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U.S. Navy

Veterans honored in Leominster

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LEOMINSTER — Five local veterans were honored on Oct. 21 at the Leominster Veterans Center on West Street.

A Quilts of Valor ceremony was held at the center by the Capt. John Joslin Jr. Leominster chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR). Quilts of Valor group leader Joan Schwerin presented handmade red, white, and blue patriotic quilts to Navy veterans Roger Bergeron and Francis ‘Skip’ Morse and Air Force veterans Erica Milano and Dennis Bouchard.

Frederick Schwerin, left, was presented with a Vietnam War veteran lapel pin and certificate by Elaine Perreault, Daughters of the American Revolution Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemorative partner chair, on Oct. 21 at the Leominster Veterans Center "as a lasting memento of our nation's thanks and welcome home." (COURTESY SHARON BOUCHARD)
Frederick Schwerin, left, was presented with a Vietnam War veteran lapel pin and certificate by Elaine Perreault, Daughters of the American Revolution Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemorative partner chair, on Oct. 21 at the Leominster Veterans Center “as a lasting memento of our nation’s thanks and welcome home.” (COURTESY SHARON BOUCHARD)

In addition, Frederick Schwerin was presented with a Vietnam War veteran lapel pin and certificate by Elaine Perreault, DAR Vietnam War 50th Anniversary Commemorative partner chair, “as a lasting memento of our nation’s thanks and welcome home,” said chapter Regent Sharon Bouchard.

“He did not know about it and was so pleased,” Bouchard said of Schwerin’s special surprise honor. “It was beautiful!”

Quilts of Valor group leader Joan Schwerin presents Navy veteran Roger Bergeron with a handmade patriotic quilt at the ceremony held on Oct. 21 at the Leominster Veterans Center. (COURTESY SHARON BOUCHARD)
Quilts of Valor group leader Joan Schwerin presents Navy veteran Roger Bergeron with a handmade patriotic quilt at the ceremony held on Oct. 21 at the Leominster Veterans Center. (COURTESY SHARON BOUCHARD)

Leominster native proud to serve in the Navy

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SASEBO, Japan — Leominster Stephanie De La Rosa is proudly serving her country in the U.S. Navy as a seaman.

Currently serving in Japan, De La Rosa attended Leominster High School and graduated in 2021.

De La Rosa joined the Navy two years ago.

“I joined the Navy to make history as the first person and the first female in my immediate family to join the military,” De La Rosa said.

Today, De La Rosa serves as a personnel specialist with Naval Beach Unit 7.

Skills and values learned in the Navy are similar to those found in Leominster.

“I learned how to work with a lot of different people and a lot of different personalities,” said De La Rosa. “That really helped me in the fleet.”

According to Navy officials, NBU 7 empowers forward-deployed U.S. and Allied Forces while providing superior support to military members and their families.

De La Rosa serves in Japan as part of the Forward Deployed Naval Forces. These naval forces operate with allies and partners to preserve a free and open Indo-Pacific region. Service members in this region are part of the U.S. Pacific Fleet, which has the largest area of responsibility in the world.

“As the largest force in our nation’s front line against revisionist actors, U.S. Pacific Fleet meets this great responsibility with strength, resolve and confidence,” said Adm. Samuel Paparo, U.S. Pacific Fleet Commander. “Together with our joint and combined partner operations, we are positioned to defend – across all domains – any attempts to threaten our nation, our allies and partner’s security, freedom and well-being.”

As a member of the Navy, De La Rosa is part of a world-class organization focused on maintaining maritime dominance, strengthening partnerships, increasing competitive warfighting capabilities and sustaining combat-ready forces in support of the National Defense Strategy.

“The Navy is important to national defense because we are the eyes and ears all around the globe,” said De La Rosa. “We are the most diverse branch in my opinion.”

As De La Rosa and other sailors continue to train and perform missions, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.

