In solemn ritual, sailors commit fallen to the deep

The Virginian-Pilot ^ | 20 May 11 | Meredith Kruse

[GATOR NAVY]

ABOARD THE GUNSTON HALL

In the middle of a busy day training off the Virginia coast, about two dozen sailors stop what they're doing, change into their dress whites and gather in the well deck - a cavernous space at the rear of their ship that opens to the sea and the sunlit sky.

Five small metal containers sit on a table, holding the ashes of four men and a woman. The sailors know nothing about them except their name and rank. They've gathered in response to a simple command: "All hands, bury the dead."

Osama bin Laden is perhaps the most famous recipient of a Navy burial at sea. But the ceremony is conducted far more often to honor military veterans, active-duty or retired, and their family members. Civilian mariners from Military Sealift Command also are eligible.

Earlier this week on the Gunston Hall, an amphibious dock landing ship homeported in Virginia Beach, sailors lowered the stern gate and placed a table covered in a royal blue cloth at its edge, a few feet above water frothing in the ship's wake. They set the remains of Chief Petty Officer Marion Tisdom on the table next to a folded American flag.

[GATOR NAVY]

Done this a few times, and when it's my time, my wife knows this is my preference too.

[mylife]

Osama wasn’t deserving.

[mylife]

I want them to put my remains in a container and launch it into space, so so yall can see my ash flyby daily.

[Clara Lou]

~giggle~
sip coffee
~giggle some more~

[windcliff]

ping

[SuziQ]

I didn't know they did this. What a fitting way for a sailor to go, and I like that they keep the flag, shell casings, and a map of the location where the ashes were placed, to give to the family.

Seeing as how the deceased were cremated, the families had likely already had a memorial service, so I don't think their not being there is any sort of slight.

[GATOR NAVY]

Preparing the chart and the flag was my responsibility on the ships I was on. We also passed on a copy of the deck log page with the entry noting the time, lat and long of the burial. I have never heard about the shell casings, but that wasn’t my area. We gave all of our stuff to the chaplain and how it was handled after that, I don’t know.