Honoring our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, or other friends and family’s service is a humbling and heartfelt gesture - especially for those who also have served or are currently serving. This year, the Naval Education and Training Command (NETC) Welfare & Recreation committee for the Naval Air Station Pensacola-based staff has provided the opportunity to showcase family and friends’ service with the 2019 “Memorial Wall” located outside the NETC command offices.

“We have had similar opportunities for NETC employees to honor family and friends’ service in years past, but we are really proud of the campaign this year,” said Lacey Rose, NETC Welfare & Recreation coordinator. “This year we decided to allow NETC employees, or family members, to get a gold star and personalize it with the name of the individual they want to honor and place it upon the Memorial Wall. This is a way to not only honor those that have passed but anyone that has served from any service.”

For Rick Cook, an engineer with NETC, the Memorial Wall was not only about honoring his own service, but that of his entire family.

“I have seen so much sacrifice over the years, especially from our children, it is hard to put into words,” said Cook. “It was important to me to honor their service, just as a gentle reminder that those sacrifices are still being made every day by our troops and their families and occasionally, we need to go out of our way and recognize them.”

Cook spent 30 years in active service, but along with his own service, he honored his father, wife, wife’s father, uncle, brother, son, son-in-law and daughter-in-law, for their military service as well.

To help honor his family’s service, Cook enlisted the aid of his daughter Rita.

“Rita grew up on military bases around the world. She understands how important it is for everyone to serve, at least some,” said Cook. “It really was just another opportunity for her to offer some support using her talents. We decided to make each star ‘special’ so that others might spend just a little more time thinking about those that were special to them.”

The Memorial Wall will be on display at the NETC headquarters through July 4.

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