Commemoration Ceremony Honors Fallen, Injured Cole Shipmates

by Commander, Naval Surface Force Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Former and current USS Cole (DDG 67) crew members joined relatives, family members and officials, as they gathered together today at the Cole Memorial on Naval Station Norfolk, to pay tribute to the 17 Sailors killed and 39 wounded in the attack on the guided-missile destroyer 14 years ago.

More than 150 attended the waterfront ceremony under a blustery, sunless sky. Mirroring a similar commemoration held yesterday aboard the deployed ship, the ceremony featured a roll call and bell tolling for the 17 Cole Sailors who perished that day, a 21-gun salute, wreath-laying, and taps.

Recalling the life-changing event, the annual gathering honored the heroes who, like the ship's namesake, paid the ultimate sacrifice for their shipmates, their Navy, and their nation.

"Every year at this time, something in us awakens and reminds us of the sacrifices made like it happened yesterday," said guest speaker and retired Master Chief Petty Officer James Parlier, Cole command master chief when it was attacked.

"It is hard to believe it was 14 years ago. The memories and feelings are vivid; it is pure, raw emotion."

On Thursday, Oct. 12, 2000, Cole was refueling at the Yemeni port of Aden when al-Qaida suicide bombers pulled alongside the Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer in a small boat full of explosives. At 11:18 a.m., Bahrain time, the attackers detonated the bombs and ripped a 40-by-40- foot hole in the hull of the ship.

"The odds we faced that day were tremendous," said Parlier. "They wanted to defeat us. They wanted to sink Cole. But it did not happen. We were not defeated. Cole is not a museum. It is still a proud American warship."

Side by side, present and past Cole families and crewmembers took solace in the camaraderie, posed for photos, promised to "always remember their shipmates," as they lingered at the ship's waterfront monument.

The Cole Memorial includes 17 low-level markers which stand for the youthfulness of the Sailors, whose lives were lost. Three tall, granite monoliths, each bearing brass plaques, stand for the three colors of the American flag. A set of brown markers encircling the memorial symbolizes the darkness and despair that overcame the ship on Oct. 12, 2000. Additionally, 28 black pine trees were planted to represent the 17 Sailors and the 11 children they left behind.

Homeported at Naval Station Norfolk, Cole is currently conducting operations in the U.S. 6th Fleet area of operations in support of U.S. national security interests in the region.