“Serving in the Navy means a lot,” said De La Rosa. “My parents immigrated from Mexico. I’m serving the country that gave everything to my family. Now I’m giving back.”

De La Rosa is grateful to others for helping make a Navy career possible.

“I would like to thank my mom,” added De La Rosa. “She was a big help. It was a big decision to join the Navy. My step dad helped me a lot, too.”

USS Constitution cannons fire on Memorial Day in honor of Navy sailors lost

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Twenty-one cannon shots fired from the historic USS Constitution rang out over the Little Mystic Channel for Memorial Day as families, veterans and travelers from all over joined in a ceremony to honor Navy sailors lost.

“This is an emotional time, but it’s an honor,” Sharon Toner, a Gold Star family member, said aboard the ship on the windy afternoon. “… It’s an incredible, moving experience to be here.”

Toner’s stepson, Silver Star-recipient Lt. j.g. Francis Toner IV, sacrificed his life for a fellow officer in Afghanistan in March 2009. This Memorial Day was her first traveling from Narragansett, Rhode Island to attend the Constitution’s ceremony and fire one of the cannons in his honor.

The ship and museum offered free admission to the public for the holiday — when they first read a list of Navy sailors who died on duty to a still and silent crowd before firing the 21-gun salute.

“The Constitution, like other warships in the Navy, had its own casualties helping protect our freedoms,” said Command Senior Chief Seth Miles. “So today here, we honor those who have given that sacrifice to protect our freedom.”

Around this time, Miles said, people regularly express appreciation “that we continue to remember those who have paid the ultimate price.”

Visitors from all over — from a couple hours away to Texas and Italy — came to participate in the ceremony and experience the history of the ship for the holiday.

“Thought we’d come out for just a little knowledge for the girls for Memorial Day since most of our family are military,” said Chelsea resident Orlando Velazco, gesturing to the two young daughters urging him to explore below deck. “There’s a lot for them to learn.”

The museum moved a poppy garden — a symbol of remembrance — made by visitors leading up to Memorial Day onto the ship Monday and featured activities for the many families in attendance.

“The staff, everyone here is amazing,” said Toner. “… There’s a lot of significance being here on this day.”

A twenty-one gun salute is fired, one every minute, during a Memorial Day ceremony aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown Staff Photo by Nancy Lane/Boston Herald (Monday,May 29, 2023). on the Boston Common on Monday, in Charlestown, MA. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald) May 29, 2023
A 21-gun salute is fired, one every minute, during a Memorial Day ceremony aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
People have various reacts as a twenty-one gun salute is fired, one every minute, during a Memorial Day ceremony aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown Staff Photo by Nancy Lane/Boston Herald (Monday,May 29, 2023). on the Boston Common on Monday, in Charlestown, MA. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald) May 29, 2023
People have various reactions as a 21-gun salute is fired aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Quartermaster 2nd class Rachel Dill rings the ship's bell as names of deceased soldiers and seamen are read during a Memorial Day ceremony aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown Staff Photo by Nancy Lane/Boston Herald (Monday,May 29, 2023). on the Boston Common on Monday, in Charlestown, MA. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald) May 29, 2023
Quartermaster 2nd class Rachel Dill rings the ship’s bell as names of deceased soldiers and seamen are read during a Memorial Day ceremony aboard the USS Constitution in Charlestown. (Nancy Lane/Boston Herald)
Lt. j.g. Francis Toner IV (Photo shared by Sharon Toner)
Lt. j.g. Francis Toner IV (Photo shared by Sharon Toner)

Ashburnham native named to Navy Ceremonial Guard

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MILLINGTON, Tenn. – A native of Ashburnham, Massachusetts, recently completed an intensive 10-week training program to become a member of the elite U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard.

Constructionman Luke St. Pierre, a 2021 Montachusett Regional Vocational Technical School graduate, joined the Navy six months ago. Today, St. Pierre serves as a U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guardsman.

