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The Commander from Lamar
Once upon a time, there was a boy in Lamar who dreamt of great and lofty things. He was forever putting himself in different costumes and acting as the hero of whatever scene he was playing.
Then one day, his folks took him to Washington, D.C. where they visited the U.S. Naval Academy at Annapolis. From that precise day on, that boy from Lamar's dreams shot right past great and lofty, all the way to grand. From that one visit to Annapolis, that boy from Lamar, Chris Higginbotham, having been totally captivated by the Navy, knew exactly where he was going in life. He knew for certain he was going to become a Naval officer and lead men and women in the finest tradition of truth, justice and the American way. He was 13 years old.
Higginbotham already had a roadmap drawn for his life but when he was sixteen, Tom Richards, a Lamar High math teacher, instilled a love of flying into him. Tom was a pilot and connected the dots between math, flying and the Navy. Higginbotham then went to a local airport and in about a year's time, received his pilot's license. Higginbotham is thankful for Tom Richards and credits him for having a measurable amount of influence on his Naval career. Tom, now retired, was a remarkable teacher who cared about his students and who probably had a great deal of influence on others he taught.
Today, that boy from Lamar wears three broad stripes on the sleeve of his Naval uniform indicating he is a full Commander. Higginbotham commands the United States Navy Ceremonial Guard and is stationed at the Washington Naval Yard in Washington, D.C.
Recently, Higginbotham brought the men of the Navy's elite Precision Drill Team, who are also under his command, to Branson, Missouri to take part in Branson's Salute to Veterans week.
Since 1931, the Navy Ceremonial Guard has been a part of our American lexicon and heritage. It has a long, rich and colorful history swaddled in valor, pride, courage, commitment, and service to our flag and country. The Guard has served 12 presidents, beginning with Herbert Hoover. The Navy Ceremonial Guard is comprised of several different branches including the Ceremonial Drill Team, Ceremonial Color Guard, Ceremonial Rifle Firing Detail, Casket Bearer Detail along with support and administrative personnel.
The service men and women assigned to the Naval Ceremonial Guard are hand-picked because of their commitment, loyalty and devotion to the Navy. There are certain requirements that must be met to become a member of this elite group. They must have at least a two-year standard tour of duty with no disciplinary action, maintain strict adherence to physical and military bearing standards of the Navy Ceremonial Guard and receive above average evaluations.
The standard tour of duty for members of the Ceremonial Guard is two years of total commitment and very little time to oneself. Members of the Ceremonial Guard are on call 24/7 and are constantly preparing their uniforms and practicing, when not traveling or performing at a rite or an event.
A recent competition was held for the Drill Teams of the different services. Higginbotham's command competed against teams from the Air Force, Army, Coast Guard and Marines. The Navy Drill Team won first place, hands down.
I was very fortunate and quite honored to have been invited to see Higginbotham's Drill Team perform in Branson that evening. It was a sight and a performance to behold. I was privileged to have seen that one solitary performance. I know I have seen the very best of the very best Drill Team in the nation. It was a performance no one in the audience that night, will ever forget. I had immediate respect for these men and felt proud for them as well, as I watched the finest of the finest young men America has to offer, strut their stuff and put on a show like none other I had ever seen. I was impressed by each and every one of them individually. I was proud of and for Higginbotham. I know our country is in good hands.
I also had the privilege of sitting with Higginbotham's mother Pat, during the performance. I do not believe anyone could have been more proud or more supportive of any son or daughter anywhere at anytime. She was beaming the entire evening and long afterward, I would suspect.
Now back to the boy from Lamar. Higginbotham was raised in and around Lamar, attended school in Lamar, graduated from Lamar and calls Lamar his hometown. After graduation from high school, with sights set high, he wandered off to his first great adventure away from home, the University of Missouri in Columbia, where he joined their Naval ROTC unit. He not only excelled in ROTC, but as well was the only graduate that year to be chosen for flight training.
That was just the start of Higginbotham's great adventure. He has served in Iraq, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Kosovo and Haiti. He has served aboard the aircraft carrier USS Roosevelt as well as the USS Independence, the USS Enterprise and the USS Constellation as flight officer and served as an exchange officer with the British Navy.
While serving with the British Navy aboard the HMS Invincible, Higginbotham was heavily involved in a nighttime rescue involving a British Harrier pilot who had ditched his aircraft in the Mediterranean Sea.
For his actions, with valor, the British Navy decorated him. His actions were read into the Congressional Record of the Missouri House of Representatives and his country awarded him it's highest peacetime medal -- The Navy Marine Corps Medal for Heroism. That award can only be given to Navy or Marine Corps personnel who place themselves in harms way above and beyond the call of duty.
The men and women under his command have great respect and admiration for Commander Higginbotham--Commander Chris as his mother sometimes calls him. When he is visiting home however, Higginbotham is home--not Commander Chris, just plain Chris, displaying many of the traits of that long ago and far away boy from Lamar. No matter where his travels have taken him or will take him, Chris, the Commander of the Navy Ceremonial Guard is never far from his boyhood home and family.
Chris Higginbotham is the son of Vic Higginbotham and Pat Higginbotham, both of Lamar, Mo. Chris resides in Washington, D.C., with his wife Meg and their children, Matthew, Alex and Abbey. Chris' wife and children are the ultimate driving force behind Commander Higginbotham. Vic and Pat Higginbotham's other son Scott is an Aerospace engineer with NASA. He also knew what he wanted to do with his life when he was a child. Chris and Scott's mother Pat, who is a teacher, heavily influenced both of them. She instilled a thirst for knowledge, a love of reading and encouraged them to choose their own path in life. When the boys dreamed, they dreamed big because she also constantly taught them they could do anything they wanted to do, but always have a second choice.
In other words, anything is possible.