Service Members Honored at The Players Championship

By Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Sunday Williams, Navy Public Affairs Support Element Detachment Southeast

PONTE VEDRA, Fla. (NNS) -- Service members and their families from military installations throughout the Florida and Georgia area were honored during Military Appreciation Day May 11 at The Players Championship 2011 in Ponte Vedra, Fla.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Gary Roughead was the guest speaker at the event.

Roughead thanked all who attended for their support of service members.

"They do it because of you," said Roughead. "They serve because of you. The words of encouragement, the acts of appreciation that you perform to express that appreciation are not lost on those who serve and that is what allows them to get up every day, to go into harm's way."

The ceremony was held on Tournament Players Club at Sawgrass' clubhouse lawn and included a pageantry of military personnel. More than 1,000 people attended the ceremony that featured numerous events designed to honor and show appreciation to all active duty, retired and Reserve military members and their dependents.

The ceremony included "The National Anthem," performed by the 82nd Airborne All-American Chorus from Fort Bragg, N.C.; a flyover; and remarks from Professional Golfers' Association of America (PGA) Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem, Jim Furyk, a PGA Tour player, and representatives from the Wounded Warrior Project and the Military Warrior Support Foundation.

"This is a fantastic event," said Wilma Hernandez, a resident of Ponte Vedra. "I live here and come every year to this event to honor our military, and it is so great to see so many people come out to support them because they deserve to know how grateful we are for their service and sacrifice."

Roughead went on to say it is not just thanks due to those who serve, but thanks also to those that allow service members to serve.

"Behind each and every one of them is a family, someone that allows them to put this uniform on every day, to go off and do something that they love to do, something that they know is important and something that they know is making a difference in this world," said Roughead. "So for that encouragement, for that support, I thank you."

Kara Lyle, a wife of a Army Soldier, said she was honored to attend in support of her husband Army Staff Sgt. Jared Lyle, who is currently serving in Afghanistan.

"I go to every function I can to show support for our troops because it is important," said Lyle. "It was so great to hear the CNO speak and to thank military member's families as well, but what really warmed my heart is that he truly is proud of all of these men and women and honored to serve with them."

Darius Rucker, a country music artist, closed the program with a special performance dedicated to the military and their families.

"What a great day," said Michael Redando, who served 10 years in the Marine Corps. "I think this is such a great way to make service members and their families feel the love of America. There is no other country that appreciates their military the way we do and to have people like Darius Rucker and the PGA take the time to show that speaks volumes about the heart of the people in our country."