Dahlgren Source - January, 2015

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Vol. 26, No. 1, January 2015

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Year filled with key anniversaries Marty van Duyne News Net News

Marine Raiders squad immortilized in bronze at national museum

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NSWC employee once was star quarterback for King George

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Monument honors those killed in the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001

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Historic laser weapon system tested by Navy

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Remembrance ceremonies were conducted in 2014 for three major historical military events.

Arlington National Cemetery turned 150 years old and kicked off five weeks of events with a wreath-laying ceremony at the grave site of Army Pvt. William Christman, the first military serviceman to be buried at Arlington.

The Old Amphitheater was renamed The James Tanner Amphitheater in honor of Cpl. James R. Tanner, a member of the 87th New York Volunteer Infantry, who lost both his legs while fighting in the second Battle of Bull Run in 1862.

The advocate for veterans’ rights and a commander of the Grand Army of the Republic is buried near the structure.

The events culminated with the “Arlington at 150 Observance Program: A Tribute to Arlington’s Past, Present, and Future” that included a musical program and historical vignettes June 15.

The 70th Anniversary of D-Day was celebrated worldwide June 6.

President Barack Obama attended ceremonies at Omaha Beach in Normandy, France and at Flanders Field in Waregem, Belgium.

“This year’s ceremonies of remembrance must inspire all peace-loving nations to continue to stand shoulder-to-shoulder to spread the rule of law, human rights, and respect for each other,” Obama said.

Hundreds of D-Day survivors

ABOVE: Arlington National Cemetery’s Old Amphitheater was renamed the James Tanner Amphitheater for the cemetery’s 150th anniversary.

RIGHT: D-Day veteran Ash Rothlein, right, hung his French Legion of Honor Medal on the Homage sculpture after he joined National D-Day Foundation Director Emeritus Lucille Boggess, center, and Frederic Dore, Monsieur le charge d’affaires, France, in unveiling the statue.

©Marty van Duyne/News Net News

and their families gathered in Bedford at the National D-Day Memorial.

The octogenarian and beyond veterans proved they were “The Greatest Generation,” as News Anchor Tom Brokaw had dubbed them.

During the National Anthem, those that could stood at See ANNIVERSARY, page 3

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january 2015 • THE SOURCE

Elite WWII force recognized for service Marty van Duyne News Net News TRIANGLE — The Marine Raiders, the Corps’ first elite force born in World War II has been immortalized in bronze.

The bas-relief “Soul of the Forward and Faithful was dedicated at the National Museum of the Marine Corps Nov. 12.

The Raiders were the Marine Corps’ first elite force created to serve in the Pacific Theater from which the spirit of cooperation and the idea of “Gung Ho” were born.

Raiders constantly were deployed considerably forward of the main body during combat and pioneered insertion and extraction methods still in use today by Special Operations units.

The bas-reflief depicts a moment in time with a Marine Raider Rifleman, a German Shepherd War Dog and his handler, and a Navajo code talker relaying intelligence.

“They are each strong and alert, but the keen viewer will also sense the surrounding danger, the vulnerability of the code talker, and the need to protect him at all costs,” said the sculptor Marti Reese “The war dog is in mid-stride with one paw off the ground and the other foot deep in mud, anxious in seeking the enemy,” she said.

The background depicts four Raiders in full battle gear creeping through the dense jungle of Papua, New Guinea.

“I knew in sculpting this piece that all the gear had to be historically accurate,” says nationally recognized sculptor Mardie Rees, “from the sight on the Browning Automatic Rifle right down to the laces on the boots.”

Since the Raiders were precursors of today’s elite forces, earlier in 2014, then Marine Corps Commandant Gen. James Amos deemed that all units within Marine Corps Forces Special Operations Command (MARSOC) be renamed.

Marine Special Operations Regiments or Battalions are now Marine Raider Regiments or Battalions.

Since War Dogs were such an important part of the Marine Raiders Teams, representatives

©Marty van Duyne/News Net News

The bronze bas-relief “Soul of the Forward and Faithful” depicts all members of a World War II Marine Raider team. form the War Dog Association traveled to Virginia for the dedication.

An active duty Marine Belgian Malinois Military Working Dog in an extraction vest attended

the dedication along with his handlers.

The bas-relief is about three by four feet and 18 inches deep. The U.S. Marine Raider Association, the lead organization responsible

for the project is continuing their fundraising campaign.

