Kearsarge Marks Memorial Day with National Moment of Remembrance

By JOCS(SW/AW) Dave Nagle, USS Kearsarge Public Affairs

While millions of Americans celebrated the Memorial Day holiday on May 30, the crew of USS Kearsarge (LHD 3) also took time to remember those who gave their lives in defense of our nation.

Sailors and Marines aboard the amphibious assault ship, deployed in support of Maritime Security Operations in the Arabian Gulf , paused for a moment of silence as part of the National Moment of Remembrance on Memorial Day.  Through this moment, Kearsarge joined Americans across the United States to remember those who died for our country, recognize their sacrifices and reflect on the ideals on which our nation was founded.

The National Moment of Remembrance was part of a nationwide initiative by the White House Commission on Remembrance to help re-educate and remind Americans of the true meaning of Memorial Day.

Kearsarge Commanding Officer Capt. Luke Parent kicked off the observance with some opening remarks on the ship’s 1MC, pointing out that this current deployment is Kearsarge’s third in little more than two years.  He reminded the crew that the reason they are deployed is to not only protect and defend the freedoms of the American people, but also to bring freedom to those around the world, most notably in Iraq .

“Two years ago, Iraq was under the control of a dictatorship,” he said.  “This past January, Iraq held free, democratic elections for the first time in decades.  Your service and sacrifice, and those of our embarked Marines, helped make that freedom a reality for the Iraqi people.

“Although much progress has been made in this region, much work remains to ensure security and stability, and to help preserve that freedom the Iraqi people finally have,” he added.

Following Parent’s remarks, Cmdr. Guy Lee, Command Chaplain, offered a Memorial Day prayer and led the crew in a moment of silence.  He reminded the crew of the courage and sacrifices of the Marines who were killed in Iraq and asked them to remember the Marines of the 26^th Marine Expeditionary Unit who are presently conducting training exercises in the region.  Later, Chaplain Lee read the roll of Marines of the Second Marine Expeditionary Brigade, embarked aboard Kearsarge during its 2003 deployment, who were killed in action during the initial months of Operation Iraqi Freedom.