Nigerian sailor, Seaman Olushola Kalejaiye, will serve on a United States Navy warship to honor victims of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on US soil led by Osama bin Laden.
Memorials to the victims of those attacks stand as reminders of what happened and as a promise to prevent it from happening again, the Navy Office of Community Outreach said in a statement highlighting Kalejaiye’s service.
Kalejaiye hails from Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria and serves in the US Navy assigned to USS New York. Along with USS Arlington and USS Somerset, New York is one of the San Antonio-class amphibious transport dock ships built to commemorate the attacks, remember those who lost their lives, and defend the nation by taking the warfighters to the fight.
Kalejaiye graduated from Federal Government College Ilorin in 1999 and earned a bachelor’s degree in computer applications from Manonmaniam Sundaranar University in 2013.
The skills and values needed to succeed in the Navy are similar to those found in Offa.
Kalejaiye joined the Navy two years ago and currently serves as a logistics specialist. “I was 41 when I joined the Navy, and I’ve learned a lot of life lessons,” Kalejaiye said. “My dad always told me it was always easier to do a job right and show up every day to do my best.”
“I joined the Navy because I’ve always wanted to be in the military,” Kalejaiye said. “I’ve always thought it was the honorable thing to do. Two years later, it was the best decision for me, and I have no regrets.”
An amphibious transport dock, New York’s bow is forged from seven and a half tons of steel salvaged from the World Trade Center to commemorate the tragic events of 9/11, when more than 2,700 people lost their lives in New York City.
“It is a wonderful opportunity to serve on this ship,” Kalejaiye said. “There is a lot of pride that goes with serving on USS New York, and every time I see all the names on Broadway it’s very emotional and humbling.”
