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Pinging the list with news of Petty Officer Ashley's memorial service.

The remains of Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley will be flown to his hometown of Akron, Ohio on Friday. The 24-year-old died Sunday from injuries sustained a day before when the U.S.S. San Francisco ran aground about 350 miles south of Guam during a submerged operation.

Today, Petty Officer Ashley's shipmates and friends on Guam gathered at Big Navy's base chapel to say goodbye.

The chapel was packed - standing room only, according to Navy officials, who provided KUAM News with a tape containing portions of the service. We were also able to interview some of Petty Officer Ashley's shipmates.

You may never have met petty Joseph Ashley, but if you had you would have liked him - a lot. That is the unanimous feeling from the shipmates of Petty Officer Ashley we spoke with today. Shipmates like Lieutenant Junior Grade Josh Chisholm, who is a chemistry/radiological assistant aboard the U.S.S. San Francisco. He remembered of his friend, "He always brought a smile to everyone's face when he was around just positive upbeat attitude and very competent individual. As an officer standing watch, for us he was someone you knew you could trust who you knew would do the right thing."

Command Master Chief Bill Cramer is the senior enlisted officer aboard the San Francisco, and says he and Petty Officer Ashley immediately bonded, as they are both from Ohio. "He loved being on the San Francisco," Cramer said, "he loved being a country boy as he put, his nickname was 'General Cooter' on board the ship."

During today's memorial service, it was Petty Officer Ashley's nickname, derived from the TV show "The Duke's of Hazzard" and his love of all things southern that brought laughter through the tears. Commander Kevin Mooney, captain of the San Francisco, delivered Ashley's eulogy at today's service, recalling a time when he was using an analogy during a pep talk to the crew. In the analogy, he likened himself to a general, to which the sailors quickly told their commander that there was already a general aboard the San Francisco.

He recalled, "That revelation began a special relationship between Petty Officer Ashley and me. He soon became the only sailor on board who did not address me as 'captain'. Instead, we simply addressed each other as 'general'."

Commander Mooney said Petty Officer Ashley lived every day to the fullest and left a legacy of dedicated service any man could be proud of. "In closing, I will now give my last order to Machinist Mate 2nd Class Joseph Allen Ashley - sailor, rest your oars," he tearfully announced.

As for Petty Officer Ashley's shipmates, the crash and the loss of a friend and comrade has not caused them to rest their oars. Command Master Chief Cramer says the day after the San Francisco limped back into port, most of his sailors mustered on the pier even though they weren't required to, ready to go back to work. He says many of the men who were thinking of getting out of the Navy have decided to stay a while longer because of the bond forged through the ordeal.

When asked if he could speculate what Petty Office Ashley would say about the San Francisco's mission, if he could know what happened, he immediately responded. "Get'er done," said Cramer of Ashley's attitude and work ethic. "That's what he would say...get'er done."

One other neat little tidbit about Petty Officer Ashley was that he loved to write poetry, which he would frequently e-mail to his shipmates. Today, one of his shipmates wrote the following poem for his fallen brother:

Southern Pride: Ode to the Gen'ral

I write this for a man I know.
You all should know him well.
We call him Gen'ral Cooter and
this here's the tale I tell:
The only Gen'ral that I know
who sailed the ocean blue
Aboard a mighty submarine
Ole Cooter'd lead us if
The South should rise again,
And Rebel pride would flourish strong
In all the men he knew,
Cause nothin' mattered much on race
As Cooter's army grew.
One day he gathered with his men;
His shipmates of the sea,
And leave home, they set on out,
A foreign port to see.
The mighty Captain welcomed them,
Beneath the waves they flew
With shellbacks there, and pollywogs
And Cooter's army grew.
Through many missions, tests, and trials
The mighty ship prevailed
Her warriors would prove their worth
Wherever she was sailed.
The best damn boat in all the fleet,
And all the sailors knew
The Captain had the finest men
Cause Cooters Army grew.
But an underwater mountain
Did cause the ship to wreck,
And all those roughneck salts onboard
Were flung on to the deck.
The Gen'ral could not rise again,
Soon ev'rybody knew.
We did our best to save his life,
And Cooter's army grew.
The Captain stood there by his side
And bid him stay and fight.
Some re-enforcements would arrive
If he could make the night.
And prayers abounded with support
From all the loyal crew
They rallied strength and gathered hope
And Cooter's army grew.
We found some good ole country songs
To ease his pain away,
But with Hank Jr. playin' loud
Ole Cooter slipped away,
And following the midday sun
He left our battered crew.
The Gen'ral soldiers mourned his loss,
But Cooter's army grew.
And as we laid him down to rest,
We held his banner high,
And heard a hoot and holler from
Those Rebels in the sky.
And as the good Lord took him in,
He kept our Gen'ral true.
The angels came to march with him,
And Cooter's army grew.

B.A. Dirksen
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