 for exemplary technical expertise within their rating. Superior administrative skills and strong leadership ability. Most importantly chiefs bridge the gap between officers and enlisted personnel. Acting as supervisors as well as advocates for their sailors. Today we celebrate the 131st birthday by honoring the man who established the Master Chief Petty Officer Rape, Delbert D. Black. For his dedication of service and lasting impact to the Navy, our sailors and their families. This exceptional leader was born in Oro, Oklahoma and joined the Navy in March of 1941. He served aboard multiple operational platforms and short assignments during his 30 years of service. Upon retirement from active duty in 1971, McPon Black continued to serve the Navy through retired and active duty organizations. Today we further recognize his historic career and leadership by dedicating a seven mile portion of Interstate 35 located in Love County. I'd like to take this opportunity to recognize a few of our guests as we are extremely pleased to have or distinguished guests. Senator Chris Kidd, Representative Josh Cantrell, the 16th Master Chief Petty Officer of Navy James M. Honey, Love County District Commissioner Linda Hyman, Department of Transportation Representative Vicki Adams, Commodore Strategic Communications Wing One, Captain Britt Whidler, Strategic Communications Wing One Command Master Chief Jake Stovall, Fleet Master Chief of Personnel, Dale Terrell, U.S. Delbert Black Command leadership, Takamo leadership, military guests, friends and of course, McPon Black family. We also like to thank Takamo alumni for their selfless donations and Rose State College for allowing us to host this event on their campus. And of course, Mr. Bob Holland, without your support, today's recognition cannot have been possible. Thank you for all. Thank you all for being here today. Please join me in a warm welcome for all our guests today. As we honor the very first Master Chief Petty Officer of Navy, we must also give homage to our current McPon. Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James Honey. He began his Navy career in 1987. After completing basic training, he reported to his first command the USS John A. Moore as a Boson's mate. He progressed through the ranks while serving on board five ships culminating 20 years of sea service and three shore assignments. He has continued to develop Navy leaders through his Command Master Chief Tours at Naval Support Activity South Potomac, U.S. Navy Forces Korea, U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, U.S. Fifth Fleet and Fleet Command Master Chief Tours at U.S. Pacific Fleet and Indo-Pacific Command. His sacrifice and dedication duty has carried on the legacy that the McPon Black established by focusing his priorities on warfighting competency, professional character development and quality of life to ensure Navy stays uniquely positioned to strengthen integrated deterrence, defend freedom, preserve economic prosperity, and keep seas open and free. Ladies and gentlemen, it is my pleasure to introduce the 16th Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy James M. Honey. Well, good morning. How's everybody feeling today? Good. I am as well. I'm extremely honored to be here with all of you and I thank you, Senator Kidd, Representative Cantrell, and Commissioner Hyman for being here, as well as the Road State College for Host and this dedication. And thank you to everyone for joining us today to honor the life and legacy of the Navy's first Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy, Delbert D. Black. Born a farm boy, or Oklahoma, Del Black was determined to get off the farm and join the Navy at a young age of 18. Like myself, he was attracted to a life of adventure and to see the world that the Navy offered. Well, he knew the farm life was not for him. He gave him a work ethic that guided him throughout his career. Del said that the Navy was his first wife and Ima was his second. Ima understood this and fully supported him throughout his career and the Navy is indebted to them both for their commitment to service. Del's propensity to serve not just the Navy, but his sailors was unparalleled. He was a fierce warrior that was tempered in battle and drew from his experiences to develop a unique leadership style that earned him the reputation being a sailor's sailor. This carried him throughout his 21 years of sea assignments and six shore assignments. In interviews, he said that after the war, leadership roles and practices began to creep in that detracted from the efficiency and morale of commands. Committee officers were beginning to rule with iron fists and making decisions for sailors that Navy regulations said sailors could be making for themselves. As he developed into a leader, Del leaned into the philosophy that listening to your sailors was the key to being a successful leader. He fully believed that being approachable, humble, and invested into your sailor's well-being is the foundation of good leadership. Well, Montpain-Black showed up to assume the duties as the Navy's top senior enlisted advisor. He did not know immediately if he would ever find a leader who felt the enlisted service members deserve a seat