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‘Heroic Efforts’ Kept Destroyer Afloat; Victims Are Named
NY Times ^ | 06-18-2017 | SCOTT SHANE

Posted on 06/19/2017 1:59:24 PM PDT by NRx

As an American destroyer cruised off the waters of Japan in clear weather in the early hours of Saturday, only a few dozen of the crew of 350 were likely to be awake: standing watch, keeping the engines running, manning the bridge.

Then, Navy officers with decades of experience at sea say, there were probably minutes of sheer terror aboard the Fitzgerald before the collision with an enormous container ship that killed seven sailors.

“My guess is they suddenly saw the lights of the other ship coming toward them and tried to veer off,” said retired Adm. James G. Stavridis, whose book “Destroyer Captain” recounts his time commanding a similar ship in the mid-1990s. “Suddenly your ship is sinking under you. It’s terrifying.”

Navy leaders on Sunday hailed the efforts of the surviving sailors who struggled to seal off compartments and pump out the water that poured in through gaping holes torn in the starboard side.

“Heroic efforts prevented the flooding from catastrophically spreading, which could have caused the ship to founder or sink,” said Vice Adm. Joseph P. Aucoin, commander of the Navy’s Seventh Fleet. “It could have been much worse.”


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News
KEYWORDS: navy; usnavy; ussfitzgerald
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-- Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia -- Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego -- Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut -- Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas -- Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California -- Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland -- Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio

O God of spirits and of all flesh, Who hast trampled down death and overthrown the Devil, and given life to Thy world, do Thou, the same Lord, give rest to the souls of Thy departed servants in a place of brightness, a place of refreshment, a place of repose, where all sickness, sighing, and sorrow have fled away. Pardon every transgression which they have committed, whether by word or deed or thought. For Thou art a good God and lovest mankind; because there is no man who lives yet does not sin, for Thou only art without sin, Thy righteousness is to all eternity, and Thy word is truth.

For Thou are the Resurrection, the Life, and the Repose of Thy servants who have fallen asleep, O Christ our God, and unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, who is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-creating Spirit, now and ever unto ages of ages. Amen.

Memory eternal! Memory eternal! Memory eternal!

1 posted on 06/19/2017 1:59:24 PM PDT by NRx
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To: NRx

Hi.

Disregard.

I thought I saw an incident in Halethorpe on another thread.

I don’t believe related to the accident at sea.

(”accident”)

5.56mm


2 posted on 06/19/2017 2:04:43 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: M Kehoe

Died breaking into a car.

Odd that.

5.56mm


3 posted on 06/19/2017 2:07:04 PM PDT by M Kehoe
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To: NRx

Sad.

Early to speculate... but the night crew got lulled into a sense of complacency. No way the technology didn’t tell them a ship was bearing down on them. And the watch did see something?


4 posted on 06/19/2017 2:08:42 PM PDT by Drango (A liberal's compassion is limited only by the size of someone else's wallet.)
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To: NRx

Where was everyone in the control room? Why didn’t they see this ship on the radar?


5 posted on 06/19/2017 2:22:17 PM PDT by ColdOne ((I miss my poochie... Tasha 2000~3/14/11~ Best Election Ever!)
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To: NRx

Sorry I don’t understand something here.

A floating Walmart rammed, and very nearly sunk, a fully armed and capable Navy Destroyer?

How is this shiite allowed to happen?
Don’t just sit there, Blow it out of the water.

more probing the lines . . .


6 posted on 06/19/2017 2:28:58 PM PDT by Macoozie (Handcuffs and Orange Jumpsuits)
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To: Macoozie

I’d be more content with them firing on and sinking the cargo ship for bearing down in it.


7 posted on 06/19/2017 2:46:19 PM PDT by miliantnutcase
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To: miliantnutcase

Too late. Fired upon or not all those tons of steel are just going to keep coming.


