Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Treasures

Over a 30 year Navy career one collects a number of meaningful momentos. I suspect that hundreds of Sailors have CNO, MCPON, and assorted other command coins. 

Less than 20 Sailors have a "Sutton". I only know one Sailor who has more than one "Sutton". I was fortunate to get my own "Sutton" in 2003 when I completed my assignment as Director of Training at the Center for Naval Cryptology at Corry Station in Pensacola, Florida. Dick Sutton did this commemorative cartoon for me and it's a real treasure. 

If you have a "Sutton", let me know.

3 comments:

Steve said...

I don't have a 'Sutton," but have a proof drawing of the famous EP-3E near Mt Fuji, and I cherish it because of its meaning to one whose entire Navy life took place "in the Group."

There are two German military unit plaques in my home,commemorating the partner relationships we shared with people who once were our enemies - whose talent and skill in our 'business' were trumped only by minds very like their own -but, unlike the genius that blossomed in the light and liberty of democracy, the German genius was perverted by totalitarianism and monstrous science. To have served with naval and army descendants who followed our belief system after their fathers perished in shame and infamy, was enlightening in the extreme.

My "Sutton" equivalency is a single sentence on a group picture of the last job I had, at NSA -

"Captain, thanks for letting us do our jobs," it reads, and it bonds us forever.

I didn't do anything special; as a leader I simply did what seemed the rght thing to do: carry out ship's work - by experts.

Vr, Steve Myers

Anonymous said...

Captain Lambert,

In all that most Navy folks are required to go through during a career, the mementos they received at the end of many events are the things they have to recall those events. Each of those mementos is a part of the life you lived and strived for, and each is important to enhance ones memory of Ships, Stations, accomplishments, events and Shipmates. I honor all these things in my own mind, and will do so as well to anyone present that will witness it, all those memories and mementos that made up an honorable Navy career.

I have no “Sutton”, but I would have been honored to receive one.

My Teutonic heritage provided our family, and our country, with Sailors that made a difference. And I have one uncle (Donald Inselman S1c) who was a USS Arizona survivor at Pearl Harbor.

Thank you for your input, Captain Meyers.

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834

Anonymous said...

Captain Myers,

Forgive me for misspelling your name. I will accept the necessary lashes!

Very Respectfully,
Navyman834