MAYPORT, Fla. – Sailors at Naval Station Mayport on Thursday demonstrated how they’re giving back to those who have spent their lives serving our nation.
The base funeral detail provides free funeral honors for veterans and services Jacksonville and beyond. And a group of sailors practice daily to do it right.
“It makes us proud,” said Kenneth Johnson, an air traffic controller. “You want to be here, you want to be able to do it.”
“I do it because it’s an honor,” said Petty Officer First Class Fire Controlman Janel Cloud.
The sailors practice ceremonial flag folding, and they volunteer for this duty.
Gabriel Aguilar, an aviation structural mechanic, says his grandfather and his great-grandfather were both veterans.
“There’s a deeper meaning behind it than just showing up for work,” Aguilar said. “Just doing the service, you know, it feels good ‘cause the families, they appreciate what you do for them.”