Tribute to Master Chief Wesenburg

As a new deck hand aboard the USS Kalamazoo, I was unfamiliar with the preventive maintenance routine for the multiple stations topside on the oiler. I was a green horn in so many respects when I was assigned to grease the ¾ inch steel braided cables used to transport fuel and stores to other ships. MCBM Wesenberg saw my lack of commitment as I tried to coat the cable with grease. I was concerned about the small fissures of steel that were breaking off in my hand and getting crud on my new uniform. Honestly, I was doing more dabbing of grease than I was coating the cable. It wasn’t more than a couple of minutes into the detail when the Master Chief of the Command inserted himself into my world.

“You afraid to get dirty?” he asked rhetorically. Not waiting for an answer and while still decked out in his clean khakis, he reached down into the bucket, grabbed a handful of black sludge, and began properly coating the steel cable.

“Don’t be concerned about overcoating this line” he instructed to the neophyte who was more concerned about not getting dirty than getting the job done.

After a quick minute he nodded for me to join him in the work. Truthfully, his demonstration challenged me rather than instructed me. His clean uniform, full of service medals as well as his name tag, did not encumber him as he intently showed me that he was not above doing the lowest, nastiest job on the deck.  Once I started mimicking Master Chief, he found a rag, wiped his hands, but continued to encourage me while I pressed on with my work.

The impact of those short 10 minutes of instruction were many. First, Master Chief’s attention to detail was spot on. Secondly, he could have easily derided me but he chose to challenge and encourage me. Third, he could have used his rank and prestige as a means to avoid a tough work situation rather he relished the chance to use his seniority as a way to define expectations for his charges. Finally, we connected on a more personal level as my time aboard the deck crew continued. He got me assigned to the Wardroom during mess cooking, ultimately, I got to serve as the Captain’s cook personal mess hand. Later, I struck for a rate change to serve as an Operations Specialist and Master Chief Wesenberg was an advocate for me.

During my professional career as an educator, I have shared this story many times, particularly when I taught Business Management at the high school level. The moral of the story was always, never get too big that you won’t do the toughest job. Thank you, Master Chief Wesenberg for humbling yourself to teach a new deck ape not only how to grease a cable but more importantly, what real leadership looked like.

INDEPENDENCE DAY 2015

 EACH YEAR THIS BLESSED COUNTRY CELEBRATES ITS BEGINNINGS; A TIME WHEN FREEDOM WAS MERELY A PHILOSOPHICAL CONCEPT, A YEARNING THAT THE AVERAGE MAN OR WOMAN DREAMED ABOUT AND LONGED FOR IN HIS OR HER LIFE. THOSE WERE TIMES OF PRIVILAGE AND POSITION, NOBILITY AND COMMONESS; A TIME OF BEING TRAPPED FROM BIRTH. MEN AND WOMEN OF THAT ERA COULD NOT CONCEIVE IN THEIR WILDEST DREAMS THE OPPORTUNITIES AND LIBERTIES THAT WE NOW TAKE FOR GRANTED. LOOKING BACK, WE ARE THANKFUL FOR THE FREEDOM FROM TYRANNY AND OPPRESSION OF THE KING BUT IN FOCUSING ON THAT ONE ASPECT OF FREEDOM WE FAIL TO EXTEND OUR GRATIFULNESS FOR THE BROAD UMBRELLA OF FREEDOMS THAT THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION AFFORDED US.

CITIZENSHIP IS A UNIQUE PRIVILAGE EACH OF US HAS BECAUSE THE INSIGHT OUR FORE FATHERS HAD IN CRAFTING NOT ONLY A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, THE CONSTITUTION BUT ALSO THE BILL OF RIGHTS. THE VERY IDEA THAT THE AVERAGE INDIVIDUAL COULD PARTICIPATE IN SELF GOVERNMENT WAS SEEN AS A FORM OF ANARCHY BY THE PRIVILAGED CLASSES OF THE MONARCHIAL SYSTEMS IN PLACE AT THE TIME. THE CONCEPT OF CITIZEN RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES FLIES IN THE FACE OF POSITION, STATUS AND ROLES. ALMOST UNLIMITED RIGHTS AND RESPONSIBILITIES AS AN AMERICAN CITIZEN MEANS THAT THE INDIVIDUAL DEFINES HIS OR HER ECONOMIC, POLITICAL AND SOCIAL STATUS AND NOT THEIR FAMILY’S NAME OR POSITION.

INDEPENDENCE HAS GRANTED THE AMERICAN CITIZEN GREAT FREEDOMS OF SPEECH, OF RELIGION, OF ASSEMBLY AND OTHER BEHAVIORS THAT IN 1776 WERE SEEN AS A PRODUCT OF RADICAL THOUGHT BY RADICAL MEN. ‘WE HOLD THESE TRUTHS TO BE SELF-EVIDENT’, A KEY PHRASE IN OUR DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE, IS A DECLARATION THAT THE COLLECTIVE PONDERING OF THE NATION’S CITIZENS IS TO BE VALUED HIGHER THAN THE STATUS QUO DOCTRINE OF THE MONARCHY AND THE FEUDAL SYSTEM. IT DECLARED ON A GRAND SCALE PEOPLE EMPOWERMENT, THE WORTH OF THE INDIVIDUAL OVER THE PRIVILAGES OF THE FEW. WE AS CITIZENS DERIVE OUR POWER AND BEING BY AGREEING TOGETHER THAT CORPORATE TRUTH AND INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS ARE SELF EVIDENT. THESE CONCEPTS OF TRUTH AND RIGHTS ARE NOT A CAPRICIOUS SET OF RULES ESTABLISHED TO PROMOTE AND PROMULGATE A CASTE SYSTEM BUT IDEAS FOR MEN AND WOMEN TO GUIDE THEIR LIVES AND INTERACTIONS WITH EACH OTHER.