“I joined the Navy because both my father and grandfather were prior service members,” St. Pierre said.

Established in 1931, the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard is the official honor guard of the U.S. Navy and is based at Naval District Washington Anacostia Annex in Washington, D.C.

According to Navy officials, the primary mission of the U.S. Navy Ceremonial Guard is to represent the service in Presidential, Joint Armed Forces, Navy and public ceremonies in and around the nation’s capital. Members of the Navy Ceremonial Guard participate in some of our nation’s most prestigious ceremonies, including Presidential inaugurations and arrival ceremonies for foreign officials.

“I have learned most to put in maximum effort in order to get the best results possible in all you do in life,” St. Pierre said.

Sailors of the Ceremonial Guard are hand selected while they are attending boot camp at Recruit Training Command in Great Lakes, Illinois. Strict military order and discipline, combined with teamwork, allow the Ceremonial Guard to fulfill their responsibilities with pride and determination. They are experts in the art of close order drill, coordination and timing.

The Ceremonial Guard is comprised of the drill team, color guard, casket bearers and firing party.

“What I like most, is how small the command,” St. Pierre said. “It’s intimate in regards to learning and knowing who I’m working with. Also, because it’s a smaller command, you can’t put in minimal effort and expect to succeed.”

There are many opportunities for sailors to earn recognition in their command, community and careers.

“I am most proud of getting through training and getting better at time management, along with being help to others,” St. Pierre said.

As a member of the U.S. Navy, St. Pierre, as well as other sailors, know they are part of a service tradition providing unforgettable experiences through leadership development, world affairs and humanitarian assistance. Their efforts will have a lasting effect around the globe and for generations of sailors who will follow.

“I enjoy serving in the Navy because I will exceed all expectations and serve my country,” added St. Pierre. “I have a great mindset of what the Navy can mold my future to be.”

Future USS Massachusetts nuclear attack submarine to be commissioned in Boston, growing movement hopes

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There will soon be a new USS Massachusetts, and it could very well join the Navy right here in Boston if a growing movement has its way.

“Having this elite new Navy submarine commissioned here at the Flynn Cruiseport on the South Boston waterfront is symbolic of our rich history and a bold reminder of the importance of valuing and protecting our democracy,” said state Sen. Nick Collins, a Democrat who represents parts of Boston, who drafted a resolution to support having the new Virginia-class nuclear attack submarine commissioned in the city.

The resolution was adopted by the Senate this past Monday.

Boston City Council joined in Wednesday with their own resolution. The commissioning won’t take place until at least next year, so there is a lot of lobbying left to go to see Flynn Cruiseport win the commissioning ceremony blessing from the Secretary of the Navy over traditional locations like Groton, Connecticut, and Norfolk, Virginia.

Three submarine sailors assigned to the Massachusetts, call sign SSN798, will make an appearance at Collins’ St. Patrick’s Day Breakfast in Southie on Sunday.

“In 2018, the USS Thomas Hudner (DDG 116), a guided-missile destroyer, was commissioned at Flynn Cruiseport Boston, and our city has the finest hosting site for the commissioning of Navy ships with resources for support and security,” states the city resolution.

The Flynn Cruiseport Boston at Black Falcon Terminal as seen in this May 3, 2017, file photo. Many Boston and Massachusetts politicians are hoping the future USS Massachusetts nuclear submarine will be commissioned into the U.S. Navy here.

Commissioning is the final stage the ship — or a boat, the preferred term by submariners, according to Dinis Pimentel, the chair of the USS Massachusetts Commissioning Committee — goes through before elevating from PCU, or Pre-Commissioning Unit, Massachusetts to USS Massachusetts, a full, commissioned member of the U.S. Navy fleet.

