USS Mount Whitney Departs Theoule-Sur-Mer After Operation Dragoon Commemoration Events

By By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Mike Wright, USS Mount Whitney Public Affairs

THEOULE-SUR-MER, France (NNS) -- The 6th Fleet flagship participated in the commemoration of the 70th Anniversary of Operation Dragoon, the operation which led to the liberation of southern France by Allied Forces during World War II. This year marked the fourth consecutive visit that the Mount Whitney has made to the allied nation.

During the visit, Sailors hosted ship tours, as well as an evening reception, and took part in remembrance ceremonies throughout Theoule-Sur-Mer. Georges Botella, mayor of Theoule-Sur-Mer, hosted the Mount Whitney at a formal reception at Theoule-Sur-Mer's town hall.

"It was a beautiful reception and a once-in-a-lifetime experience," said Electronic Technician 3rd Class Sigui Howardmagras, who attended the event. "I really appreciated the fact that the mayor and the city of Theoule-Sur-Mer welcomed us as family and were as kind as they were."

The last event was a remembrance ceremony at the Rhone American Cemetery in Draguignan, France, home to U.S. service members that fell in World War II, many of whom died in Operation Dragoon. The Mount Whitney Color Guard participated in the ceremony.

"It was such an honor and a privilege to even be considered to be on the color guard in such an event like this," said Interior Communications Electrician 3rd Class Megan Greenan, a member of the Mount Whitney color guard. "Just being able to witness so many veterans in attendance at the ceremony who served my country more than 70 years ago, and knowing that I am a part of their legacy, is simply remarkable."

Mount Whitney, forward deployed to Gaeta, Italy, operates with a combined crew of U.S. Navy Sailors and Military Sealift Command civil service mariners. The civil service mariners perform navigation, deck, engineering and supply service operations, while military personnel support communications, weapons systems and security. It is one of only two seaborne Joint Command Platforms in the US Navy, both of which are forward deployed.

U.S. 6th Fleet, headquartered in Naples, Italy, conducts the full spectrum of joint and naval operations, often in concert with allied, joint, and interagency partners, in order to advance U.S. national interests and security and stability in Europe and Africa.