Vow renewal at White Sands

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Chase Cannon
  • 49th Wing
Holloman Air Force Base, N.M. --  Everywhere you look is a beautiful sea of white as the honor guard prepares a cordon formation with sabres in hand. The heat from desert sun slowly dissipates as happy couples with love in their eyes make their way through an arch of blue and silver to rekindle the flame of their marriage. The sun slowly makes its way over the horizon as they vow to spend the rest of their life together "through sickness and in health."

Just before sunset on a Friday night Oct. 25, Holloman Air Force Base the institution of marriage by holding a vow renewal ceremony at the White Sands National Monument amphitheater as a part of National Domestic Violence Awareness Month.

"We thought about this three or four months ago, we were trying to get as many families involved as we could," said Jerold Wiley, the Family Advocacy Outreach Manager. "We had an amazing turnout and plan on doing this again next year."

This was the first time Holloman hosted a ceremony like this, but it will hopefully become an annual part of Domestic Violence Awareness Month in years to come.

"This was the first mass ceremony I have done like this, I believe it turned out great and the location was just amazing," said Chaplain (Maj.) John Von Almen.

Seventeen families were present for the ceremony, which was led by Von Almen. Some couples even brought along their children to share in the happy occasion.

"Mr. Wiley and Chaplain Von Almen did a fantastic job to make this really special, and you can really see it in all the Families out here. It really is a great way to celebrate marriage," said Col. Robert Letourneau, 49th Wing Material Maintenance Group commander, after renewing his vows with his wife of 25 years.

After the ceremony was over, there was a reception at the Desert Sands Club with a gift raffle and food for the couples who attended the ceremony.

"The goal here was to bring families together, because that's what we do in family advocacy, we bring families together," said Wiley. "This ceremony was a wonderful opportunity for couples to begin anew, strengthen or reinvest in their relationship."

Photos of the ceremony will be available on the Holloman Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/#!/HollomanOnFB.