Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Juel Foster | 210517-N-YD864-1085 ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. (May 17, 2021) Retired U.S. Navy Capt....... read more read more
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ATLANTIC BEACH, Fla. – Naval Station Mayport held a remembrance ceremony for Sailors who were killed aboard the Oliver Hazard Perry-class guided missile frigate USS Stark (FFG 31) at Beaches Memorial Park in Atlantic Beach, Fla., May 17, 2021.
On May 17, 1987, 37 Sailors died when two Iraqi missiles struck USS Stark while the ship was on patrol in the Arabian Gulf. The ship was later decommissioned at Naval Station Mayport in 1999.
Annually, Sailors from the 1987 Stark crew and their family members attend a memorial service and provide accounts of the events that occurred following the attack.
Bernard Martin, a Stark survivor, was the first to share his story about how that day affected him as a Sailor and a person.
“My life has changed drastically since the attack,” said Martin. “If anything, it has taught me the value of life. And it was not easy. I could have let it destroy me, but instead I chose to learn from the experience.”
Rear Adm. Don Gabrielson, commander of U.S. Naval Forces, Southern Command/U.S. 4th Fleet, reflected on how the attack on the USS Stark impacted the early stages of his naval career.
“I was a cadet at the Naval Academy in 1987 when Stark was attacked, and I still remember how the event impacted the Navy and myself as a young officer,” said Gabrielson. “My service began aboard USS Rodney M. Davis (FFG 60). My first deployment to the Arabian Gulf was in December of 1989. The memory of these events was still very fresh on our minds.”
Capt. Jason Canfield, commanding officer of Naval Station Mayport, delivered his remarks and honored the sacrifice made by the Sailors aboard Stark.
“Freedom has a price, and every generation pays its dues,” said Canfield. “Thirty-four years ago today, the sons of America on board USS Stark paid that price. Naval Station Mayport is forever grateful, and we remember.”
James Pair, a Stark survivor, tolled the Stark memorial bell 37 times as the names of his fallen shipmates were read aloud, one bell toll for each name read.
At the conclusion of the ceremony, retired U.S. Navy Capt. Robert Whitkop, from the Naval Order of the United States, First Coast Commandery, laid the Stark memorial wreath. All in attendance paid their respects through salutes or moments of silence, as “Taps” played.
“We all know what happens at 2200 on every warship at sea….‘Taps, taps. Lights out. All hands turn into your bunks; maintain silence about the decks,” said Gabrielson. “Not 15 minutes later, everything changed. Twenty-nine people never again heard ‘Reveille.’ Eight more succumbed later. Today, we come together to always honor, remember, and understand the sound of reveille that their sacrifice gave to us.”
| Date Taken: | 05.17.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 05.18.2021 12:30 |
| Story ID: | 396718 |
| Location: | ATLANTIC BEACH, FL, US |
| Web Views: | 350 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, USS STARK MEMORIAL SERVICE HONORS FALLEN SAILORS, by PO1 Juel Foster, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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