with executive leadership. Montpain-Black was prepared to fight for and earn that right to be heard and share the story of our sailors and their families. He quickly learned to leverage every opportunity to achieve positive outcomes for the enlisted sailor. He consistently rose to the challenge of winning over those who either did not believe or could not conceive of what it was he could do for them. In doing so, he submitted a legacy that 15 successive Mcponds have had the grateful opportunity to enjoy. Service to the nation is a great honor. There are challenges, barriers, and sacrifice that only those who served and their families can fully understand. Some of the issues Del faced then remained prevalent today, cementing the need for the enlisted voice to continue to be heard so that we can, as a Navy, remain the dominant warfighting force. Del fully realized the value of the experience and technical mastery enlisted sailors provide to the Navy. During his time as Mcpond, he oversaw the establishment of the senior enlisted advisor position, which eventually became known as the Command Master Chief. The creation of the crew counselor's community, expanding uniform wear guidance, increased in sea pay, and civilian clothing being allowed on ships were just a few initiatives that helped boost the retention and career advancement in a time that the Navy was losing manpower. Del Black was a great mentor and friend to the Mcponds that the honor of knowing him. He was a good listener. He loved life and enjoyed a good joke. But most of all, he personified the Navy's core values that we covet as sailors. Del Black forged the anchors that I wear today as the 16th Mast Chief Putt Officer Navy. I seek to be the kind of chief that Del Black would have been proud to welcome into his mess, to be a chief that not focuses on self, but on the 347,000 sailors of whom it is my honor to serve every day. Del noted it was a love and support of his beloved wife, Ima, that allowed him to continue to serve. No one knew Del better than Ima. She was his support that allowed him to continue his naval career. Ms. Ima has continued to be the support, the confidant and mentor to each of us Mcponds. Ima, you are the matriarch of this office, reminding us to stay focused on what matters the most sailors and their families. I hope you know, as you're watching today, that you feel the pride, honor, and unwavering gratitude for the support you gave to Del, Mcponds, and all sailors and families in the Navy. I am grateful that the state of Oklahoma has recognized one of their own sons by dedicating a portion of his home state to Del as a leader and a lasting Navy legend. And thank you. Thank you, Mcpond. Honi. Today's dedication is no small feat. One woman in particular has sacrificed countless hours to ensure today's event came to fruition. Commissioner Linda Hyman of Love County. She assumed duties in 2013 as the first female Oklahoma District two Love County Commissioner. She specializes on the maintenance and construction of county roads and bridges. She also serves on the board of county commissioners, which is the chief administrative office of the county. She was instrumental identifying which portion of Interstate 35 would be dedicated to Mcpond Black. Ladies and gentlemen, please welcome Commissioner Hyman. I want to thank you for inviting me to come to this ceremony. And I want to thank each and every one of you that is in the service for your service. I would be in my board of county commissioners meeting. So it's a strike against me for not being there at home today. But I told him I was doing my service to the state of Oklahoma. This has been a challenge for me for three and a half going on four years. When I first got a phone call from a gentleman that said he was with the Navy identified himself and said we want to do something for Master Chief Black. I'm not a native Oklahoma and I'm from California. So I didn't know anything about chief master Black. So I had to do my research as well. So we talked, we had a conversation in 20. Then everything went kind of dark. So I put my folder in my office drawer and said okay well maybe we'll hear from him again because nothing happened at that time. So a year went by and I received another phone call but not from the same gentleman. It was someone else with the Navy. And they continued to say we want to do something for Master Chief Black. And I said are you aware that there is already a marker on Oswald Road where he was raised as a child? No, we didn't know that. So I took pictures, sent it to him. Then it went quiet again. Didn't hear anything else but COVID came along. And then I heard from Jonathan Rick who got on the phone with me and we decided what we wanted to do at that point. And it seemed to take forever, didn't it, Jonathan? So he told me what he would like to do. So I got in touch with ODOT, the Oklahoma Department of Transportation, and said how do I go, you know, how do I start? And I said well you'll have to contact your senator. So then I contacted the senator and said this is what we want to do. We want to dedicate a stretch of interstate highway to Master Chief Black. So you know how government is, you got to take a week to do this