Instead of spending the day in the warm waves of the Mediterranean Sea, the young sailors picked up paintbrushes and rolled up their sleeves at the Agios Spyridon school for special-needs children in Larnaca

On March 16, 2009, a full busload of dedicated U.S. sailors serving aboard the USS Halyburton, a U.S. navy vessel named in honor of fallen Battle of Okinawa sailor William David Halyburton, Jr., sacrificed a day of shore leave to help children with special needs. Instead of spending the day in the warm waves of the Mediterranean Sea, the young sailors picked up paintbrushes and rolled up their sleeves at the Agios Spyridon school for special-needs children in Larnaca.

Under the authority of Commander Michael P. Huck and Executive Officer Eric Lindfors, the USS Halyburton sailors spent the day painting the interiors and exteriors of the school. What was once a drab brown fence sprang to life in a rainbow of vivid colors. The sailors, hailing from all over the United States, are continuing the great American tradition of community service and volunteerism, and extending a warm, helping hand to the special-needs children of Cyprus.