McALESTER, Okla. -- 'Don't give up the ship.' That ethos continues to drive sailors to extraordinary actions, a Navy officer and McAlester, Oklahoma native told guests gathered for the Armed Forces Day Luncheon at the McAlester Army Ammunition Plant here, May 2.
"That tradition continues no less diminished today as our sons and daughters have assumed the watch serving in Iraq [Operation Iraqi Freedom] and Afghanistan [Operation Enduring Freedom]," Navy Cmdr. Peter K. Nilsen, assistant chief of staff for Operations and Missile Support, Navy Air and Missile Defense Command, Dahlgren, Virginia, told the more than 200 people in attendance.
Nilsen witnessed the power of that ethos first-hand as the executive officer and later in January 2012 as the commander of the USS Cole (DDG 67). The Cole was the target of a suicide bomber in Yemen Oct. 12, 2000, marking Al Qaeda's first direct attack on the United States, he said.
The ensuing explosion ripped a gaping 40-by-40-foot hole through the hull of the guided-missile destroyer, killing 17 and wounding 37.
While an annual memorial service is held, Nilsen said it is the 17 gold stars lining the Hall of Heroes inside the ship that provide a constant, sobering reminder of the fallen sailors' sacrifices.
"That Cole crew decided that the way to honor them is by doing their very best, day in and day out," he said about his shipmates. That "10-month deployment to the Mediterranean for ballistic missile defense operations was the proudest moment that I had in my life."
Nilsen, who has served in the Navy for 30 years, said growing up in McAlester put him on the right path. He said his father died when he was 13, leaving his mother Beth with the challenge of raising him and his sister, Jennifer. He said many McAlester residents actively lent a hand.
"This town and the people that are here had a firm hand in how I ended up and where I am at today," he said." I would not be standing here today were it not for the privilege and benefit of being raised here, and I thank you for that."
Nilsen said the path from land-locked Oklahoma to the Navy is an unusual one. He said kids in the area can see an Army HUMVEE and possibly even an Air Force fighter jet flying overhead.
"But to get a Navy warship up the Canadian River, that ain't gonna happen," Nilsen said to a chorus of laughter.
Nilsen admitted that despite the oddity, some of Navy's greatest sailors hail from the Sooner State.
Sailors like Vice Adm. Marc A. Mitscher, who in the wake of the attack on Pearl Harbor was the commanding officer of the USS Hornet aircraft carrier, from which the Doolittle Raid was launched on Tokyo during World War II.
He also paid tribute to Adm. Joseph "Jocko" Clark, who as a member of the Cherokee nation was the first Native American to graduate from the U.S. Naval Academy. Clark later led carrier task forces in the Philippines during WWII and then again during the Korean War.
Nilsen also praised the bravery of Cmdr. Ernest E. Evans, who as the commander of the USS Johnston destroyer with only five five-inch guns and torpedoes fought at the Battle of Samar in the Philippines. The Pawnee, Oklahoma native took the fight to the Japanese naval forces, consisting of seven destroyers, three heavy cruisers and four battleships with guns up to 18 inches, until the Johnston was sunk and more than half of the crew was lost, including him.
Coming up through the ranks Evans was dubbed "the chief" because of his half Cherokee and one-quarter Creek Indian heritage, he was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor and, according to Nilsen, may be the only commander of a ship to receive the nation's highest military decoration.
"He represented something very special in Oklahoma," Nilsen said referring to his heritage.
Nilsen also talked about today's 'greatest generation' -- veterans of wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. When he asked those vets to stand and be recognized, 12 stood. Then he asked all veterans to stand and about one-third of the luncheon's attendees stood.
Earlier in his remarks, he paid a special tribute to Wounded Warrior Quinton Picone, a 2008 graduate of Panola High School, who served with the 10th Infantry Division, Fort Drum, New York, in support of Operation Enduring Freedom in November 2011. He received a standing ovation.
"You're an inspiration for having a positive attitude to keep on charging and just loving life. Thank you for your service," he said to the double amputee. Picone, who lives across the street from Nilsen's mother, and he met for the first time at the luncheon.
He also acknowledged Army Sgt. Benjamin Ales, a McAlester native currently serving with 100th Brigade Support Battalion, Fort Sill, Oklahoma, who was home on leave.
"It's guy[s] like him that will allow me to retire someday and turn over the watch to let these youngsters run our military," he said proudly.
In closing, the McAlester native harkened back to President John F. Kennedy, who in remarks at the U.S. Naval Academy Aug. 1, 1963 said, "I can't imagine a more rewarding career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think I can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: I served in the United States Navy." Nilsen echoed Kennedy's thoughts.
Nilsen also served as the grand marshal for the Armed Forces Day parade the following day. Joining him in leading the parade were Steve Harrison, McAlester mayor, Col. Joseph G. Dalessio, MCAAP commander, and Cade Lott, honorary grand marshal.
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