and three weeks to do that. But we finally accomplished it. Senator Kidd put a bill in and it went through all the cycle and in 23 we finally got that task accomplished. So here we are today and it's my pleasure to be here and I look forward to the sign being up on the highway by the time I head home, right? Thank you very much. Thank you for being here today, Ms. Hyman. Today's evolution has been a culmination of trials and errors since June of 2020. It wasn't until November of 2022 when Chief Operations Specialist Jonathan Ricks, a former SCW one teammate reached out to Commissioner Hyman about the best way to recognize Mid Pond Black and a formal plan was developed. The conversation led to the agreement that the Memorial Highway dedication was the best course of action. And on 30 November 2022, Commissioner Hyman reached out to Senator Kidd and the Department of Transportation request the highway memorial and complete the required paperwork on 5 December 2022. Commissioner Hyman and Chief Ricks complete the process to dedicate the seven mile stretch of I-35 to Senator Kidd's office. On February 23rd of 2023, Commissioner Hyman was notified that state bill 953, the highway memorial bill passed through onto the floor and the bill was included in the omnibus bill, state bill 300, laying the groundwork for approval of the resolution during the 2023 regular legislative session. At this time, can I ask McPon Hone and Commissioner Hyman to come to the stage. Resolution number 15, a resolution honoring the life of Navy Veteran Delbert D. Black, recognizing the historic career of McPon Black, sharing appreciation for his service and dedicating distribution. Now therefore, be it resolved by the Senate of the first session of the 59th Oklahoma Legislature. The Oklahoma State Senate honors the life extraordinary military career and achievements of Navy Veteran McPon Delbert D. Black. The Oklahoma State Senate extends sincere appreciation for his outstanding service to our country adopted by the Senate the 11th day of May 2023. Thank you, McPon Hone and Commissioner Hyman. We are honored to have so many members of McPon Black's family here with us today. Retired Colonel Gary Wallace is the nephew of McPon Black. Colonel Wallace was born near or Oklahoma and his mother is McPon Black's sister, the oldest of nine children, McPon Black being the youngest. Colonel Wallace served as an aircraft maintenance officer in the Air Force for 23 years and retired in December of 1989. Throughout his career, especially as a young officer, Colonel Wallace greatly benefited from the discussion, discussions and guidance he received from his uncle on leadership. Mentorship and management in the US military is now my distinct honor to introduce McPon Black's nephew, retired Air Force Colonel Gary Wallace. So before we get started, let me make a little comment. This is the fourth or the fifth ceremony that I've attended. The other four, my Aunt Ima was the one that addressed the crowd. I'm a very poor substitute for Ima Black, but I'm going to give it a shot. All right. So McPon Commissioner, Representative, our distinguished military leadership here, members of the Chief Petty Officer mess locally here. Ladies and gentlemen, but I'm going to add two other groups here that I wasn't aware of. This morning for coffee, I met two crew members of the USS WD Black. We appreciate you coming up from Mayport, being part of this ceremony. And the last but probably the real VIPs in this room are all the young sailors and airmen that are sitting back here because you're the future of the Navy. And it's good for you being here to pick up a little bit of naval history and know where your foundation starts and how it's built. So to get started here, let me say the family members of Delbert Black with me here today. And those not here and by the way, this is just a small part of Delbert Black's family and there's about to 25 or 30 here. There's far more than that. But we want to express our appreciation to all the organizations and individuals that helped set up this event. We've taken great pride in Uncle Dale's accomplishments in his Navy career. So instead of going over his Navy career, I want to make a few comments about those young years between one and 18. What it was like growing up in Southern Oklahoma, which is the foundation for Del Black achieving what he did. But first I did a little short reflection on his family. His mother was born in 1888 in Indian Territory. She wasn't an Indian, but a lot of people farmed and settled in that. His father with his family migrated from Texas in the mid 1890s to Indian Territory. And they met in 1905. They married a year later. They had their first child, which was my mother, and then Del Black was the youngest of the nine. So Uncle Dale proudly said he was a country boy and rightly so. He lived in rural Love County in Southern Oklahoma. A period when you didn't have running water, you didn't have indoor plumbing, and you didn't have electricity. Del Black, Uncle Dale's first electricity was when he joined the Navy in a facility. So he truly was a country boy. Back then, dirt roads were the norm. Few small farm families even had a vehicle. It was a period where the