The USS Hornet Sea, Air, and Space Museum is partnering with the Daughters of the American Revolution (DAR) and “Operation Charlie” for a Memorial Day event open to the public on Monday, May 25. The main commemoration starts at 11 a.m.
The MC will be DAR State Regent Christina Ramos, the featured keynote speaker will be veteran U.S. Navy aviator Chris Flaherty, and U.S. Air Force Civil Air Patrol Composite Squadron 10 will provide the Color Guard. The commemoration will be completed with a wreath laying from the fantail.
Up on the flight deck, the C4 Foundation will hold “Operation Charlie,” commemorating U.S. Navy SEAL Charlie “Chuck” Keating IV, who was killed in Northern Iraq on May 3, 2016, when ISIS launched a massive assault across multiple points along the front lines near Tal Uskaf in Kurdistan. During a firefight, Chuck was shot just above his body armor and did not survive.
Chuck’s father, Charlie Keating III, started the C4 Foundation, which provides support and resources to active duty Navy SEALs, their families, and the SEAL community as a whole. The C4 Ranch in San Diego offers fortitude-building programs that significantly reduce stress, strengthen family connections, and nurture feelings of optimism and gratitude.
All active duty and retired military personnel—Army, Air Force, Navy, Marines, Space Force, Coast Guard—are welcome to board the USS Hornet for free all day on Memorial Day.
The USS Hornet Sea, Air & Space Museum is located at 707 West Hornet Avenue.
