Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Claire DuBois | 230617-N-UN585-1119 SAN DIEGO (June 17, 2023) Sailors assigned to the Arleigh...... read more read more
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SAN DIEGO - The crew of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62) hosted a ceremony aboard the ship at Naval Base San Diego, June 17, in remembrance of those who made the ultimate sacrifice when a collision between Fitzgerald and the MV ACX Crystal took the lives of seven Sailors.
Sailors who perished in the subsequent flooding were Chief Fire Controlman Gary Rehm, Gunner’s Mate 1st Class Noe Hernandez, Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Martin, Fire Controlman 1st Class Carlos Sibayan, Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo A. Douglass, Sonar Technician (Surface) 3rd Class Ngoc T. Truong Huynh and Gunner’s Mate Seaman Dakota Rigsby.
Commemorative observances began with an invocation from Lt. Brandon Greene, Fitzgerald’s chaplain. Seven members of the crew then read the biographies of the fallen and dedicated a flower at the ceremony table in their honor, and after a rendition of the National Anthem, stood fast in a moment of silence while the ship’s remembrance flag flew high and proud above the service.
Fitzgerald’s Commanding Officer, Cmdr. Jayson Larsen reflected on the somber sentiments of the day.
"They were not mere names or ranks; they were our shipmates, our friends, and our family,” said Larsen. “Each one of the Sailors aboard that evening possessed a unique spirit and embodied the core values of our Navy-honor, courage, and commitment.”
The ceremony concluded with a rendition of TAPS.
“The brave actions of the Fitzgerald crew, who fought to save the ship and their fellow shipmates cannot be understated,” said Larsen. “Because of the actions of Sailors wearing the uniform you wear today, our ship is still here and more lives were not lost."
Commissioned in 1995, USS Fitzgerald is homeported in San Diego, California, where the ship is currently undergoing a series of upgrades and repairs in preparation for future sustained operations at sea.
| Date Taken: | 06.20.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.20.2023 17:47 |
| Story ID: | 447569 |
| Location: | SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, US |
| Web Views: | 556 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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USS Fitzgerald (DDG 62)
