Sea Cadets Visit Hue City

Story/photo by Eva Bowen - Mayport Sea Cadets PAO

It was a cold morning on Feb. 1, 2003 when our Sea Cadet Battalion met for drill. They were excited and ready to face the day. Part of the morning’s events involved welcoming many new Cadets and their parents.

To the surprise of the cadets, two Navy vans arrived at Hanger 12 to tour USS Hue City, (CG 66). Capt. Orrin W. Young, Hue City’s commanding officer, made sure that his staff looked after the cadets with professionalism and care.

After FC2 Donald Olsson and FC3 Michael Merkel escorted them to the ship, Lt. Cmdr. Andy Crowe and Lt. j.g. Tamara L. Scaramozzi welcomed them aboard. Both officers enthusiasm and love for the Navy were obvious during the tour.

Before the cadets left the ship, they were invited to meet the rest of the crewmembers and veterans at the Battle of Hue Memorial picnic being held at Kavanaugh Park.

The cadets were welcomed by a generation of heroes like Corporal Fred Naclerio, Lance Corporal Walter P. Kaczmarek, Jr., Pfc. Larry Ortitz, Lester A. Tully, and Charles L. Meadows - all veterans of the Battle of Hue.

The memories of the battle of Hue City in South Vietnam came alive again through the first hand accounts of the veterans.

As one of the survivors, Larry Oritz remembered, “A convoy of trucks was departing Phu Bai in the afternoon heading for Hue City to help Army soldiers ambushed by North Vietnamese and Viet Cong. The Marines retook the city house by house, street by street, hospitals, headquarters and finally, the citadel.

As Corporal Walter Kaczmarek recalls, “It took 30 days to declare the city secured. Marine casualties were 142 dead and 857 wounded. Those 2,500 Marines fought and won against 10,000 enemy troops.”

The troops paid the ultimate price and decades later were able to teach the young sea cadets a lesson in loyalty and courage.

The veterans talked one-on-one to some of the cadets. Then the voices in the crowd became louder and excitement.

Many of our veterans were crowding around a man, vying for his attention.

One of the cadets asked, “Who is he?”

Quickly, a proud voice said, “This is our Lt. Pace, this is our Pete.”

I looked up and understood he was talking about a hero, one of the survivors of Hue, Marine General Peter Pace, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, the nation’s second highest ranking military officer.

For the veterans, he was Pete. For all of the attendees young and old, it was a day we will never forget.