Their goal is to complete a life size sculpture with a walkway honoring all 889 Martine Raiders killed in action.

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THE SOURCE • january 2015

AnniversarY from page 1 attention, but they all sang along to the Star Spangled Banner.

In December, the world reflected on the 100th anniversary of the World War I Christmas truce.

The battlefield truce took place Christmas Eve 1914 in the no man’s land between German and British trenches in the region of Ypres, and Saint Yvon in Ploegsteert, Belgium, not far from Flanders Field.

A soccer-shaped monument was unveiled in Ploegsteert in 2014 for the anniversary.

Britian’s Queen Elizabeth reflected on the “remarkable” unofficial ceasefires along the Western Front in her Christmas Message.

“Without any instruction or command, the shooting stopped and German and British soldiers met in No Man’s Land.

Photographs were taken and gifts exchanged,” she said. “It was a Christmas truce.”

In Canada, Parliament rang the Carillion Bells in Ottawa’s Peace Tower that were unveiled in 1927 as a tribute to peace after World war I. The Virginia War Memorial hosted an Inaugural Celebrate the Peace Ceremony Dec. 5 to commemorate the truce.

The Shrine of Memory was decorated with wreaths and garlands and lit with luminaries.

Members of the Young Midlothian Singers sang carols and attendees had the opportunity to construct paper poppies and participate in story telling sessions.

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This is a Journal Press promotion ©Marty van Duyne/News Net News

The Young Midlothian Singers performed at the Virginia War Memorial Christmas Truce Celebration of Peace event.

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january 2015 • THE SOURCE

FDNY honors Marines killed during 9/11 Marty van Duyne

Beams towers of strength

News Net News

©Marty van Duyne/News Net News

Two weathered steel beams stand next to a granite block honoring 17 fallen New York Fire Department Marines who died during the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.

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TRIANGLE — On Sep. 11, 2001, the Fire Department New York lost 343 men. Of those, 17 were Marines.

The FDNY Marine Corps Association recently realized a goal to honor their fallen brothers by dedicating a memorial to them near the National Museum of the Marine Corps.

The FDNY Marine Corps Association’s Iron and Steel Team transported two sections of World Trade Center Steel from Floyd Bennett Field in Brooklyn the day before.

The FDNY teams left the city under an escort of 265 motorcycles and were joined by more than 150 bikers along the route.

Rain and fog slowed the procession down, but it didn’t hinder supporters that stood on bridge overpasses and along the highway in five states.

After a brief gathering in front of the museum, the steel was transported to the memorial site for final assembly.

Families of the fallen and dignitaries gathered for a formal ceremony complete with the Marine Band and Bagpipers.

New York City Fire Commissioner Daniel Nigro, Commander Education Command and President of Marine Corps University Brig. Gen. Thomas D. Weidley and FDNY family representative Capt.

Gerard Chipura addressed the crowd outside the museum.

TRIANGLE — Two weathered steel beams reach skyward from offset concrete pedestals creating a miniature replica of the World Trade Center.

Each steel pillar bears a distinctive logo at the top. One features the Fire Department New York (FDNY) shield and the other bears the Marine Corps Eagle, Globe, and Anchor emblem.

Together, along with the image and names of 17 Marine fallen firefighters carved into a granite monument, they form the FDNY Marine Corps Association Memorial.

The building replicas are not set against the New York skyline like the World Trade Center Twin Towers.

Instead they stand tall in a wooded area of Semper Fidelis Memorial Park where a foliage canopy softly filters both sunlight and moonlight onto the structures.

Concrete slabs at the bottom of the pedestals are not from the WTC, but rather replicas of materials that comprised the debris field surrounding the collapsed towers.

Setting at the foot of the steel beams, the slabs seem to embody strength and perseverance to rise above the rubble.

See FDNY, page 7

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THE SOURCE • january 2015

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Brown’s come a long way from gridiron glory

let the dogs out,” and Brown went into action.

Along with executing the James “JJ” Brown’s life’s path as a financial manager analyst for conversion, the Foxes had only 10 the comptroller department at the players on the field and they had Naval Surface Warfare Center in used up their remaining timeouts.

Dahlgren is far from his glory year’s The play in question was designed as one of the best quarterbacks as a play-action pass without a in the state of Virginia — a time fullback.

