Chief Petty Officers from across the country celebrated their advancement during the U-505 Naval History Program Fulfillment and Reception at the Pritzker Military Museum and Library in Chicago Sept 19.

The U-505 Naval History Program works with Chief Petty Officer selectees to learn about and appreciate naval history as part of their CPO advancement training.

"The stories of military history are all out there for us to discover," said Pritzker Military Museum and Library President and CEO Kenneth Clarke. "We should never forget about heroes that came before us because we will carry their stories on to the next generation."

Program participants wrote essays on their sense of heritage from the capture of U-505 by the U.S. Navy during WWII and what it means to them.

The contest winner, Chief Hospital Corpsman David Hernandez, recited his essay for the guests and each of the Chiefs in attendance were presented a U-505 challenge coin.

"We are the backbone of our commands and we need to make sure we maintain all of our responsibilities to our Sailors, our wardroom, our families and ourselves," said keynote speaker Fleet Master Chief (SW/AW) Paul Kingsbury. "If we continue to uphold the Navy's values and take care of things on our level, our commands will prosper and we will have succeeded."

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