MIA, but wish I was here instead...

So, I know that I've been out of touch for a month now, but August turned into a very busy month. I'm actually glad that it's over!

On the evening of August 11, I received a phone call around 9:30pm informing me that one of my crewmembers had been killed in a car accident. My Commanding Officer (CO) was out of town and so a lot of things fell directly on me. That night was one of the longest nights I've experienced in several years. I was in disbelief, overwhelmed with all the details that were on extremely tight timelines, and just unbelievably sad.  I may have gotten one hour of sleep that night. The next morning, I had to face my crew in person (all of them were contacted the night before by one of our Chiefs).  I am an extremely emotional person, and seeing grown men cry didn't help me keep myself together. 

Deuce being Deuce during his last trip into the Bay.

 The next several days were a whirlwind. I was on the phone and getting phone calls on the ship's phone at the same time, working on funeral arrangements, logistics, etc.  The Group here in North Bend helped tremendously and I don't know how I would've done this without them.  Half of our crew was able to attend the funeral in Newport, RI and acted as pallbearers during the funeral service.  It was very touching to see members of Mike's former unit (ANT Boston) lining the sidewalk as the funeral procession pulled up to the church.   I wanted the crew to be as involved as they needed to be for their individual closure during this hard time. I feel that the guys that went to Newport are the ones that needed to be at the wake and funeral to accept the reality that none of us wanted to believe nor accept.

Mike was a HUGE Red Sox (and anything New England) fan. He reenlisted at their stadium.

With a crew of 17, we are all very close, know each others likes and dislikes, and we are basically a floating family. This sad experience has brought us even closer as a unit.  We have one more mission, this evening at sunset we will place Mike in his final resting place, the Pacific Ocean, during a burial at sea.

Mike on his last small boat ride out at sea (he's standing infront of the B/I Coxswain). He was one of the best Coxswains I've ever seen.

This past week we went back to sea, without Deuce; we rode in the small boat, without Deuce; and we did the mission, without Deuce.  Although he wasn't here physically, we know that he's with us and will continue to live through us. 

Sorry for such a Debbie-Downer post, but I promise a good one in just a few days.

Much Love,

LB