Fort Belvoir, Va. (June 19, 2014) - U.S. Army Garrison Fort Belvoir recognized the Army's 239th birthday at Humphreys Hall Friday with a celebration studded with music and history.
Don Carr, Fort Belvoir director of public affairs, led the ceremony that marked not only the Army's birthday, but also the 237th anniversary of the American Flag.
"Birthdays are about more than just cake and candles. They are a great time to reflect on the last year and chart your course for the next year," he said.
USAG Fort Belvoir Command Sgt. Maj. Scott Guilliory said the flag is always a welcome sight to Soldiers serving abroad.
"For a brief moment, when you spot the red, white and blue, you feel at home," he said.
Both Carr and Guilliory remarked that sharing a birthday with the flag was a great honor.
"How fitting it is then, that we celebrate the Army Birthday and our flag on the same day," Guilliory said.
Keynote speaker, Lt. Gen. Mark Bowman, director, Command, Control, Communications and Computers (C4)/Cyber, Chief Information Officer, Joint Staff, J6/CIO, the Pentagon, spoke on the history of the Army and the flag.
"Today is a great day. A great day to reflect and celebrate," he said. "Our flag represents the unspoken endurance and unification of our nation."
Bowman said the Army has followed the growth of the nation, from a humble militia to the organized, well prepared Army that stands today.
"On every single occasion we have been ready for whatever our nation asked us to do," he said.
With the war in Afghanistan coming to an end, Bowman said it is remarkable that so many men and women have offered their services.
Never before has an all-volunteer force been asked to maintain continuous wartime operations for as long as 13 years, he said. "We are eternally grateful to those who continue to serve."
Bowman finished his speech with a "Hooah!" which was repeated enthusiastically by the crowd.
Joe Galloway, co-author of "We Were Soldiers Once -- and Young," addressed the group as guest speaker, offering his thanks to those who serve.
"It's always a pleasure to be among Soldiers," he said.
Galloway looked back on his storied past as a reporter in Vietnam, and said his experience changed him.
"I left that battlefield with a changed heart," he said. "I left with an obligation to tell their (the Soldiers') story."
Having retired in 2006 from field reporting after tours in Iraq, Galloway said he still misses it.
"I miss being in the company of Soldiers," he said. "I kept going back because of the Soldiers."
The birthday celebration had originally been planned outside at Long Parade Field, but due to rain saturating the grass, it was moved inside to Humphreys Hall. Carr said they had to adjust the celebration accordingly. A flyover by the 12th Aviation Battalion had been planned to cap off the service.
"We called Davison (Army Airfield) and told them we thought the ceiling was high enough, but they disagreed," he joked.
Living Historians presented the evolution of the U.S. Army's uniforms. Soldiers dressed in Civil War, WWI, WWII, Vietnam and current era attire were presented. The flaws and advantages of each uniform were discussed -- most notably the WWII-era uniform, which didn't allow a Soldier to get anything out of the knapsack without removing most of it.
The ceremony finished off with USAG Fort Belvoir Noncommissioned Officer of the Year, Sgt. Derrick Beamer, and Soldier of the Year, Sgt. Allen Atchley, cutting the birthday cake with Galloway, Garrison Commander Col. Gregory D. Gadson and Bowman.
Social Sharing