INDEPENDENCE DAY, BOUGHT AND PAID FOR WITH THE SACRIFICES OF OUR CITIZEN SOLDIERS OVER THE YEARS, NOT ONLY FREES US FROM THE TYRANNY FROM OUR FELLOW MAN BUT IT FREES US TO LIVE RESPONSIBILY WITH OUR FELLOW MAN. IT GIVES US THE TOOLS TO GOVERN OURSELVES AND INVITES EACH OF US TO BE PARTICIPANTS IN THAT UNIQUE SYSTEM. INDEPENDENCE DAY WITH ITS COOKOUTS, PARADES AND FIREWORKS IS A DAY TO BE TRULY THANKFUL THAT THOUGH WE LIVE IN A NATION WITH PROBLEMS AND ISSUES, IT IS STILL A NATION THAT EACH PERSON IS ACCORDED UNALIENABLE, UNDENIALABLE RIGHTS FROM THEIR CREATOR. THESE RIGHTS OF LIFE, LIBERTY AND THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS ARE STILL AS PRECIOUS AND PRECARIOUS TODAY IN A WORLD THAT WOULD LIMIT TRUTH AND CREATE SOCIETIES OF HAVE AND HAVE NOTS. MAY WE NEVER TAKE FOR GRANTED THESE HARD EARNED RIGHTS BUT CELEBRATE THE GIFT OF LIVING IN THE LAND OF THE FREE AND THE FREEDOMS STILL CHERISHED BY THOSE LIVING IN THE DARKNESS OF TYRANNY, OPPRESSION AND DOMINATION BY A FAVORED FEW. 

MEMORIAL DAY 2014

 THE MEMORIAL DAY CELEBRATION HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE CIVIL WAR AND IN WHAT MANY FOLKS USED TO TERM DECORATION DAY. THE FIRST OFFICIAL PROCLAIMATION WAS MADE BY GENERAL JOHN LOGAN, COMMANDER OF THE GRAND ARMY OF THE REPUBLIC, ON MAY 30, 1868. ON THAT DAY, THE GRAVES OF BOTH THE UNION AND CONFEDERATE DEAD BURIED IN ARLINGTON NATIONAL CEMETARY WERE DECORATED. THE HONORING OF THE DEAD THAT PASSED IN SERVICE TO COUNTRY IS AT THE CORE OF OUR REMEMBERANCE TODAY.

THE HISTORY OF SACRFICE OF OUR SOLDIERS, SAILORS AND AIRMEN STRETCHES BACK TO THE DAYS OF LEXINGTON, CONCORD, VALLEY FORGE, YORKTOWN AND THE OTHER PLACES OF BATTLE THAT BOUGHT AMERICA’S FREEDOM FROM BRITISH RULE AND TYRANNY. EVER SINCE, YOUNG MEN AND WOMEN HAVE ANSWERED AMERICA’S CALL TO SERVICE AND SOME HAVE GIVEN WILLING YET UNFORTUNATELY, AS LINCOLN FIRST SAID, “THEIR LAST FULL MEASURE OF DEVOTION” IN SERVICE TO THIS COUNTRY. IT IS THEIR SACRIFICE THAT WE HONOR TODAY AND RECOGNIZE THAT THE COST OF FREEDOM IS DEAR.  NOT ONLY TO THE DEPARTED, BUT ALSO TO THE FAMILIES AND FRIENDS LEFT BEHIND TO CHERISH AND RECALL THEIR LOVED ONE’S MEMORY.

THE HIGH PRICE OF FREEDOM DEMANDS THE RESPECT OF ALL THAT LIVE IN ITS UNIQUE AND UNFETTERED LIFESTYLE. TOO OFTEN OUR COUNTRY’S CITIZENS FORGET OR WORSE YET ARE APATHETIC TOWARDS THOSE INDIVIDUALS THAT LIE SILENT IN GRAVES ALL OVER THIS COUNTRY AND THE WORLD. THESE QUIETED VETERANS HAVE FORFEITED A COMPLETE LIFE THAT THEIR FELLOW CITIZENS MIGHT LIVE COMPLETELY. THE MARTYED DEAD WOULD NOT HAVE US DWELL ON THEIR DEATHS BUT RESPECTFULLY REFLECT ON THEIR BRIEF LIVES AND THE JOYFUL MEMORIES WE HAVE SHARED WITH THEM.

SO MEMORIAL IS NOT JUST A DAY THAT SIGNALS THE BEGINNING OF SUMMER, OR DAY OFF FROM WORK OR AN OPPORTUNITY TO PICNIC AND GRILL OUT. HOWEVER, IT IS NOT JUST A DAY TO DWELL ON THE SACRIFICES OF PAST DEAD VETERANS AND THE UNFULFILLED LIVES THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE LIVED. IT IS ALL THESE THINGS; RESPECTFUL REMEMBERANCE AND JOYFUL CELEBRATION, QUIET CONSIDERATION AND PURE UNADULTRARED FUN. MEMORIAL DAY IS AN OPPORTUNITY FOR THE LIVING “TO DECORATE” THE SACRIFICED LIVES OF CITIZEN SOLDIERS WITH BOTH LIFE AND REFLECTION. MEMORIAL DAY IS IN FACT AMERICA’S MOST COSTLY DAY OF  CELEBRATION.