By Adam Swift
U.S. Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link received a hero’s welcome back to the city from City Manager Fidel Maltez and City Councilors (from left) Todd Taylor, Giovanni Recupero, Deron Hines, Council President Roberto Jimenez Rivera, Kelly Garcia, Calvin T. Brown, Tanairi Garcia, Norieliz DeJesus, Lisa Santagate, and Leo Robinson.
special gift to City Manager Fidel Maltez commemorating the
Artemis II space mission.
U.S. Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman Vlad Link brought a big message to a small city on Monday night.
The city council honored Link with a key to the city and a certificate of recognition for his role as a member of the dive medical team that opened the Orion capsule upon its return to Earth, made initial medical assessments of the Artemis II crew,
Chelsea pride was the order of the night, as several councilors and City Manager Fidel Maltez noted Link’s eagerness to announce his Chelsea roots to the world during and after the Artemis II mission around the moon.
The Navy corpsman also spoke emotionally at times about how growing up in Chelsea helped him succeed in life and make him the person he is today.
“This is surreal, I feel like I am living a dream, but I am happy that I am able to share that with all of you here and the rest of Chelsea because we’re making history,” said Link. “This doesn’t stop here; if you dream and you work hard, you can achieve your goals. You have got to prepare yourself though.
“To stand here in the city that raised me and to receive something like the key to the city, it is hard to put into words,” Link continued. “I am incredibly grateful, but more than anything, I am humbled. Chelsea is only 2.5 square miles, that’s it, look at all the bigger cities; yet we have champions, we have leaders, never forget that – somehow out of those 2.5 square miles comes toughness, a grit, and pride that is hard to explain unless you lived it.”
Link said he grew up in Chelsea learning lessons the hard way and surrounded by people who work hard every day to provide for their families.
“But Chelsea gave me something early on, it taught me how to keep going when things aren’t easy,” said Link.
On April 10, Link said he had the honor of being one of the first contact points for the crew of the Artemis II.
“About six to eight hours prior to the event, we’re being flooded with questions – where are you guys from? What’s your name?” Link said. “We had no idea what was to come; but when I got interviewed, I told them I was from Chelsea, I didn’t say Boston. That means when the astronauts came back from traveling around the moon, the team and I were among the first people to reach them, open that capsule, and bring them home safely.”
A number of councilors expressed their pride in Link and Link’s pride in Chelsea.
“He graduated from Chelsea High School in 2007 and serves as the chief hospital corpsman in the United States Navy,” said Councilor-at-Large Leo Robinson. “With over 18 years of experience in diving medicine, Vladimir was recently assigned to the medical team responsible for opening the Orion capsule upon the return.”
Robinson said he was proud to hear that when Link opened up the hatch that he recognized the people from Chelsea.
“Most people would say they were from Boston or the Boston area, but you said you were from Chelsea,” he said. “Now the other two people in that category were John Ruiz and Chick Corea, they always referred to Chelsea, not Boston or the Boston area … it meant a lot to the people in Chelsea.”