“Four! – Cadets meet Coast Guardsman/Pro-golfer Arnold Palmer and other VIPs

The Mooberry Division – Depicts the Navy and is Bigger than Ten Feet Tall!

By Joseph P Cirone

When most people think of Arnold Palmer, they think of a professional world-class golfer and maybe an iced tea and lemonade mixture that bears his name. Few would associate him with the U.S. Coast Guard, yet, those who did would be entirely correct.

When most people think of “Navy life,” they think of aircraft carriers, submarines, aircraft and maybe an image on a Crackerjack box that bears a resemblance to an enlisted sailor. Few would expect to see a group of Sea Cadets, ages 10 to 18, and Sea Cadet Ensign (ENS) Maria E. Gonzalez among a group of 12-foot high photos depicting the Navy, yet it is exactly what they would have seen if they attended the thousand-dollar-a-plate Lone Sailor’s Awards gala sponsored by the Navy Memorial on Tuesday night, 30 SEP 08.

The cover of the Lone Sailor’s Award Dinner program. Photo by Catlin, courtesy of Sea Scout Ship 7916

Six Sea Cadets, representing five Sea Cadet units in the National Capital Region, joined Captain (CAPT) Robert C. Hurd, USN (Ret), the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps (NSCC) Congressional Liaison, at the prestigious event, held at the Great Hall in the National Building Museum in Washington DC, as guests of Sea Cadet founder Morgan Fitch, a prominent attorney and veteran of the U.S. Navy.

Of the six Cadets, one each came from Sea Cadet units at the U.S. Naval Academy in Annapolis, Fort Detrick and Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland; and Fort Belvoir, Virginia.

More than 800 Sea Service veterans, defense industry executives, Navy and Marine Corps active duty and Navy Memorial members attended this year’s black tie event, according to the Navy Memorial

Mooberry Division Had Two of Six

It was an honor to have two of our unit’s Cadets – Petty Officer First Class Katherine Player and Seaman Apprentice Max Walsh represent the Sea Cadet program and the Henry E. Mooberry Division, located at the Washington Navy Yard.

CAPT Hurd reported, “the Cadets that attended were an excellent representation of the program. They were on time, sharp in appearance and represented the Corps in an excellent manner. We had a most productive and enjoyable evening. Particularly enjoyable is the fact that the Cadets that attended were an excellent representation of the program.”

!2 Feet Tall

VIPs and attendees to the gala were greeted by a 12-foot tall image of a group of Mooberry Division Cadets and ENS Gonzalez, taken earlier this year at a Navy Memorial ceremony. The giant photo was among nine other images depicting life in the U.S. Navy. “Excellent PR [public relations]. The Cadets and I basically stationed ourselves under this photo during the reception,” CAPT Hurd reported.

In his after-action report, CAPT Hurd considered the Sea Cadet involvement as “highly successful.” He stated that the six Cadets in attendance were “a major factor.” That they were in attendance was enough to “attract attention and was a draw for people to come over and talk to them.”

A bird’s eye view of the reception. Photo by Catlin, courtesy of Sea Scout Ship 7916

And attract attention they did. “Numerous naval officers and key enlisted personnel came over to talk to the Cadets during the reception. The participating Cadets did the program proud,” CAPT Hurd reported.

Congressman Norman Dicks (6th District – Washington State), who serves as the Vice Chair of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee and is a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and the Committee on Homeland Security, came to the Sea Cadet’s table, took a photo with them, spent a few minutes with them and autographed the gala’s program that each Cadet had, with a personal message. Additionally, his Military Liaison and his Defense Specialist/Legislative Assistant “spent about 15 minutes with the Cadets,” according to CAPT Hurd.

Congressman Barney Frank (4th District – Massachusetts), Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, spoke to the Cadets, giving them “a pep talk on patriotism and service,” before taking a picture with the Cadets, CAPT Hurd said.

During a conversation with U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral (ADM) Thad Allen, CAPT Hurd thanked him for his support of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps. ADM Allen “indicated that he has been a fan of the program since he was a Lieutenant,” CAPT Hurd reported. ADM Allen, who is no stranger to the Henry E. Mooberry Division’s Cadets, having interacted with them on numerous occasions in the last year, spoke to the Sea Cadets before greeting others at the gala.

A Joint Naval Service Color Guard (USN, USMC, USCG) presented the colors for the event. Photo courtesy of the Navy Memorial.

U.S. Navy Rear Admiral (RADM) Holloway, the Navy’s Director for Manpower, Personnel, Training and Education, met the Cadets and “was thoroughly impressed with the Cadets and the program,” CAPT Hurd recalled.

A Hole in One!

While the Sea Cadet program exists to help the youth in the program, there are times that adults in the program get a benefit as well. For CAPT Hurd and his wife, Pauline, both avid golfers, “the distinction of having shaken Arnold Palmer’s hand,” speak with him and have a photo taken with him, was one of those rare, but unforgettable moments. As though he had hit a hole in one, it was the “highlight of the evening for Pauline and I,” CAPT Hurd wrote.

Palmer, a Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary veteran during the early 1950s (enlisting in 1950), was being recognized at the Awards gala for his lifetime achievements, including his time in the Coast Guard, service to country and community.

