3,400 sailors equals 100 at Great Lakes
It took 3,400 sailors on the largest field at Naval Station Great Lakes to create the coolest looking “100” in Naval history.
As part of the base's 2011 Centennial celebration, veterans, staff and students attired in dress whites created a living “100” Tuesday morning in honor of Flag Day.
The 3,000 sailors in attendance were accompanied by more than 400 instructors and 50 Naval veterans who served in World War II, Vietnam and the 1990s for the keepsake photo.
“It really looked outstanding,” said John Sheppard, Public Affairs Officer for Naval Station Great Lakes. “Everyone involved seemed to really enjoy it.”
As part of the celebration of Great Lakes' 100th anniversary, the photo will be put on display at the Naval Museum and on other promotional materials for the base, said public affairs officer Matt Mogle.
The “100” photo was shot on Ross Field, which spans about 500 feet by 1,000 feet, Mogle said.
The living “100” took up one quarter of the field, and was truly impressive to look at from the air, Sheppard said.
“We had people staged at a nearby field, then marched them over at 7 a.m. to create the number,” he said. “We had people set up first at the corners and major intersections inside the number, then started filling everything in.”
It took about two hours to get everyone in place and lined up correctly for the final shot, Sheppard said, the cheers during the final “100” were something to remember forever.
“I think it looked amazing,” he said.
The next major event for the centennial is July 1, when a special Passer Review will be held in front of 4,000 invitation-only spectators on Ross Field.
Great Lakes will open to the public on July 2 through July 4 in honor of the centennial and Independence Day. It will host fireworks displays on July 3 and 4, Sheppard said.
Great Lakes is the Navy's only boot camp, and each year, approximately 40,000 men and women complete the requirements to become enlisted sailors.
It is also home to the technical training schools for surface warfare. Yearly, more than 14,000 students attend these initial and advanced training schools where they learn the basic skills of their Navy jobs.