NSA Hampton Roads Chief Selects hold 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

by Lt. Julie Johnson, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs

11 September 2024 NORFOLK, Va. -- Chief Selects from Naval Air Force Atlantic and others assigned to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at NSA Hampton Roads POW/MIA Chapel to pay respect to the lives lost 23 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001.

SLIDESHOW | 1 images | NSA Hampton Roads Chief Selects hold 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony Chief Selects assigned to Naval Support Activity (NSA) Hampton Roads held a 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony at NSA Hampton Roads POW/MIA Chapel to pay respect to the lives lost 23 years ago on Sept. 11, 2001. (U.S. Navy photo by Jennifer Cragg)

Collectively, the nation paused on Sept. 11, 2024, on what is now known as Patriot Day, to honor and remember the lives lost in the attacks on the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, at the Pentagon, as well as United Airlines Flight 93 which crashed in rural Somerset, Pennsylvania, killing all personnel on board.

The Chief selects invited Prisoner of War, retired Capt. Larry Slade to speak to the attendees. On the anniversary of 9/11, Slade discussed the meaning and importance of integrity, leadership and overcoming adversity after being shot down on his seventh combat mission off the USS Saratoga (CV 60) during Operation Desert Storm.

“When I was asked to speak here today it was with mixed emotions that I accepted,” Slade said. “I get the pleasure of welcoming the new Chief selects to the most important rank in the Navy, yet the day falls in the shadow of a monstrous attack on our nation and so much loss of life.”

Slade, a former F-14 Tomcat Radar Intercept Officer, knows personally the importance of integrity, leadership and overcoming adversity from his experiences as a POW when Iraqi forces held him captive for more than three months until his release.

“The acts of leading are not always so profound as what faced Gen. Dwight D. Eisenhower on D-Day or Todd Beamer, 23 years ago, when he led the charge in the cockpit of United Airlines Flight 93, resulting in the aircraft crashing, denying the hijackers their target – at the cost of his own life,” Slade said. “The acts of leading are usually smaller but can be so very important.”

Information Systems Technician 1^st Class Howard Lampl, who has been selected as a Chief Petty officer and assigned to U.S. Second Fleet, is also a New Jersey native. He offered his thoughts on the day of remembrance amongst preparing for his new role as a U.S. Navy Chief.

“Instead of focusing on the lives lost that day, while that is important, we can also look to the first responders and the people on the ground who set the example that day,” Lampl said. “We seek to emulate their responsiveness in times of trials and tribulation. There are men and women who have the courage and the mental fortitude to practice the discipline to act in times of distress.”

U.S. Second Fleet Command Master Chief Jason Avin, who was born in Queens, New York also spoke at the ceremony to provide closing remarks.

“In the wake of the attacks, thousands of men and women answered the call to serve, enlisting in the armed forces to protect our nation and defend the ideals that came under attack that day,” Avin said. “They joined not just to fight against those who sought to harm us, but also to stand as a testament to the resilience and courage of the American spirit.”

Headquarters Supreme Allied Commander Transformation Chief Select, Personnel Specialist 1^st Class Albert Mitchell of Jacksonville, Texas is an example of someone who chose to enlist in the U.S. Navy.

“Right then and there it put a lot more emphasis on my patriotism and how invested I was in wanting to defend this country and make sure that my family is safe,” Mitchell said. “It gives us perspective that we have to maintain our military vigilance in order to respond and protect our country.”

As the ceremony closed, Avin encouraged the crowd to honor the sacrifices of those who gave their lives on 9/11, as well as those who have since given so much in pursuit of that vision.

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NSA Hampton Roads Chief Selects hold 9/11 Remembrance Ceremony

by Lt. Julie Johnson, Commander, Naval Air Force Atlantic Public Affairs

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