While in the Coast Guard, he served as a Yeoman, saw action in the Korean Conflict and continued to develop his golfing skills. In 1954, he married; won his first major golf match shortly after discharge from the service and became a Pro golfer five months later. His first Pro victory came in 1955 at the Canadian Open. In 1968, he became golf’s first career millionaire.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Third Class Arnold Palmer in his Summer Dress White uniform. U.S. Coast Guard Photo.

He amassed 92 professional victories, including the Masters Tournament four times, the 1960 U.S. Open championship and the British Open championship in 1961 and 1962. He was recognized as the “Athlete of the Decade” in the 1960s, by the Associated Press and named the Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year” in 1960.

Following his competitive golfing years, Palmer’s success continued as a successful businessman, advertising spokesman, golf course designer and consultant, and can often be found in the cockpit, transporting himself around the country as a skilled business jet pilot. He has been active locally and nationally in countless philanthropic activities, including nearly 20 years of service as Honorary National Chairman of the March of Dimes and more recently, supporting prostate cancer prevention, treatment and research national programs.

In 2004, Palmer was awarded the prestigious Presidential Medal of Freedom by President George W. Bush. He joins a long list of other notable recipients including Pope John Paul II; actor Doris Day; baseball great Hank Aaron; astronaut Neil Armstrong; Navy Admirals Arleigh Burke and William Crowe; Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford, Lyndon Baines Johnson, Ronald Regan, Dwight D. Eisenhower and John F. Kennedy, to name a few.

ADM Allen was also happy to have shared some time with Palmer. During conversation with ADM Allen, Palmer reflected upon his time at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, where he attended boot camp. ADM Allen reported that he “was extremely fortunate and honored to have dinner with Arnold Palmer. He is an extraordinary person who cherishes his time in the Coast Guard [and cites it] as a major factor in the success he has had in life.”

Help When It Was Needed Most

“Certainly, my three years in the Coast Guard played in big part in what came along later in life for me,” said Palmer. “It helped prepare me to deal with the ups and downs that everyone faces as an adult in today’s world. I wouldn’t trade those three years in the service for anything.”

When he accepted the award at the gala, he remarked that the Coast Guard helped him find the things he needed to find during a troubled time in his young life, during which he was shaken by the death of a close friend and his own pre-mature departure from college. He suggested that every young person in America should serve a year in the service, as a method of helping them mature. No doubt, one reason Palmer was so enthusiastic meeting and speaking with the Sea Cadets at the event, who are using their association with military role models and others to help them mature and encourage them to complete higher education.

Palmer’s love for the Coast Guard expresses itself not only in words, but also his actions. As a collateral duty, he designed, then, built one of his first golf courses at the Coast Guard Training Center in Cape May, New Jersey, using a wheelbarrow and a shovel. The nine-hole course was located between two airstrips on the base. In a published report, Palmer stated, “to date, I’ve designed over three hundred golf courses around the world, but I’ve never forgotten the lessons I learned from that little nine-holer in Cape May.”

Another of Palmer’s courses is a nine-hold course on Coast Guard land at the Coast Guard’s largest operating base, located on Kodiak Island in Alaska. According to ADM Allen, Palmer is planning to make a visit to Cape May to speak to a recruit graduating class, when his schedule permits.

U.S. Coast Guard Photo.

The Cadets also enjoyed the gala. Petty Officer Player said, “It was fantastic and I had a lot of fun and met quite a few new people.” Cadet Walsh expressed similar feelings, during a telephone conversation after the event.

Puttin’ on the Ritz and Stepping Out in Mooberry Style

Wherever they go and whatever they do, the Cadets and Adult Volunteers of the Mooberry Division are always aware that they represent not only the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, but also the U.S. Navy, U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Merchant Marine, U.S. Marine Corps and Navy League of the United States – the nation’s sea services and Citizens in Support of the Sea Services.

Petty Officer Player and Cadet Walsh attended to every detail, making sure their uniforms and their grooming were near-perfect. Their shoes were spit-shined, their hair neat and their uniforms had razor-edged creases, made inside out, as required.

Attendance at the Lone Sailor’s Award Dinner was only possible because of a generous donation by Sea Cadet founder Morgan Fitch, which the Cadets were also very aware of and wanted to ensure they brought credit upon Mr. Fitch and the organizations they were representing that night, especially.

So how did they do? According to Petty Officer Player, “Cadet Walsh and I represented our unit very well, being the sharpest Cadets at the dinner.” “Your Cadets represented themselves, your units, and the Sea Cadet program extremely well,” according to CAPT Ron Baker, USN (Ret), Southeast Representative for Sea Cadet National HQ.

Joan Jones, Executive Director of the National Capital Council of the Navy League of the United States said, “Mr. and Mrs. Larry Lynott [National Chairman of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps] and I were seated at the same table. These Cadets were all outstanding young people to be associated with.”

The entire mission was a huge success! “The Sea Cadet program got some great PR [Public Relations] from the evening and made some great contacts for continuing support from key individuals,” CAPT Baker commented. “We could not have asked for or gotten more,” CAPT Michael D. Ford, USN (Ret), Executive Director of the U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, concluded.