As the nation paused to remember the attack on Pearl Harbor, which occurred on Dec. 7, 1941, the occasion has special meaning for a Miami native who is serving in the U.S. Navy in the very location that drew the United States into World War II.
Petty Officer Third Class Wendell Rump, a 2013 Robert Morgan Educational Center graduate, is assigned to the Navy’s U.S. Pacific Fleet Headquarters. According to Navy officials, the U.S. Pacific Fleet is the world’s largest fleet command, encompassing 100 million square miles, nearly half the Earth’s surface, from Antarctica to the Arctic circle and from the West Coast of the United States into the Indian Ocean. The U.S. Pacific Fleet consists of approximately 200 ships/submarines, nearly 1,100 aircraft, and more than 140,000 sailors and civilians.
Rump is responsible for aviation administration.
“I like that my job gives me the chance to work in great environment,” Rump said. “I feel like my job utilizes my strength of working with my mind.”
Being stationed in Pearl Harbor, often referred to as the “Gateway to the Pacific” in defense circles, means that Rump is serving in a part of the world that is taking on new importance in America’s national defense strategy.
Pearl Harbor itself is home to more than 19,000 U.S. Navy Sailors 11 surface ships, and 19 nuclear-powered submarines.
Although the world has changed greatly in the past 75 years, the Navy has been pivotal in helping maintain peace and stability in the Pacific region for decades, and for good reason, Navy officials say. The Pacific is home to more than 50 percent of the world’s population, many of the world’s largest and smallest economies, several of the world’s largest militaries, and many U.S. allies.
Accordingly, the Navy is basing approximately 60 percent of its ships and aircraft in the region. Officials say the Navy also will provide its most advanced war fighting platforms to the region, including missile defense-capable ships, submarines, reconnaissance aircraft, and its newest surface warfare ships.
“It’s an honor to serve in a place where patriots have stood and defended the tradition of the county,” Rump said.
“It’s important for those of us serving in Pearl Harbor today to remember the sacrifice of those who served before us,” said Admiral Scott Swift, Commander, U.S. Pacific fleet. “The important work we do everyday honors those who were here 75 years ago and is a testament to the enduring value of our navy’s mission.”
