Commander Gordie

On July 7th we attended a Change of Command ceremony in Gulfport, Mississippi. Uncle Gordie or Commander James Meyer as he is called in the navy was taking command of a Seabee Battalion. His battalion is called the "Magnificent 7". A Seabee is part of a Naval Mobile Construction Battalion (NMCB). They are instrumental in times of war to build bases, airstrips and bridges. For instance, in World War II they had to build airstrips so naval aircraft and marines could island hop across the Pacific Ocean towards Japan.

Above uncle Gordie addresses his battalion.
To me uncle Gordie has always been...well...uncle Gordie. I always wondered why when riding in uncle Gordie's car and entering a base, the guard at the gate would snap to attention. It all made perfect sense after watching the Change of Command ceremony. Uncle Gordie is responsible for leading hundreds of men and women into potentially very difficult and dangerous situations. With this tremendous responsibility he commands a lot of respect.
The ceremony itself was very impressive. We sat in a grandstand overlooking a parade ground (or the "grinder" as it's called in the navy) and looked out over uncle Gordie's battalion who were all in their dress whites. There was singing of the national anthem and navy songs were played. Uncle Gordie formally accepted his orders to take command by receiving the Magnificent 7's flag.
The entire battalion paraded in front of the grandstand.

It was a big day, so I was all dressed up just like uncle Gordie.
Don't mess with a Seabee! Their motto is "We Build, We Fight".
After the ceremony it was time to eat cake. The cake was cut with a sword!
Yummy cake!