Posted on 02/03/2006 7:10:22 PM PST by SandRat
U.S. MARINE CORPS FORCES, PACIFIC, CAMP H. M. SMITH, Hawaii (Feb. 01, 2006) -- Surrounded by friends, coworkers and with his wife on the cell phone from North Carolina, Todd D. Nicodemus was promoted from gunnery sergeant to warrant officer during a ceremony at the USS Arizona Marine Corps Remembrance at Pearl Harbor, Feb. 1.
Nicodemus chose the location of the ceremony in honor of the 73 Marines that gave their lives and the 15 who fought and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
“It is truly an honor to be promoted at the USS Arizona Marine Corps Remembrance, which represents true heroes,” said Nicodemus.
“Until recently, there was no monument or anything that made those 88 Marines and their sacrifices stand out,” he continued. “Marines always standout.”
Before pinning the red and gold bars on Nicodemus’ collar, Brig. Gen. Steven A. Hummer, commanding general of Marine Corps Base Hawaii, and Col. William S. Febuary, Nicodemus’ commanding officer, were both able to offer words of support and wisdom.
“It is an honor for me to promote him,” Febuary said, after giving a brief history of the warrant officer and how they tie our Corps’ officers and enlisted together.
Many of the junior Marines, while congratulating Nicodemus, rendered a salute to him for the first time.
“Warrant Officer Nicodemus set an example for his Marines. His relaxed attitude and the trust he had in his Marines made us want to work harder,” said Cpl. Gregg Ashton, a communications NCO.
Now that Nicodemus has ended his enlisted career of almost 15 years, he looks forward to the road ahead.
Nicodemus will meet up with his wife Amy and two kids, Hunter and Megan, in North Carolina to start his new journey with 8th Communications Battalion, at Camp John A. Lejeune, as a network management officer.
“I’m proud to put on the rank of warrant officer. It will be a totally different animal, and I’m looking forward to the challenge,” he said.
Nicodemus chose the location of the ceremony in honor of the 73 Marines that gave their lives and the 15 who fought and survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, Dec. 7, 1941.
Photo by: Lance Cpl. J. Ethan Hoaldridge
Congratulations Warrant Officer Nicodemus, another of America's finest.
God bless him and his family.
BTTT
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