chickens, the livestock, and the garden was your primary source of food. So pretty much everyone was self sufficient. And by the way, that helps someone build a little stability of where they're going for the future if you've developed all that as a young person. Farming and farm labor was the main source of employment for Del Black and his family. And I guarantee you, there were no eight hour days or 40 hour weeks in that. The cotton harvest was so important in Southern Oklahoma at the time that you started the school in July. Because most of the farm labor was in the schoolhouse. So when the cotton harvest was ready, you had a fall break and everybody in school went to the cotton patch and pulled cotton. And by the way, everybody was very happy to do that because that was your primary source of income for the family. So all this life wasn't easy, but it was rewarding. Because you developed the work habits that it took, self motivation, and a strong commitment to the family. But with all of that rural living, didn't offer many post school options. So Uncle Dale made his option to Navy. And that trend began in the family. Nine of his nephews that grew up in rural, rural county, love county at the time, also went into the military. For those nine went to the Navy. By the way, we have two of them here today, I'd like to acknowledge over here, Jerry and Randy Black. Jerry served three tours with the CBs in Vietnam. In Randy, he took a cruise, he was on the destroyer off the coast of Vietnam. So anyway, two Vietnam veterans here for myself. I was commissioned in the Air Force two months before Uncle Dale got the job of Micah Pong. And he offered me brand new second lieutenant some invaluable advice. If I asked you to say what it is. And if you don't come up with the answer, I'd be surprised. Listen to your chiefs. And rightly so, I did. And not only did I listen to that advice. As a second lieutenant, I listened to it more when I was a senior officer, because I think it was more important as a senior officer than it probably was as a second lieutenant. Now, talking about Uncle Dale, I have to say, and I hope you're watching and I'm here. I would be remiss if I didn't add some comments about I'm a black his wife of 50 years. This remarkable lady shared his Navy career and his retirement. But in addition to that, before she met Dale Black, she was a Navy wave and a World War two veteran. So she's a veteran unto herself. As the Navy and other organizations, such as Love County and the state of Oklahoma have continued to honor our uncle. We're extremely grateful and thankful for the wonderful relationship that the Navy has maintained with Aunt Ima. Y'all have treated her like a queen. And we we recognize that. So we appreciate that. And by the way, in about six weeks, Aunt Ima will have her hundred and third birthday party. So I recently talked with Aunt Ima and she asked me to express her appreciation to everyone involved in making this memorial naming of this seven mile strip of Interstate 35 wants to personally thank you. Of note, if you don't know it, I did a little research. This strip from Highway 32 to Highway 70 from Marriott at Artmore, Oklahoma, was constructed in 1967 and 1968, when Dale Black was serving his first two years as McPon. So it was sort of like it was built for him. Yeah. Now, as with the USS Debert D. Black destroyer, which many of the family attended, one or more of the three ceremonies. We don't go to a ceremony and forget we remain engaged. And through social media, we follow that ship's mission and all the crew activities, large number of the family. Accordingly, in the future, when we drive on or comment about this seven mile strip of I 35, be assured we will be reminded of your efforts here today and everyone that contributed to it. Therefore, to the individuals or groups who were involved in the decision to pursue this project, did the legwork and actually making it happen. Coordinated this event. Commissioner install the signs on I 35. We truly appreciate your efforts. For decades and decades ahead, dozens and dozens and dozens of Dale Black's relatives will drive by that sign and say, That's our uncle. And we appreciate being able to do that. So thank you again. And for the active duty and retired members of the military today. The family and I would like to thank all of you for your service. Thank you. Thank you, Colonel Wallace for your words and your service to our country. Big Von Black stated that leadership is an attribute that cannot be issued through supply system or injected by hypodermic needle. It can only come from an acquired set of values, honor, duty, self discipline and dedication to service. This is what today has been about honoring him, the man he was and the legacy is left behind behind for all of us to emulate. I would also like to thank Ms. I'm a black for her support through the although unable to attend in person. She is watching via live stream media. To our other honored guests, this concludes our Memorial Highway dedication ceremony. Your presence here today has truly been special and will be remembered for years to come. Please join us for refreshments and conversation in the back of the room. Thank you for joining us today.