Pentagon, Great Lakes Navy Leaders Visit North Shore for Navy Week

It is not often Pentagon leaders visit Lake Forest, but when they did last week the local American Legion Post gave them a heroes’ welcome, just as the veterans receive on holidays celebrated at Market Square.

The visit by the Pentagon’s Vice Adm. Philip Cullom, deputy chief of naval operations for fleet readiness and logistics, and Great Lakes’ commanding officer Capt. Randy Lynch and Adm. Rick Williamson, commander navy region midwest, among others, was in honor of Navy Week celebrated nationwide.

“So few people know the stories that you have, but they need to hear (them),” Cullom, who grew up in Flossmoor, told the hall of about 50 veterans.

Lynch talked about other connections to the local community. “It’s important to know that we have a big base here right in their own back yard,” he said. “We graduate 40,000 recruits every year in our boot camp. It’s the only Navy boot camp in the country.

“We’re the largest employer in Lake County. There are about 20,000 folks who come and either work, live and or train on the base every day. We do have some contractors and DOD (Department of Defense) civilians as well. We employ a lot of people from North Chicago, Waukegan, Libertyville and all around the county.”

Having Lake Forest American Legion nearby is helpful. “They do all kinds of things for the base,” Lynch said. “They take our sailors in at Thanksgiving. They host us for Christmas parties. It’s very nice to have such a supportive community around us.”