Amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) hosted a Mother's Day celebration on the mess deck, May 14. The celebration honored the deployed mothers aboard the ship and all the mothers, step-moms, grandmothers, and mother figures in our lives back home and remember those who were no longer with us.

Mother's Day is often marked by flowers, cards, pastel colors, and children doodles with the letters m-o-m spelled across but today's celebration only resembles the original holiday in sentiment.

The actual holiday started with one woman's idea in the midst of a war torn country. According to historian Katharine Antolini, of West Virginia Wesleyan College, Ann Reeves Jarvis, a West Virginia women's organizer, held work clubs to improve sanitary conditions and try to lower infant mortality by fighting disease and curbing milk contamination. The groups also tended wounded soldiers from both sides of the Civil War from 1861-1865.

It was after the war that Jarvis began to hold Mother's Friendship Day picnics and other events as pacifist strategies to bring the two sides of the conflict back together and heal. It was Julia Ward Howe, which issued a "Mother's Day Proclamation" in 1870 and called for all women to take a role in promoting peace.

While these two women laid the foundation, it was Jarvis's daughter, Anna Jarvis that brought about the Mother's Day we know today. It was the death of her mother that pushed Anna to organize a Mother's Day observance in 1908.

Families would gather in Grafton, West Virginia, for the event and soon it spread to other cities. This growth and recognition around America became official when President Woodrow Wilson set aside the second Sunday in May in 1914 for the holiday.

Anna intended this day to be a day where children would go home and spend time with their mother and give thanks for everything she has done.

During Bataan's ceremony, many of the mothers aboard the ship spoke of the sacrifice of leaving their children behind while on deployment.

"I have been in the Navy for over 12 years and the pain of being away never gets easier," stated Legalman 1st Class Danielle Greeley. "The best way I can get through each month is to establish routine. When I make a set schedule and stick with it the time seems to go by faster."

Deployment is never easy when leaving behind those you love and building up and maintaining relationships with limited communication and missing so many important events such as first steps, school plays, games and just seeing that ever constant growth in children from one moment to the next brings a lot of self-doubt and heartache.

The ceremony however was not limited to women as many men joined and spoke of their wives and mothers and other influential mother figures in their lives.

"My mother is my favorite person in the world, I could not have been blessed with a more perfect female in my life," explains Aviation Ordnance Airman Shayn Gillespie. "My mother made sure my childhood was a rich and memorable experience for my brother and me. If not for my mother's love, I can honestly say I wouldn't be as strong of a young man as I am today. I cherish and honor my loving mother for that."

The ceremony included many funny antidotes regarding interactions with their children or mothers, the mood turned to somber as emotions rose with reminders that all were away from their families, that some have lost their mothers and others made aware of the broken relationship between them and their families.

"I would love to tell my mother that I love her and that I'll be home soon," remarked Gillespie. "I would also tell her that she did the best job in the world raising me and I love her for that."

With the welcome surprise of a few Mother's Day video shout outs sent by the Bataan Family Readiness Group and playing some Mother's Day interviews done aboard the ship helped to lighten the mood once more and service members were offered the opportunity to give their own shout outs at the end of the ceremony to be shown on the Bataan's social media platforms.

"Being a mother in the military is tough but it brings attributes to being a leader," added Greeley. "The emotional connection to the team benefits me and my Sailors. Being honest, adding emotion and also discipline helps in being an effective leader."

Many of the women who spoke during the ceremony agreed with Greeley's sentiments and thanked the others for their support and mentorship in handling deployment away from their families. Some even remarked to the senior leadership, how seeing them rise in ranks and still maintaining a closeness to their family was inspirational and gave them the encouragement that they too could find the balance.

The celebration concluded with the cutting of the Mother's Day cake and service members chatting and showing photos of their moms, children and wives, with comforting hugs and tissues, and laughs as more amusing stories were told.

"Keep your mind on the end game," advised Greeley. "I know every day is a struggle and your heart will ache like you could never imagine but always remember the life and opportunities you are giving your children every day by serving your country. They may not understand why you do it now, but when they are older you will make them proud."

Bataan and its ready group are deployed in the U.S. 5th Fleet area of operations in support of maritime security operations designed to reassure allies and partners, and preserve the freedom of navigation and the free flow of commerce in the region.


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