8 posted on 06/19/2017 2:49:29 PM PDT by Seruzawa (FABOL)
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To: NRx

Eternal Father, strong to save,
Whose arm hath bound the restless wave,
Who bidd’st the mighty ocean deep
Its own appointed limits keep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

O Christ! Whose voice the waters heard
And hushed their raging at Thy word,
Who walked’st on the foaming deep,
And calm amidst its rage didst sleep;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

Most Holy Spirit! Who didst brood
Upon the chaos dark and rude,
And bid its angry tumult cease,
And give, for wild confusion, peace;
Oh, hear us when we cry to Thee,
For those in peril on the sea!

O Trinity of love and power!
Our brethren shield in danger’s hour;
From rock and tempest, fire and foe,
Protect them wheresoe’er they go;
Thus evermore shall rise to Thee
Glad hymns of praise from land and sea.


9 posted on 06/19/2017 2:51:51 PM PDT by NorthMountain (The Democrats ... have lost their grip on reality -DJT)
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To: NRx

“...there were probably minutes of sheer terror aboard..”

If there were minutes of terror someone on the DDG really screwed up. The Fitz could easily move well away from danger in a short period of time.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vih4tGmqjs

I will say that I was surprised that the Crystal could manage 25 knots.


10 posted on 06/19/2017 2:53:02 PM PDT by mad_as_he$$
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To: NRx

Amen.

Thank you.


11 posted on 06/19/2017 2:57:24 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Vacate the chair! Ryan must go.)
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To: NRx

Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland

**
I saw this young man’s broken-hearted father interviewed on the Baltimore news last sight. So very sad.


12 posted on 06/19/2017 3:00:10 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Vacate the chair! Ryan must go.)
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To: Bigg Red

sight = night


13 posted on 06/19/2017 3:00:41 PM PDT by Bigg Red (Vacate the chair! Ryan must go.)
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To: M Kehoe

Halethorpe, Md - I saw the same thing and thought to myself I’ve never heard of this unincorporated town before and now I see it mentioned twice in a single day in unrelated articles.


14 posted on 06/19/2017 3:16:43 PM PDT by Rockitz (This is NOT rocket science - Follow the money and you'll find the truth.)
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To: Seruzawa

True. Probably 100’s of thousands of tons.


15 posted on 06/19/2017 3:33:12 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for ... some have unwittingly entertained angels)
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To: mad_as_he$$

A Burke DDG can do a complete 180 in less than a mile and can go from a dead stop to 40kts in 2 miles.

This crew screwed up and cost 7 their lives.


16 posted on 06/19/2017 3:33:17 PM PDT by Mariner (War Criminal #18)
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To: ColdOne

Heroes? Seems they had a lot of sailors sleeping. I defer to Navy types as I know zip about ships, I know our Air Force pilots were both VFR and IFR. I would think Navy Captains and others can sail with instruments regardless of weather.


17 posted on 06/19/2017 3:34:15 PM PDT by Lumper20
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To: Macoozie

[A floating Walmart rammed, and very nearly sunk, a fully armed and capable Navy Destroyer?]

Yeah, that thing is probably the size of 2 or 3 Wal*Mart buildings. Tragic.


18 posted on 06/19/2017 3:35:49 PM PDT by SaveFerris (Hebrews 13:2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for ... some have unwittingly entertained angels)
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To: Macoozie

I don;t understand it either. A United States Naval warship collides with a container ship. It didn’t see this thing on radar? WTF?


19 posted on 06/19/2017 3:38:33 PM PDT by jmacusa (Dad may be in charge but mom knows whats going on.)
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To: ColdOne
I'm not informed enough to discuss it but a caller knowledgeable in military matters and agreed by our local talk host suggested that it was a Philippine-flagged ship which could have had Muslims on board. Also they said the container ship did a u-turn and headed right for the destroyer. Also the transponder on the cargo ship was turned off and the lights were off.

The Philippines are teeming with Muslims. Something to think about.

20 posted on 06/19/2017 3:38:41 PM PDT by Aliska
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