SAN DIEGO - As the Nation prepares to observe the 20th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, a Severn, Maryland, native is serving in the U.S. Navy aboard USS Somerset, named for Somerset County, Pennsylvania, in honor of the 40 passengers and crew who died during the hijacking of United Airline Flight 93.
 |
| Photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jesse Hawthorne |
Petty Officer 2nd Class Lance Burnham joined the Navy two years ago.
“I joined the Navy because I liked the opportunities the military brings both while serving and for post-Navy life,” said Burnham.
According to Burnham, a 2009 Meade High School graduate, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Severn.
“I try to the see the good in every situation," said Burnham. “I learned that growing up. Even if I'm going through something tough, it will all work out if I keep a positive attitude.”
Over the weeks following the Flight 93 crash, recovery personnel retrieved more than 95 percent of the airplane's wreckage from the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. USS Somerset’s bow and keel are forged from steel salvaged from the crash. Every deck of the ship contains mementos of Flight 93, including a dedicated passageway leading to the memorial room, which bears the names of the passengers.
According to Department of Defense (DoD) officials, "We honor the lives of those lost and the courage and bravery of the first responders who tirelessly worked to save lives. They have become part of the DoD extended family."
According to U.S. officials, the flight’s passengers and crew prevented terrorist hijackers from reaching their presumed destination in Washington, D.C.; instead crashing near Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Those aboard Flight 93 embodied the strength and determination of the people of the United States: to recover, rally, and take the fight to the enemy, honoring the memory of those who were impacted by the attacks.
“It’s an incredible honor to carry on the legacy of service of the 40 heroes of United Flight 93,” Capt. Dave Kurtz, Commanding Officer, USS Somerset. “As sailors we play the away game so that Americans don’t have to react the way those passengers and crew members did 20 years ago. Their actions remain our inspiration.”
Serving in the Navy means Burnham is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy maintains security on the seas to ensure our country remains safe,” said Burnham. “We also help other countries when they need our help.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Burnham and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest naval accomplishments are getting my surface and air warfare qualifications and advancing in rank to second class petty officer,” said Burnham. “In the Navy we like to say, ‘You can't fly without supply,’ so as a logistics specialist, I help make sure my ship has the things it needs to get the job done.”
As Burnham and other sailors continue to train, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means that I get to help people,” added Burnham. “I can guide the junior sailors who work for me and help them become better sailors and better people.”
For more information about the Navy's commemoration of 9/11, please visit www.history.navy.mil.
“I joined the Navy because I liked the opportunities the military brings both while serving and for post-Navy life,” said Burnham.
According to Burnham, a 2009 Meade High School graduate, the values required to succeed in the military are similar to those found in Severn.
“I try to the see the good in every situation," said Burnham. “I learned that growing up. Even if I'm going through something tough, it will all work out if I keep a positive attitude.”
Over the weeks following the Flight 93 crash, recovery personnel retrieved more than 95 percent of the airplane's wreckage from the 9/11 World Trade Center attack. USS Somerset’s bow and keel are forged from steel salvaged from the crash. Every deck of the ship contains mementos of Flight 93, including a dedicated passageway leading to the memorial room, which bears the names of the passengers.
According to Department of Defense (DoD) officials, "We honor the lives of those lost and the courage and bravery of the first responders who tirelessly worked to save lives. They have become part of the DoD extended family."
According to U.S. officials, the flight’s passengers and crew prevented terrorist hijackers from reaching their presumed destination in Washington, D.C.; instead crashing near Shanksville in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. Those aboard Flight 93 embodied the strength and determination of the people of the United States: to recover, rally, and take the fight to the enemy, honoring the memory of those who were impacted by the attacks.
“It’s an incredible honor to carry on the legacy of service of the 40 heroes of United Flight 93,” Capt. Dave Kurtz, Commanding Officer, USS Somerset. “As sailors we play the away game so that Americans don’t have to react the way those passengers and crew members did 20 years ago. Their actions remain our inspiration.”
Serving in the Navy means Burnham is part of a world that is taking on new importance in America’s focus on rebuilding military readiness, strengthening alliances and reforming business practices in support of the National Defense Strategy.
“The Navy maintains security on the seas to ensure our country remains safe,” said Burnham. “We also help other countries when they need our help.”
With more than 90 percent of all trade traveling by sea, and 95 percent of the world’s international phone and internet traffic carried through fiber optic cables lying on the ocean floor, Navy officials continue to emphasize that the prosperity and security of the United States is directly linked to a strong and ready Navy.
According to Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Mike Gilday, four priorities will focus efforts on sailors, readiness, capabilities, and capacity.
“For 245 years, in both calm and rough waters, our Navy has stood the watch to protect the homeland, preserve freedom of the seas, and defend our way of life,” said Gilday. “The decisions and investments we make this decade will set the maritime balance of power for the rest of this century. We can accept nothing less than success.”
Burnham and the sailors they serve with have many opportunities to achieve accomplishments during their military service.
“My proudest naval accomplishments are getting my surface and air warfare qualifications and advancing in rank to second class petty officer,” said Burnham. “In the Navy we like to say, ‘You can't fly without supply,’ so as a logistics specialist, I help make sure my ship has the things it needs to get the job done.”
As Burnham and other sailors continue to train, they take pride in serving their country in the United States Navy.
“Serving in the Navy means that I get to help people,” added Burnham. “I can guide the junior sailors who work for me and help them become better sailors and better people.”
For more information about the Navy's commemoration of 9/11, please visit www.history.navy.mil.