Flag Day.

President Bush issued a proclamation urging Americans to observe National Flag Week and Flag Day on June 14, and to recognize the sacrifices U.S. servicemembers have made through U.S. history to protect the freedoms for which the flag stands.
The proclamation reads, in part:

"Since the first days of our Republic, Americans have flown the flag to show their pride and appreciation for the freedoms they enjoy in this great nation. Every day, Americans pledge their allegiance to the flag of the United States, and our troops carry it before them as they defend the liberties for which it stands.

"On Flag Day and during National Flag Week, we remember those in uniform whose courage and sacrifice inspire us here at home. We also remember the rich history of one of our oldest national symbols and reflect on our duty to carry our heritage of freedom into the future."

USS Georgia Flag Project Begins State Tour

Today Governor Sonny Perdue and the USS GEORGIA Return to Service (RTS) Committee announced the USS Georgia Flag Project, an effort to take the Georgia state flag across the entire state and into all 159 Georgia Counties. The flag is travelling across the state, so that everyone may participate in welcoming the USS Georgia home. March 28, the flag will reunite with the Submarine in Kings Bay.

“This is an exciting project because it allows all Georgians to take pride in our armed forces,” said Governor Sonny Perdue. “It is noteworthy that this tour allows all 159 Georgia counties to participate in welcoming the USS Georgia home.”

The submarine’s future was jeopardized in 1994 when the Nuclear Posture Review determined that the U.S. military had a surplus of Trident Submarines– 10 on the East Coast at Kings Bay and eight on the West Coast at Bangor, WA. The Nuclear Posture Review committee made a decision that four of the 18 submarines would be eliminated.

This sparked the U.S. Navy to keep in service the four submarines and convert them from strategic deterrence submarines to a precision strike and special operation force capable submarine.

“We have worked diligently with the 16 Georgia Regional Development Centers in planning this unprecedented project to take the Georgia State Flag on a trip across the entire state and into all 159 Georgia Counties,” said Don Giles (Captain, U.S. Navy Ret.), Navy League member and RTS Committee Flag Project Coordinator. “The response at scheduled meetings with County Commissioners in every county has been enthusiastic. To date, attendees at the first 40 counties ceremonial events reveal that true patriotism is alive in Georgia and that Georgians are truly supportive of the men and women who serve in our great Navy and in all our uniformed services.”

Giles has worked with the Georgia Regional Development Centers in planning the USS Georgia Flag Project. This flag is to be presented by Governor Perdue to the Commanding Officer of the USS GEORGIA at the Return to Service Ceremony in Kings Bay on March 28th, 2008.

Chairman of the committee and of the events surrounding the Return to Service (RTS), Sheila M. McNeill, is a past National President of the Navy League of the United States. Ms. McNeill said, “It is very rare to have a namesake ship home-ported in its home state. We are very pleased to have Governor Perdue as our Honorary Chairman. Our committee is working on a series of special events to show our appreciation for the dedicated service to our country by the men and women of the most powerful warship in the world, USS Georgia.”

The USS GEORGIA is 560 feet in length, displaces over 18,000 tons submerged and can carry a crew of 15 officers, 139 enlisted crew members and up to 66 Special Operations Forces for a sustained, long endurance deployment.