THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, September 7, 1994 TAG: 9409060074
SECTION: MILITARY NEWS PAGE: A10 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY JACK DORSEY, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: NORFOLK LENGTH: Medium: 73 lines
McDonald's donated 700 free meals. Pepsi sent truckloads of sodas. Chanello's opened its pizza ovens all over town.
There were flowers, toys, movie passes, telephone service and baby sitters.
Every day for the past week, as nearly 2,500 Navy and Marine Corps families and civilians evacuated Guantanamo Bay Naval Station in Cuba and flew to Norfolk on charter flights, those services and more were waiting for them as they stepped off their planes here.
It was a community showing its support for the Navy's ``Operation Sincere Welcome,'' and merchants giving away their products in huge volumes.
It also involved hundreds of volunteers donating their time to make certain that Navy families uprooted from their homes at ``Gitmo'' would at least find a friendly face when they got to Norfolk.
Ombudsmen from a variety of local commands, plus military wives groups and sailors and Marines from throughout the area volunteered their time.
Airman Sarah Lucena, of Norfolk Naval Air Station, and petty officers Ron Ballinger, David Oderkirk and Darren Jarvi, all of the Mayport-based destroyer John Hancock, wore cartoon-character costumes.
Sweating profusely beneath a multilayered Yogi Bear outfit, Oderkirk said he and the other men from his ship wanted to do something for the families.
They had been at a local shipyard where the John Hancock was undergoing repairs when they heard the families were arriving in Norfolk.
``It's helping our own,'' added Lucena, who wore a Daisy Duck costume and greeted children.
``When we all get together like this, it makes me feel like I'm on a team. At first, when you get in (the Navy) you don't see it. Now I do.''
For Gail Young, deputy director of the USO, and the 100 volunteers from her organization, the effort was rewarding as well, but also intense.
In addition to staffing refreshment lines and helping at Norfolk Naval Air Station, the USO also found itself staffing similar receptions at Langley Air Force Base in Hampton at the same time.
Air Force F-15 pilots and maintenance personnel returned from Saudi Arabia on Thursday and soldiers from Fort Eustis returned Friday from Kenya.
``People don't realize what the USO does,'' said Young. ``We are always here.''
John A. Panneton, president of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Navy League of the United States, found himself approaching merchants at the last minute seeking help.
``You hate to ask, sometimes,'' he said. ``But we were in a jam since this thing just suddenly came up.''
Navy officials weren't certain the evacuation flights were going to happen until just a few days before people began arriving.
The response from the community was overwhelming, according to Panneton.
``The three McDonald's on base gave us 700 meals. Pepsi provided free sodas. We were given fax machines to use.''
The food helped feed the staff of volunteers as well as provide snacks for the arriving families.
David Lane, general manager of Contel Cellular, provided 80 phones to use for 7 days.
``That's $70,000 worth of free air time,'' Panneton said.
Lillian Vernon Corp. donated 20 boxes of toys, household goods, blankets and small pillows. The YMCA provided baby sitters. There were donations by Kmart, Bell Atlantic, Copy Data and others. ILLUSTRATION: Photo
MARTIN SMITH-RODDEN/Staff
A Navy band welcomes families arriving at Norfolk Naval Air Station.
Nearly 2,500 evacuees from Guantanamo Bay Naval Station found food,
flowers and a helping hand in Norfolk.
by CNB