57th year, No. 36
Naples honors U.S. prisoners of war, MIAs
Serving the Nato, Naples and Gaeta military communities in italy
Friday, September 28, 2012
More than a good neighbor
By MC1 (EXW/DV) Jack Georges, Navy Region Europe, Africa, Southwest Asia Public Affairs
ervice members remembered American prisoners of war (POW) and those still missing in action (MIA) during a ceremony at Naval Support Activity (NSA) Naples Sept. 21. The Naples Area Chief Petty Officer Association sponsored the ceremony in observance of POW/MIA RecNational ognition Day, which is held annually in the United States. “It’s important we recognize the sacrifice made by those who have gone before us. They cleared the way for the freedoms we enjoy today,” said Chief Crytologic Technician Technical (IDW/SW) Jonathan Blackwell, a ceremony organizer. The ceremony included a moment of silence, the raising of the POW/MIA flag and a description of the traditional POW/MIA table. The POW/MIA table is a single dinner setting found in dining facilities throughout the Department of Defense. It symbolizes the solitude and sacrifice of America’s captured and missing warriors, and includes a single rose and salt. The rose symbolizes family members’ hope for the return of their loved one and salt represents the tears they cried during their loved ones’ absence. “While we honor America’s POWs and MIAs, it’s not just about them. We also need to remember the sacrifice of their families and loved ones too,” said Blackwell. More than 83,000 service members are still missing, according to the Defense Prisoner of War Missing Personnel Office. “I came out to show my support to all those service members who sacrificed their freedom to preserve ours,” said Chief Interior Communications Electrician (SW) Brian Teneyck, a ceremony participant. “I hope one day they can be reunited with their families.”
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Master-at-arms 2nd Class Brian smith recently received the Joint service achievement Medal for helping save his neighbor, a fellow U.s. navy petty officer, after she fell on a fence behind her house aug. 5. (Photo by Melissa Kabukuru)
Petty Officer Brian Smith helps fellow sailor live to see another birthday By Melissa Kabukuru Panorama editor
Petty Officer Brian Smith hadn’t met his neighbor, Petty Officer Zulema Sotelo, until the day he saved her life. Smith, a master-at-arms 2nd class in the U.S. Navy, was standing on his balcony Aug. 5 chatting with an Italian neighbor when he heard someone cry out in pain. “We just heard this scream-yelp noise,” recalled Smith, who lives in Monteruscello. “It sounded like someone was really hurt. I thought maybe a dog had gotten hit by a car.” Rushing to the sound of the noise, Smith discovered Sotelo, a mass communications specialist 2nd class, standing on a wrought-iron fence with her clothes covered in blood. She had fallen while trying to scale the fence and speared her neck on one of the posts. In that moment, Smith flew into action, binding Sotelo’s wounds with gauze and using his knowledge of the local language to arrange her transportation to an Italian hospital. His actions that day earned him a Joint
Mass Communication specialist 2nd Class Zulema sotelo fell on this fence behind her house aug. 5. (Photo by MC2 Zulema Sotelo)
Service Achievement Medal and Sotelo’s eternal gratitude. “I knew something was wrong, and I just thought, ‘I’ve got to get over there,’” Smith
recalled. “That’s when I saw her holding her throat and blood just spewing out.” see GOOD NEIGHBOR Page 5
FRIDAY
W hat ’ s I nsIde
High 88 / Low 72 Partly cloudy
SATURDAY High 90 / Low 72 Mostly cloudy
Weekly crime report Review what happened between Sept. 17 and Sept. 23. Page 6
Naples bikers form military H.O.G. chapter Page 7
Naples Wildcats score victories over ISB, AOSR Page 10
Enjoy a beachy getaway in Gaeta, Italy Pages 12-13
SUNDAY High 82 / Low 68 Fog