Seal Beach Founders Day, celebrating the city’s 97th year, will be a salute to the “Hometown Heroes” who currently serve or have been stationed at the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach.
The event, which will feature live musical entertainment, will be held from 12:30 – 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, Oct. 7, at the Seal Beach Pier.
The Naval Weapons Station has been a part of the city since 1944 and its detachments provide shore-based infrastructure support to the Navy’s ordnance mission and other fleet and fleet support activities.
Initial construction costs were approximately $30 million, including more than $4 million to buy out property from numerous local landowners who were living in an area of Seal Beach called Anaheim Landing.
This area had a bowling alley, grocery store and according to locals was the best place to swim while going in and out with the tide in the 1920‘s and ‘30’s.
The station is also home to several historical sites. From 1963 through 1974, North American Aviation (now the Boeing Company) used base property to build the second stage for the powerful Saturn V rocket, which propelled astronauts to the moon during the Apollo program.
These huge vehicles were built in special multi-story structures, which are today used by base personnel for a variety of purposes.
A contingent of enlisted sailors as well as Commander Paul Werring, USN and his wife, Linda, from the Weapons Station will be attending the 97th Seal Beach Founders Day Celebration in honor of the personnel and military here in Seal Beach.
Commander Paul G. Werring, executive Officer at Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach, enlisted in the Navy in July 1982 and graduated from Recruit Training Command at Great Lakes, Ill., in February 1983.
Among many more deployments, in June 1995, CDR Werring reported to the Tactical Support Center in Roosevelt Roads, Puerto Rico where he was a Watch Officer supporting P-3 squadrons deployed to the Caribbean. He also made several trips to Panama supporting P-3s forward deployed to that country.
CDR Werring then reported to the Defense Prisoner of War/Missing Personnel Office in Washington, DC in June 2004. During this tour he was selected as the Military Officer of the Year in 2006.
In July 2007 CDR Werring reported to Naval Station Chinhae, Korea where he served as Executive Officer. CDR Werring’s most recent tour was with the Joint Warfare Analysis Center where he served from October 2008 until October 2011. During this tour CDR Werring deployed to Afghanistan in support of US forces.
CDR Werring’s personal awards include the Defense Meritorious Service Medal (two awards), the Meritorious Service Medal, the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (three awards), and the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards).
Entertainment will include patriotic music provided by: Hank Barto Quartet from Leisure World, Oak Middle School Choir, Los Alamitos High School Jazz Band, and the Los Alamitos High School Marching Band.
The Seal Beach Battalion of the U. S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps will present the colors.
The 97th Seal Beach Founders Day Celebration committee leaders say they are proud to honor all of the men and women who have been our good neighbors for so many years.
Visit the Seal Beach Founders Day blog for updates and history of the Naval Weapons Station Seal Beach at sbfoundersday.wordpress.com.