That’s the event the local and federal politicians from Massachusetts, Gov. Charlie Baker, current U.S. Secretary of Labor and former Mayor of Boston Marty Walsh, and the Commissioning Committee, which is a not-for-profit organization unaffiliated with the Navy, are all vying for Massachusetts to receive. An emailed request for comment from current Mayor Michelle Wu’s administration sent Thursday was not answered.

The first event, the Keel Laying, marked the ceremonial beginnings of the shipbuilding process, though ships and boats both are now built in a modular system and no longer assembled over a keel, said Jennifer Boykin, the president of Newport News Shipbuilding, the company building the submarine, at the Dec. 11, 2020 ceremony in Virginia.

The submarine is part of the Block IV boats of the Virginia class, the first block of ships specially designed for crews of both women and men, Pimentel said.

Sheryl Sandberg, the chief operating officer of Meta, the parent company of social media giants Facebook and Instagram, is the sponsor of the ship. Sponsors of naval vessels are always women, a tradition dating back to the beginnings of English and Dutch naval shipbuilding, Pimentel said, selected by the Secretary of the Navy to imbue their spirit and personality into the ship. Sandberg’s initials are permanently welded into the ship.

“Far beyond participation in ceremonial milestones, Sponsorship represents a lifelong relationship with the ship and her crew,” according to the Society of Sponsors of the United States Navy.

The last United States Ship to bear the name Massachusetts is the South Dakota-Class battleship, BB-59, commissioned in May 1942, that saw action in World War II first in the Invasion of French Africa, also known as Operation Torch.

There, she engaged Axis-aligned French warships off the coast of Casablanca, Morocco, in November 1942 before being transferred to the Pacific Theater, taking part in battles at Okinawa and Formosa, for the rest of the war, according to the U.S. Navy. The ship was decommissioned in 1947 and stricken from reserve duty in 1967. The ship is now on permanent display as a memorial and museum at Fall River.

“Our mission is clear: deliver the most advanced, most capable warship to the Navy and our nation with an equally advanced and capable crew to bring her to life,” said Cmdr. Erik Lundberg, commanding officer of the Massachusetts in 2020. “The crew of Massachusetts stands ready.”

First woman to take command of U.S.S. Constitution

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The U.S.S. Constitution’s first female captain leaves a guided-missile cruiser for Old Ironsides.

Cmdr. Billie Farrell will relieve the Constitution’s current and 76th commanding officer, Cmdr. John Benda, at a noon Friday ceremony in Charlestown. The ship will be closed during the ceremony but will reopen to the public from 2 to 4 p.m.

“I am honored to have the privilege to soon command this iconic warship that dates back to the roots of both our nation and our Navy and to have been afforded the amazing opportunity to serve as USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer in her 224 years,” Farrell said in a statement.

She added: “I hope to strengthen the legacy of USS Constitution through preservation, promotion, and protection by telling her story and connecting it to the rich heritage of the United States Navy and the warships serving in the fleet today.”

Farrell previously served as the executive officer aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser U.S.S. Vicksburg. She is a native of Paducah, Ky., and a graduate of the U.S. Naval Academy and the University of Arkansas.

As U.S.S. Constitution’s crew welcomes Farrell, they will say farewell to the ship’s current commanding officer.

“I know the crew is in great hands with Commander Farrell,” Benda said. “This historic barrier is long overdue to be broken. I cannot think of a better candidate to serve as USS Constitution’s first female commanding officer. I look forward to watching what she and the crew accomplish in the next few years.”

U.S.S. Constitution is the world’s oldest commissioned warship afloat and played a crucial role in the Barbary Wars and the War of 1812, actively defending sea lanes from 1797 to 1855. The ship was undefeated in battle and destroyed or captured 33 opponents.

The ship earned the nickname “Old Ironsides” during the War of 1812, when British cannonballs were seen bouncing off its wooden hull.

The active-duty sailors stationed aboard the ship now provide free tours as they support its mission of promoting the Navy’s history and maritime heritage and raising awareness of the importance of a sustained naval presence.