If you get the North County Times, check out today's front page article: Veteran wages battle to put fallen sailors on Vietnam Memorial. It's an article about my Papa Kraus and the association he belongs to of shipmates of a Destroyer he was stationed on in 1969.
They get together for an annual reunion, and this year it is right here in San Diego. Our entire family will be spending the weekend remembering and celebrating the service and sacrifice of those sailors, especially the ones that didn't make it home.
You see, their ship was sunk during the night of June 3, 1969, in the South China Sea. A simple mistake made during some standard training exercise put their ship on a collision course with an Australian aircraft carrier that cut them right in half. They lost 74 brothers into the sea that night.
I'm not going to summarize the article, which is worth the read for sure - the details and specifics are well written and explain what happened that night far better than I ever could.
This weekend will be spent with the survivors from that night, as well as the other crew members of their ship from the 40's, 50's and 60's. They are a lively bunch of old salty sailors. They are story tellers and whiskey drinkers and shipmates forever. They love to get together and have a good time. I am honored to be with them, hear their stories, and celebrate their remembrance of their friends.
That's always the part that chokes me up. The memorial ceremony when we read the names of each of the boys that were lost that night. And if you could see their photos, you would agree - they were just fresh faced boys who had barely begun their lives. Suddenly gone. Lost from their dear friends, sweethearts and family back home. Hundreds of lifetimes immediately and forever changed by this horrible tragedy. I try to imagine the grief stricken communities they left behind, and it always leaves me in tears.
I am honored to stand together with their brothers, who have made a lifelong commitment to cherish and remember their ultimate sacrifice.
And I am a prouder American. And a better human.
May the souls of those 74, and those that loved them dearly, find peace and closure in whatever ways they seek. Forever.
"Lest we forget."
Wow, so sad.
Posted by: Mark | September 14, 2010 at 04:01 AM