Naval Surface Warfare Center, Philadelphia Division (NSWCPD) held a Memorial Day ceremony on May 22 to remember the brave service men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice to protect our nation’s freedoms.
Capt. Dana F. Simon, NSWCPD’s commanding officer, honored the dead by laying a wreath of poppies in front of the Command’s headquarters building.
Simon urged the workforce to remember that Memorial Day isn’t just a three-day weekend, but a time to honor those who laid down their lives in defense of freedom.
“Memorial Day is a reminder of the sacrifices of those who have given their lives,” said Simon. “I invite you to join me and take a moment to remember the Sailors, Marines, Soldiers, Airmen, Reservists, and others that made the ultimate sacrifice.”
Yvonne Bradley, NSWCPD’s Veterans Employee Resource Group (VERG) co-chair, recited the poem “In Flanders Fields”, which was written by Lt. Col. John McCrae, a battlefield physician in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. Bradley also read “We Shall Keep the Faith,” a poem written by an American teacher, Moina Bell Michael, written in response to “In Flanders Fields.”