Dear Jan,
It was a true privilege to participate in your retirement ceremony. 32 years in the Navy, serving on land and sea and in foreign countries as delightful as Italy and as dangerous as Iraq, you have most certainly earned our nation’s gratitude and a long and lovely retirement on the farm in Pennsylvania.
I enjoyed meeting so many of your colleagues and could tell from the ready grins on their faces and the enthusiasm in their voices that you really are a great leader. But really, even when I told him who your were, that Lone Sailor guy just wouldn’t admire my knitting. So disappointing!
The ceremony was anything but. Your family was rapt with respect and love.
There were many laughs in the ceremony, but I was most touched by the moments of reflection.
And the ceremony where they passed the flag that had been flown over the Pentagon to you, especially with Allen participating, was incredibly moving. The precise, choreographed, and slowly executed precision passing of the flags through the ranks, the pride showing on each face as they received and then passed the flag on, and especially the way they each gazed directly in each other’s eyes with such respect for each other and the flag and the country - wow, I believe it is safe to say there were not many in the audience who weren’t wiping a tear or two.
The look on your face as you prepared to receive the flag just slayed me.
But not as much as when you requested, and were granted, permission to go ashore. I couldn’t get a good photo of that - my hands may have been shaking a bit. But your respect and affection for the Chief of Naval Operations was captured in the handshake you gave him just after he granted you that permission.
Permission to stay ashore, plant some roots at Fair Winds, and enjoy friends and family without worry, knowing you’ve left the Navy prepared for the future.
Congratulations again.
Much love,
Ellen
Jan and Ellen are identical twins who have always had an innate fashion sense. Crafting is an integral part of their lives and they stay stitched together sharing their love of knitting, family and community.
June 24th, 2012 at 9:25 pm
I’m so proud. I often say I come from strong women. And I always cite Jan as proof. Sure is nice being part of a family you admire.
June 24th, 2012 at 9:46 pm
Wow. Crying in bed tonight, reading this and feeling the love, the respect, the honor… and knowing deep down the endless days and nights, the friendships and collisions and diplomacy that a career of this caliber demands.
Honored to know Jan. Permission to go ashore indeed!
June 24th, 2012 at 11:24 pm
Thank you and God bless you for your dedication and service to our nation. Fair winds and following seas.
June 25th, 2012 at 8:39 am
Many congratulations, Jan, on your retirement, and much gratitude for your years of service to us all.
June 25th, 2012 at 10:40 am
I was honored to be present at the ceremony and the celebrations that followed. I cried through the entire ceremony, tears dripping onto the knitting in my lap. Our service members sacrifice every day to keep us safe and secure and we rarely recognize their service. Well done, faithful servant Jan.
June 25th, 2012 at 11:52 am
Ahh… wow. I’m a little teary-eyed, here.
Ellen, thanks for writing such a great post. I can feel the love leaping off the page and wrapping around friends and familty throughout the world as you celebrated Jan’s request– “permission to go ashore”.
Jan, you’re a great woman. I’m sure you’ve had folks thank you for your service and leadership for the last few weeks on end, so I’ll just say it again. Thank you! It’s been fantastic to get to know you through Ellen. I wish that I could have been at the ceremony, and spent time with you, your family, and see your farm! Karen gave me a ceremony program yesterday, and I just LOVED looking through it. I’m truly overjoyed for you, and am looking forward to future farm life stories & seeing you this fall!!!
June 25th, 2012 at 12:26 pm
Congratulations, and yes, you’ve served well. Thank you so much. Now on to that very well-deserved retirement!
(and thank you, Ellen, for a BEAUTIFUL tribute to your twin)
(((hugs)))
June 25th, 2012 at 2:51 pm
I think I recognize the battle E ribbon (lower left corner of her array of ribbons). I have that one, too.
Congratulations!
June 25th, 2012 at 7:13 pm
Congratulations! So glad the ceremony went well, and I’m excited to see what’s coming next, now that you’re ashore. Wish I could have been there, but Ellen’s post makes me feel (almost) like I was. Thanks to you both!
June 25th, 2012 at 10:35 pm
This is so beautifully written. So cool. Congratulations all around.
June 26th, 2012 at 9:25 am
Beautifully written, Ellen. It brought tears to my eyes, too.
Jan, we thank you for your extraordinary service to our country and wish all good things during your shore duty at Fair Winds! Looking forward to seeing you and Dale there sometime.
June 26th, 2012 at 11:51 am
This lovelyost took me right back, Ellen - wonderfully done.
And I feel very privileged to have been there.
Jan, you know you have our thanks, love and respect, and your family is wonderful…thanks again for letting us be part of it!
xoxox
(I think I need a nun buoy softly belling, as part of my environment, too! So soothing.)
(and G really wants to know where you got the gliding rocker chair thingies…I think he really needs one)
xoxox
June 26th, 2012 at 3:13 pm
Gave me goose bumps to read your captions and see the photos -what a momentous occasion to be part of. Congratulations to you Jan…
June 26th, 2012 at 10:13 pm
Beautifully written, beautifully celebrated. Congratulations and thank you for your service to our great country.
June 29th, 2012 at 5:18 pm
Wonderful post. Congratulations on your retirement Jan, enjoy your time on shore!
July 5th, 2012 at 7:14 am
Jan was right, Ellen… this post is incredibly touching… and it made me well up, too. It was wonderful to see you, Ellen. Wish there had been more time to chat/walk, etc. xo
July 17th, 2012 at 8:44 pm
Wow Jan your sister’s account of the ceremony is moving! Thanks for your service to our country and wish you a wonderful retirement filled with everything your heart desires!!
I know you from Ravelry - knitting pipeline.
Best regards, Shaila
July 22nd, 2012 at 1:33 pm
Just catching up on your blog now…but I still have a lump in my throat from the “going ashore” part of the ceremony. Great job sharing the experience in writing Ellen!