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‘Truly honored’ to serve at inauguration
Two area military women were selected to be part of American history.
Proud parents from Youngstown and Warren watched the Jan. 20 inauguration of President Barack Obama, not just to see history in the making but to try to catch a glimpse of their daughters, who were members of the military contingent that helped coordinate the huge event.
Selected for the honor of being one of some 750 members of the Armed Forces Inaugural Committee, which includes all branches of the military, were Navy Reserve Petty Officer 2nd Class Pamela G. Washington, who grew up in Youngstown; and Air Force Master Sgt. Deanine R. Rogers, a Warren native.
“It felt wonderful to be a part of this extraordinary piece of history. It’s an experience that I will be able to share with my children and grandchildren,” said Washington, a 1983 graduate of The Rayen School and a 1999 graduate of Youngstown State University.
Rogers, a daughter of Faithful Smith of Warren and Carl E. Hudson of Youngstown, said she was “truly honored and excited” to play a role in such a significant event in American history.
Rogers is a 1986 graduate of Warren Western Reserve High School, where she was a member of the Reserve Officer Training Corps and National Honor Society and was a cheerleader. She is stationed with the 18th Communications Squadron at Kadena Air Base, Okinawa, Japan. As a member of AFIC, she was assigned as an assembly control communications noncommissioned officer.
“I don’t know if there was one single event or moment about the inauguration that stands out in my mind. It was just very exciting to be there and be part of history. It was absolutely an honor,” said Washington, daughter of Mattie Salestine Washington of Youngstown. Her AFIC job was to help parade participants get where they were supposed to be as the inaugural parade formed.
“It was a great opportunity for me to be there, representing the black community and wishing my grandparents could have lived to have seen a black man become president; and representing my military brothers and sisters. I could not be more honored,” she said.
Washington said she and Deanine did not know each other before the inauguration. But they were members of the same AFIC section and when introductions were made, they realized they had both been Mahoning Valley residents, and did meet.
Washington, who previously trained with the Naval Reserve unit at the Youngstown Air Reserve Base in Vienna, recently moved to Patuxent River, Md., where she works as civilian technician at the Naval Air Station health clinic there. Her military designation is hospital corpsman. While in Youngstown, she was employed as a victim’s advocate at Help Hotline Crisis Center.
Washington is not the only member of her family with ties to the Navy.
Her sister, Tawana Washington, is a teacher at the Naval Air Station in the Bahamas, and Pamela’s son, Naval Reserve Petty Officer 3rd Class Aaron Bankston, of Youngstown, is also a hospital corpsman.
Rogers, who has two children, Frederick Crew, 11, and ArNay Crew, 8, has been active duty Air Force for 21 years. An electronics technician, she has served two tours in Iraq, May to October 2004, and September 2005 to February 2006. However, she plans to retire this year and move to South Dakota, where her husband, Air Force Master Sgt. Warren Rogers, is stationed at Ellsworth Air Force Base.
She said she loves the Air Force and is retiring only because she got married and now has six children to raise. In addition to her two are her new husband’s four children: Gregory Rogers, 17; Derris Rogers, 15; Cierra Rogers, 12; and Torren Rogers, 11.
Rogers said she was very close to her grandparents, Mildred Walker of Warren and the late Benjamin Walker, who served in the Army during the Korean War. She said her grandfather had a lot to do with her joining the military. She has two brothers, David Walker of Niles, and Donald Walker in Tennessee.
Rogers said what impressed her initially about the inauguration was the historical significance of it. “It was really an honor to participate in the most historical event in our nation’s history,” she said.
But after being there and working with the various branches of the military service, she found the teamwork impressive. “It was awesome that we got it all accomplished,” she said.
She said the emotional significance of the day did not entirely set in until Inauguration Day had come to an end and “we knew the parade was a solid success. It was an amazing feeling knowing that my team played such an instrumental part of such a historical event.”
Rogers said the things that stood out the most to her about the inauguration were the number of people who were personally inspired to witness history in the making; and how the American public was closely engaged in the election process — especially young people.
For the parents of the two women, the inaugural was emotional on two levels: One, because their daughters were involved in the event, and two, because a black man became president.
Washington’s mother, born and raised in the Deep South, said she watched the inauguration “all day and night.”
“I never thought I would ever see a black man become president. It was very emotional. I cried the whole time,” said Mattie, who came to Youngstown 43 years ago from Canton, Miss. She retired in 2006 after working 33 years at the General Motors Lordstown Assembly Plant.
Mrs. Smith said her daughter’s comment after the inauguration was: “Wow, Mom, you should have been there. It was breathtaking.”
Mrs. Smith said she watched the whole inauguration, hoping to catch of glimpse of Deanine, but that didn’t happen.
SDLqI never thought too much about a black man becoming president. I’m just happy somebody is going to try to dig us out the hole we are in,” she said.
“I am very proud of my daughter, very proud,” Mrs. Smith said.
Rogers’ father, Carl Hudson, said he sat home and watched the inauguration, trying to catch a glimpse of his daughter, and to watch history.
“I’ll be 60 in April. I always felt that some day a black man would become president of the country that I love. This is a very good country. But, I never thought I’d see it in my lifetime,” he said.
“I had tears of pride in my eyes. I got to see that happen, and my daughter was there directing the show. I was loving it. I’m a very, very, very proud man.”
alcorn@vindy.com