WEBVTT

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^- Almost fifty years ago,

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^it probably seems like yesterday

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^to some of you, I know.

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This place here in White Castle, Louisiana,

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we saw a tragedy occur for

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the United States Coast Guard

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for the family members of those

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coast guardsmen on the Coast Guard Cutter White Alder.

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With 20 crew men on board, 20 coast guard men,

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downbound at 6:30 in the evening on December seventh,

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encountered a 455 foot Taiwanese freighter.

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There was a collision.

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Within a minute, the White Alder sank.

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Three crew men fortunately survived that mishap,

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but she went down in less than a minute.

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We lost 17 coast guardsmen that evening.

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Unfortunately, only three were recovered

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in the recovery efforts.

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Here at this site,

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we have fourteen coast guardsmen entombed.

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Below the silt in the bottom of the

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Mississippi River on White Alder.

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This site here is really hallowed ground

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for us in the United States Coast Guard

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and for the families too.

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(bagpipes playing)