With no receiver open, Brown filled with heartache, success and was forced to scramble and he was a strong sense of responsibility.

In 2001, on the hallowed stopped at the goal line. However, grounds of Cooleyfield, in to many onlookers, it appeared Williamsburg, with less than Brown crossed the goal line, as twoseconds on the clock, the King the referee paused for five seconds George Foxes were faced with a before rendering the final call.

“I truly feel I broke the plane of critical dilemma. Trailing 41-40 against Lafayette High School, the goal line, and I also noticed King George’ fortunes were in the the referee hesitated for a few seconds before indicating that the hands of Brown.

“It seems like yesterday, I can score was no-good,” Brown said. remember you on the sideline,” “I remember the game as though Brown said. “On the final play I it was yesterday.”

The Rams eventually advanced remember hitting DD Boxley on a post route across the middle of to the next round, where they the field for a touchdown. Before won the state championship. Prior the touchdown, during a time out, to that season, during the 2000 coach (Eddie) Haynes told us that season, the Foxes played the Rams in the first round of the regional we would go for two points.”

King George stood on the playoffs.

Swap out of your old vehicle and into a new Proud of his quarterback’s threshold of a potential state Ford during Summer Swap Out Sales efforts, then head coach Eddie footballour championship.

As the Event, with DISCOUNTS partisan Ram crowd sat frozen, Haynes said, “There was some the Foxes faithful shouted, up to $10,000! “Who growth throughout JJ’s whole time Leonard Banks

Leonard Banks

James “JJ” Brown was one of the best quarterbacks in the state when he starred at King George at the turn of the century. at King George. In the Lafayette game, he threw for over 200 yards, including four touchdown passes.”

Interestingly, the pain of choosing to go for the win instead of settling for a time that would have taken them into overtime did

show on the faces of the team as they left the field.

“At the end of the game, the player who said a year before to his teammates, ‘You have to get this straight or you’re not doing this right’ came to me and said,

‘Coach, its my fault,’ ” Haynes said of Brown. “Touched by his since of accountability, I responded, it’s not your fault at all, you just played a heck of game. He was willing to take it all on his shoulders, which shows the growth and leadership of JJ.” During the 2001 season, the Foxes came to a crossroads when there record was 2-3. They had lost to Parkview, North Stafford and Washington & Lee, but they turned their season around by winning five games a in a row.

Also, they won the Battlefield District Championship.

Along with earning AllDistrict, All-Region, and All-State first team honors, Brown was a member of the King George High School-based athletic academic honor society, AJAST (All-Journal Athletic Team).

During the following winter sports season, under the coaching of Eric Davis, Brown, along with Carlos Allen, DD Boxley, David Weedon, Tim Ford, Jermon Bushrod, and host of others collectively won the district, and region championship before losing to Harrisonburg in the state semifinals.

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Cmdr. Marc Williams raises the U.S. flag as naval officers from the Japanese Ministry of Defense raise the Japanese flag at a ceremony honoring U.S.Japanese efforts to expand Aegis ballistic missile defense capabilities. Williams, the Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division Engagement Systems Department military deputy, toured the missile assembly facility with his Japanese counterparts and senior U.S. Navy leaders.

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FDNY from page 4 After the memorial was unveiled in Semper Fidelis Memorial Park, a bell tolled once as each name was read, followed by a rifle salute and taps.

The late Deputy Chief Raymond Downy Sr., chief of FDNY Special Operations Command’s son, firefighter Joseph Downey spoke of his father noting it was heartwarming to know he was not forgotten. “I know the Marine Corps molded him into what he was,�

Downey said. “He loved every

second that he was a Marine and a firefighter.�

Motioning to his Marine Corps insignia, Sergeant Major of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Brian Battaglia concluded his remarks saying, “From the bottom of my Eagle, Globe, and Anchor, Semper Fidelis.�

Retired NYFD Captain, Marine, and Vice President of FDNY Marine Corps Association John Vigiano Sr. spoke of visiting Iraq in 2003 and being touched by the troops that “were thanking me for being there.�

Vigiano has taken two or three

trips to Bethesda Naval Hospital each year and said, “Those visits changed my life completely.�

The crowd hung on the words of the retired FDNY Captain whose sons Firefighter John Vigiano, II, and New York Police Detective Joseph Vigiano both died in the World Trade Center. “Today we honor Firefighter Marines that gave their lives on our home ground,� he said.

