First of all, thank you for your service and sacrifice, (and the same to the other veterans who have replied). Second of all, you pretty much summed it up, this was much less about the Gravely sailors serving our country but more about trying to make the city and government look good and in doing that, paying for things with tax payer money that the humble public couldn't even participate in. I've heard long before how arrogant and self serving these people are, and it is indeed time for them to take a walk. We as voters must hold them accountable. As for the sailors of the Gravely, I see no problem with us the public showing our appreciation to them and maybe even having small things for them, but not to the tune of $50,000 and defintely not out of the tax payer's pockets.