On October 17, 2018 Sailors from USS Tripoli (LHA 7) Pre-Commissioning Unit (PCU) stationed in Pascagoula, Miss. assisted in a community service project for George “Doc” Dodge, a Navy Veteran living in Pensacola, Fla. who was in need of a new roof for his home.

The community event was a collaborative effort between Tripoli Sailors and the nonprofit organizations Guns to Hammers Construction Inc. and America’s Heroes, the Marine Corps League of Pensacola and other local businesses.

“We are here to help, we are here to provide something for the community,” Chief Aviation Machinist Mate Abdelmotalib Elalawi. “We heard about this from our Commanding Officer, that they needed help, so we decided to volunteer.”

Dodge is a retired Navy Corpsman who spent most of his time serving with Marines during the Vietnam War, and is well known in the local community for work with fellow Veterans in the area. Dodge also helped open a replica of the Vietnam Memorial in downtown Pensacola during the late 1980’s.

“Doc has been selfless in his service to our fellow Veterans. He has always been there for veterans in need,” said Ed Rouse, a spokesman for the Marine Corps League of Pensacola.

For approximately five hours, Sailors helped remove roofing debris from Dodge’s yard loading it in a portable construction dumpster. Their assistance helped reduce the time and workload of the local roofing contractors, allowing them to focus on removing the old roof and replacing it.

“Roofing is not an easy job, it’s a hard day’s labor,” said Jim Lawry, owner of the local contracting company volunteering their roofing services. “We got blessed that the USS Tripoli came out here to help assist. They’re doing a lot of the grunt work we would normally have to do, making it easier for us.”

With Pensacola being recently announced as the commissioning city, the crew of Tripoli are increasing their presence in the local community. Their goal is to give back to the community and thank to the people of Pensacola for their support of the ship, as well as the Navy.

“The best part of today was being able to help a fellow Veteran and the city of Pensacola,” said Logistics Specialist 1st Class Paola Reyes. “Doc is a wonderful person, he is definitely deserving of a new roof, and we were happy to help make that possible.”

The ship’s commanding officer, Capt. Kevin P. Meyers, was proud of the volunteer spirit and participation by the crew.

“Our crew loves giving back to the community, and especially when we can help veterans in need. Pensacola has welcomed us with open arms, and we look forward to more opportunities to help the community,” he said.

The future USS Tripoli is currently under construction at Huntington Ingalls Industries in Pascagoula, Miss. When completed the America-class amphibious assault ship will incorporate an enlarged hangar deck, enhanced maintenance facilities, increased fuel capacity and additional storerooms to provide the fleet with a platform optimized for aviation capabilities.

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