He told the families, “Today we have to smile and remember the brave men that left us. Honor their deeds and legacies. These men set the standard for those that follow.�

COME TO THE 26th

C

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RAFT

March 7th & 8th

ŠMarty van Duyne/News Net News

Navy Corpsman Ryan Warkentien, right, joins Vice President of FDNY Marine Corps Association John Vigiano,Sr. at the ceremony.

Vigiano’s son Joseph’s friend Ryan Patrick Warkentien came up from North Carolina to be with his late friend’s father.

The FDNY Marine Corps

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Association Memorial can be found in the 23-acre Semper Fidelis Memorial Park adjacent to The National Museum of the Marine Corps.

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january 2015 • THE SOURCE

U.S. Navy photo by John F. Williams

The Afloat Forward Staging Base (Interim) USS Ponce (ASB(I) 15) conducts an operational demonstration of the Office of Naval Research (ONR)-sponsored Laser Weapon System (LaWS) while deployed to the Arabian Gulf.

Navy unveils new laser weapon system David Smalley Office of Naval Research Public Affairs ARLINGTON, Va — Officials at the Office of Naval Research

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was for the first time successfully deployed and operated aboard a naval vessel in the Arabian Gulf.

The operational demonstrations, which took place from September through November aboard USS Ponce (AFSB[I] 15), were historic not only because they showed a laser weapon working aboard a deployed U.S. Navy ship, but also because LaWS operated seamlessly with existing ship defense systems.

“Laser weapons are powerful, affordable and will play a vital role in the future of naval combat operations,” said Rear Adm. Matthew L. Klunder, chief of naval research. “We ran this particular weapon, a prototype, through some extremely tough paces, and it locked on and destroyed the targets we designated with nearinstantaneous lethality.”

During the tests, LaWS - a collaborative effort between ONR, Naval Sea Systems Command, Naval Research Laboratory, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division and industry partners -- hit targets mounted aboard a speeding oncoming small boat, shot a Scan Eagle unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) out of the sky, and destroyed other moving targets at sea.

Sailors worked daily with LaWS over several months since it was installed, and reported the weapon performed flawlessly, including in adverse weather conditions of high winds, heat and humidity.

They noted the system exceeded expectations for both reliability and maintainability.

The system is operated by a video-game like controller, and can address multiple threats using a range of escalating options, from non-lethal measures such as optical “dazzling” and disabling, to lethal destruction if necessary. It could prove to be a pivotal asset against what are termed “asymmetric threats,” which include small attack boats and UAVs. Data regarding accuracy, lethality and other factors from the Ponce deployment will guide the development of weapons under ONR’s Solid-State LaserTechnology Maturation program.

Under this program, industry teams have been selected to develop cost-effective, combatready laser prototypes that could be installed on vessels such as guided-missile destroyers and the Littoral Combat Ship in the early 2020s.

Researchers say the revolutionary technology breakthroughs demonstrated by LaWS will ultimately benefit not only U.S. Navy surface ships, but also airborne and ground-based weapon systems.

While laser weapons offer new levels of precision and speed for naval warfighters, they also bring increased safety for ships and crews, as lasers are not dependent on the traditional propellant and gunpowder-based ordnance found

on ships. Lasers run on electricity and can be fired as long as there is power.

They also cost less to build, install and fire than traditional kinetic weapons -- for example a multimillion-dollar missile.

“At less than a dollar per shot, there’s no question about the value LaWS provides,” said Klunder.

“With affordability a serious concern for our defense budgets, this will more effectively manage resources to ensure our Sailors and Marines are never in a fair fight.”

The Navy already has demonstrated the effectiveness of lasers in a variety of maritime settings. In a 2011 demonstration, a laser was used to defeat multiple small boat threats from a destroyer.

In 2012, LaWS downed several unmanned aircraft in tests during naval exercises. Specific details on next steps and timeframes are being determined as the data from the current demonstrations are analyzed.

The announcement confirms continued significant progress on directed-energy weapons, and meets the timeframe announced

by Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jonathan Greenert at the 2013 Sea-Air-Space Expo. Greenert will be the opening speaker at the upcoming Naval Future Force Science and Technology EXPO in February 2015, where many of the innovative technologies coming to fruition for the Navy and Marine Corps will be on display.