JB MDL leaders attend Air Force's 23rd Heritage Dinner

  • Published
  • By TSgt Jamie Powell
  • USAF Expeditionary Center Public Affairs
JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. --  Air Force commanders throughout Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (MDL) came together for the Air Force's 23rd Heritage Dinner hosted by Maj. Gen. Frederick Martin, the U.S. Air Force Expeditionary Center commander.

The Heritage Dinner was derived from the Corona Heraldic Dinner, which originated as a meeting of all Air Force major commanders lead by then Chief of Staff of the Air Force (CSAF), Gen. Curtis E. LeMay, who held the position from 1961-1965, according to Maggie Bonner, the chief of protocol for the Air Force Education and Training Center at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

"This heritage dinner was a great opportunity for Air Force Commanders on Joint Base MDL to strengthen friendships and enhance esprit de corps," Martin said. "It is important to celebrate our past, and most importantly, to highlight the proud Air Force heritage with our Airmen."

The first Corona event, named for the brand of cigars LeMay smoked, is reported to have occurred during the first few months of his tenure as the Chief of Staff.  Corona was his way of hammering out the revised goals and objectives--LeMay used the opportunity to drive home the point of working together in unity.  According to Bonner, LeMay would ask the club staff to construct a wider than normal table by pushing four banquet tables together and then securing them together to form a single unit.  Today it is viewed as many different pieces joined and united to form a bond in addition to forging the foundation for solidarity and strength. 

In the years that followed, many elements have been added to the tabletop that were of heraldic significance to preserve the importance the role our senior leaders play in today's Air Force. One of the most important elements is the heraldic device placed at each commander's setting. Each heraldic device signifies the past, present and future missions of a specific command. Some other elements include:

- An individual candle at each place setting to symbolize the light of leadership;
- The use of specific grasses, ferns, leaves and flowers to reflect the types of plant life upon which American military personnel have shed their blood;
- Command and state flags behind each chair; and
- The lights under the table material in the center symbolize that there will always be hot spots somewhere in the world.

"There is not a single piece of the evening that isn't symbolic," said Bonner. "Everything down to the menu items and the position of the salt and pepper represents our heritage in some manner."

Throughout the course of the evening at Tommy B's, each commander was called upon to speak to the group on the significance of their heraldic device, starting with one word that best described what their unit brings to the fight. To close, he or she would propose a toast to the command.

"Sir, the Medical Operation Squadron's word is 'care,'" said Lt. Col. Joanna Palmer, the commander of the 87th MDOS. "That's our mission; it's what we do. We care about health, and we care about you."

She explained in her best 'bombastic' tone each and every way MDOS members provide care for Airmen and their families. At the conclusion of her toast, she received a resounding, "A worthy toast!" by Martin.

As the evening came to an end, it was evident that the more than 40 commanders who attended the event had experienced an event that would leave an indelible mark of tradition and servant leadership in their minds for years to come.