Photo By Petty Officer 2nd Class Tristan Lotz | 210923-N-ME396-1110 GROTON, Conn. (Sep. 23, 2021) From left: Historic Ship Nautilus...... read more read more
GROTON, Conn. – A bell solemnly tolled over the Thames River as Naval Submarine Base (SUBASE) New London joined in the sixth annual “Bells Across America for Fallen Service Members, ” and held a special ceremony at the Submarine Force Museum and Historic Ship Nautilus (SSN 571), Sep. 23.
The event took place during Gold Star Remembrance Week and recognized Gold Star families as well as paid tribute to their lost loved ones. Gold Star families are those families of service members who lost their lives while in uniform. The ceremony was livestreamed over social media and was just one of many that took place at various locations across the nation.
April Tischler, the Navy Gold Star Program Coordinator who serves the families of the fallen in the New England and New York region, and works from SUBASE New London’s Fleet and Family Support Center, spoke of the history and significance of the gold star.
“Gold Stars date back almost a century,” said Tischler. “The star tradition began in World War I when white service flags were displayed from homes, businesses, schools and churches. The flags indicated by the use of a blue star each active service member in the U.S. Military. A gold star stitched over a blue star showed the nation who had given their lives for their country and it highlighted the devotion and pride of those left behind.”
Historic Ship Nautilus (SSN 571) Officer-in-Charge Lt. Cmdr. Derek Sutton spoke of the families impacted.
“Gold Star Mothers and families are all-encompassing,” said Sutton. “They are parents who live with the loss of a child, siblings who forever mourn a lifelong friend, spouses who carry an emptiness that cannot be filled, and children who know a sorrow that defies comprehension.”
With parading of the colors by Naval Submarine School’s Silver Dolphins color guard, and a moving prayer by SUBASE New London Command Chaplain Cmdr. David Duprey, the tolling of the bell for the fallen was perhaps most poignant.
Using the ship’s bell from the former submarine USS Groton (SSN 694), Electronics Technician (Nuclear) 1st Class Kevin Lotharp tolled the bell, once per name, for the 34 fallen service members read by Regional Support Group Groton Commodore, Capt. Dan Rossler.
“From the American Revolution to today’s war on terrorism across the globe, our men and women in uniform have put themselves in harm’s way,” said Rossler after reading the final name. “Many have made the ultimate sacrifice. Their actions attest not only to the depth of their devotion, but also to a belief in their country so profound that they were willing to give their very lives for it. Today, we pay solemn tribute to those who made that sacrifice.”
Rossler encouraged those in attendance and observing virtually to seek out Gold Star families and speak with them about their loved one: “I think they will be more than willing to share the fond memories and sea stories that they know.”
One such family in attendance was Steve and Barb Kingsland, whose daughter, Elizabeth, served as a Cryptologic Technician (Interpretive) 1st Class in the U.S. Navy. She was killed in a car accident in 2017.
“She was stationed in Fort Gordon in Atlanta, Georgia,” said Steve. “She couldn’t tell me a lot of her job because it was classified, but she loved her job. We never suspected she would have such a love for languages, but she did. She made a career out of it in the Navy.”
Elizabeth’s family lived in Mystic. Her parents said she got a degree in linguistics, and chose to enlist in the Navy. She spoke more than a dozen languages and was always pushing further.
“She was qualified in 15 languages,” said Barb. “She was competitive. She wanted to have the most languages under her belt. She had the most for a while, but then she ended up working with a guy who knew 18, so she wanted to learn more. On her coffee table was a book about Russian. She was pushing the envelope. She wasn’t going to be second.”
Steve added that Elizabeth’s service saved the lives of countless troops, despite her never deploying aboard a ship or to the frontlines.
“We met people who had been serving in the Middle East and one officer came up to us and said, ‘I wouldn’t be here today if it weren’t for her intelligence analysis and perception of what was going on,’” said Steve. “He said there was a number of them who wouldn’t be here today without her. She worked on a shore installation, constantly monitoring and analyzing. She would come in on days off and monitor the traffic and what was going on in the Middle East.”
Rossler was honored to participate in the event and the meet the Gold Star families in attendance like the Kingsland’s.
“It’s a ceremony that clearly reminds us all that freedom isn’t free,” he concluded. “It is paid for by the men and women who stand up willingly to serve and sacrifice in our Armed Forces, and by those who love them.”
The names tolled at the ceremony were: Petty Officer 2nd Class Jibreel Arrastia (USN), Petty Officer 3rd Class Nicholas Barrett (USN), Petty Officer 3rd Class Douglas Robert Beichner (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph E. Bethune (USN), Chief Petty Officer Brian R. Bill (USN, Petty Officer 2nd Class Tanner M. Bracha (USN), Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Brienza (USN), Seaman Michael Burke-Lally (USN), Seaman John W. Burkhardt Jr. (USN), Lance Corporal Holly A. Charette (USMC), Petty Officer 2nd Class Christopher Woodlock Clavin (USN), Lt. Cmdr. Joseph M. Clunie (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Christopher Michael Colafati (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class J. Patrick Darcy Jr. (USN), Petty Officer 3rd Class R-Jay Domondon (USN), Lance Corporal Sean M. Dougan (USMC), Petty Officer 2nd Class Dustin Louis Doyon (USN), Lt. Benjamin Kirk Frederick (USN), Staff Sgt. James Tyler Grotjan (USA), Lt. Cameron Neal Hall (USN), Capt. Jason R. Hamill (USA), Petty Officer 2nd Class Roger Lynwood Henderson (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Richard M. Holman (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Elizabeth Claire Kingsland (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Romeo Lapira Jr. (USN), Coporal Hunter Lopez (USMC), Master Chief Kenneth MacDonald (USN), Petty Officer 2nd Class Joseph Alexander McComsey (USN), Petty Officer 1st Class Eric D. Middleton (USN), Petty Officer 2nd Class Benjamin E. Norman (USN), Midshipman Jennifer M. Powers (USN), Seaman Christopher Sean Shubert (USN), Staff Sgt. Jason Louis Sowka (USA), Lt. j.g. Francis L. Toner (USN) and 1st Lt. Ronald D. Winchester (USMC).
| Date Taken: | 09.23.2021 |
| Date Posted: | 09.29.2021 09:19 |
| Story ID: | 406270 |
| Location: | GROTON, CT, US |
| Web Views: | 273 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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