WARNER, New Hampshire– – September 3, 2015– – They attacked the healthy saplings and large bushes with a vengeance, sawing and snipping them off at the base until all that was left standing was grass and tiny bushes. Leaves lay wilting in the hot August sun.
Eight sailors worked feverishly to clear the growth from two overlooks on Mt. Kearsarge last week. They are crew members of the USS Kearsarge and opening up the vistas was their community service project.
Early that morning, they hiked up the mountain of their ship’s namesake along with several townsfolk from Warner. The sailors wanted to feel a connection with the granite rock pile and enjoy the magnificent view they were told about, but the unrelenting morning haze diminished the view substantially.
“I’m not a nature person, so I wasn’t excited about climbing a mountain,” said Command Master Chief David Twiford, a 20-year Navy man from Virginia. “I’ve heard about Mt. Kearsarge for 19 years and it was really neat to be standing there on top of it.”
At the summit, they flew the flag of the chief petty officer selectees, the rank six of them will hold for a few more weeks before being promoted. They sang Navy songs and snapped photos, drinking in the experience and enjoying the cool breeze. Before descending, they gathered granite stones to keep as souvenirs, perhaps lowering the elevation of the mountain ever so slightly.
“These rocks are a symbol of the selectees making Chief,” Twiford said.
A committee of dedicated Warner residents met weekly to plan and ensure this visit would be an enjoyable one for the sailors. Meals were provided by the Warner Selectmen, the citizens of Warner, Kearsarge Area Chamber of Commerce, and American Legion Post #39, with funding from the Nancy Sibley Wilkins Town of Warner Trust Fund of the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation.
After touring local museums and a sugar house the following day, the sailors gathered with Warner town officials, members of American Legion Post #39, and townsfolk to dedicate the new state historical marker, “Mt. Kearsarge and the USS Kearsarge.”
Filled with the warmth of friendship, the sailors headed back to their home base in Virginia.
“The best part of our visit was the people. We’re passionate about our ship and it’s nice coming to a place that’s equally passionate about the ship,” Twiford said.
The USS Kearsarge will be deployed to the Mediterranean and the Middle East this fall for six to nine months.
“When we’re in harm’s way, it will be nice to know we’re not alone. We’ll be joined by the mutual compassion we have for our ship and the mountain,” Twiford said.