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SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (NNS) -- The first namesake visit for
Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) came to a
close April 6, 2014 ... as Lincoln Sailors packed their bags in
Springfield, Ill., and returned to the ship in Newport News, Va.
The purpose of the Springfield visit was to reach out and
connect with both President Abraham Lincoln's history and the people
living in his homeland; to broaden their understanding of their
namesake's legacy and bring that spirit back to the ship.
President Abraham Lincoln, our 16th president, held the oval office
from March 4, 1861 until his assassination April 15, 1865. Few
remember that, for the majority of his administration, Lincoln
presided more over war than peace.
Some would say that it was
his assassination that vaulted him into greatness, including Chief
Cryptologic Technician (Collection) Jeremy Crandall, assigned to
Lincoln.
"I think he was a good president, but would he have
been as great if he had not died?" said Crandall. "I sometimes
wonder how we would view him if he finished his time in office.
Martyrdom has a way of unifying people into a single voice. He was a
good man and I deeply respect him."
According to historians
at The Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum, Lincoln
strived for great character and greater work ethic.
Through
its presentations, visitors are immersed in historical multimedia
experiences depicting a young boy who went from teaching himself to
read by the light of a fireplace on a family farm to helping a
nation overcoming one of our nation's most divisive social
institutions in American history.
"Now we are engaged in a
great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so
conceived, and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great
battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that
field, as a final resting-place for those who here gave their lives,
that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper
that we should do this," said Lincoln at the Gettysburg Address Nov.
19, 1863.
Lincoln's thoughts on character, politics and
family are numerous. At the museum, Sailors found his desire for a
unified country in his writings and speeches; his commitment to
unification to a deeply divided nation drove his compassion for the
oppressed and hurting.
In his "House Divided" speech June 16,
1858, Lincoln said, "I believe this Government cannot endure,
permanently half slave and half free. I do not expect the Union to
be dissolved -- I do not expect the house to fall -- but I do expect
it will cease to be divided."
Despite the enormity of
unifying a split nation, Lincoln never forgot caring for a nation
should be reduced to caring for individual citizens.
His
second inaugural address included the words, "let us strive on to
finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation's wounds; to care
for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his
orphan..."
Lincoln Sailors, in an effort to follow the
president's compassion to serve others, visited St. John's
Children's Hospital in Springfield to spend time building
relationships on behalf of their ship.
"I loved talking with
the kids and seeing them smile," said Engineman 3rd Class Katie
Standish. "The staff told us the children love having visitors."
Earlier the same morning, Sailors paid their respects to the
16th president at his final resting place, the Lincoln Tomb and War
Memorial State Historic Site. It was here they rendered a salute to
the memory and legacy of their namesake, a man with humble
beginnings who through hard work and ultimate sacrifice inspired a
nation to rise out of one of the darkest seasons in American
history.
"I didn't know that much about the president before
I came here," said Ship's Serviceman 1st Class Marquita Canada.
"However, when I get back I am definitely going to research more
about his life."
Lincoln displayed the fortitude of the three
Navy Core Values: honor, courage and commitment and it is the hope
of the Lincoln Sailors from this ship to carry his character back to
the command.
Lincoln is currently undergoing Refueling and
Complex Overhaul (RCOH) at Newport News Shipbuilding, a division of
Huntington Ingalls Industries.
Lincoln is the fifth ship of
the Nimitz class to undergo an RCOH, a major life-cycle milestone.
Once RCOH is complete, Lincoln will be one of the most modern and
technologically advanced Nimitz-class aircraft carriers in the fleet
and will continue to be a vital part of the nation's defense.
By U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Rusty Pang
Provided
through DVIDS
Copyright 2014
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