Martha Stewart Honors Military Families

By Anna Hancock, Naval Hospital Camp Lejeune Public Affairs

CAMP LEJEUNE, N.C. (NNS) -- First Lady Michelle Obama, Dr. Jill Biden and celebrity television show host Martha Stewart kicked off a national tour to generate support and awareness for Joining Forces aboard Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, N.C., April 13.

Joining Forces is a national initiative focusing on supporting America's service members and their families. Obama noted how Camp Lejeune and the Jacksonville, N.C., community serve as a model for military support and positive community involvement to the rest of the nation, and was an obvious choice to launch their national campaign.

Later that afternoon, Stewart, an Emmy Award-winning television series host, joined Capt. Daniel Zinder, NHCL commanding officer, and Col. Daniel Lecce, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune commanding officer, in recognizing active duty NHCL staff for their work and commitment to serving their country and taking care of military families.

Stewart donated a southern magnolia tree and engraved plaque to the hospital. A production crew was present to film the dedication and tree planting along with a small crowd of NHCL staff, Family Readiness Group family members and hospital leadership.

The dedication ceremony began with Stewart introducing Zinder and Lecce to the crowd, and then gifting the tree to Zinder. Stewart said choosing NHCL to dedicate the tree to growing military families was most appropriate. She recognized that out of the approximate 100,000 babies born each year in the United States, about 2,000 babies are delivered at NHCL, placing NHCL among the hospitals with the highest birth rates in the country.

"I brought you a gift," said Stewart. "Since you're doing this massive restoration at the hospital, I thought you can use this grand Magnolia…in honor of Mother's Day and the babies born here at the Naval Hospital. You are familiar with Magnolia trees, aren't you?"

Full-grown, a magnolia tree can reach approximately 90 feet in height with large, dark green leaves and white fragrant flowers. Stewart's vision is for the babies born in 2011 to return to the Naval Hospital and visit the tree as it flourishes, to remind the children of Stewart's increasing gratitude to military children's many sacrifices for this country. She empathized with military children, who she noted often grow up with only one parent present while the other serves this country somewhere away from home.

Stewart began the tree planting demonstration with the help from the commanding officers and two active duty Navy NHCL staff members. The demonstration concluded with the presentation of an engraved plaque from Stewart to the Naval Hospital that states, "A gift to babies born at Camp Lejeune in 2011. April 13, 2011."

The commanding officers then presented Stewart with their respective command coins; thanking Stewart for her kind gesture.

"NHCL staff is a mix of active duty Sailors, civil service employees, contract personnel and Red Cross volunteers who carry out Navy Medicine's mission to provide quality care to all Sailors, Marines and their families no matter where they serve around the world, every day," said Zinder. "Our Sailors serve in positions from doctors and corpsman, to biomedical technicians and facilities maintenance, and we pride ourselves in our great Navy medicine support to the military community."

Stewart supported Zinder's comments and commended the efforts of the hospital staff in taking care of their own.

"I think the community is lucky to have the Naval Hospital here," explained Stewart. "The hospital is very valuable. I met some of the doctors and families and they were great. I hope that the children and families appreciate [the gift] for years to come."