Portsmouth Burial At Sea honors 'those with no resting place in solid ground' - Seacoastonline.com

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PORTSMOUTH – About 40 people gathered Friday morning to participate in the somber Burial at Sea ceremony honoring men and women who were lost at sea while serving their country.

The event, which was held by the anchor in Prescott Park near the banks of the Piscataqua River, “paid tribute to all those who paid the ultimate sacrifice while honorably serving their county in both war and peace,” said Frank Desper, president of the Portsmouth Central Veterans Council.

“As we remember these soldiers, sailors and airmen who were lost or buried at sea in all the oceans of the world, whether simple or grand, these memorials honor souls lost to war,” he said. “… all these memorials share one common trait to celebrate the lives of people who died unexpectedly and have no resting place in solid ground.”

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He stressed that many servicemen and women “did not ask to leave their homes to fight on distant battlefields, many didn’t even volunteer, many didn’t go to war because they loved fighting,” he said. “They were called to be a part of something bigger than themselves, they were ordinary people who responded in extraordinary ways in extraordinarily extreme times.”

Desper noted Americans continue to volunteer to serve their country, “even as we lose troops.”

“More Americans step forward to say I’m ready to serve,” he said. “They follow the footsteps of generations of fine Americans.”

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He remembered the 250,000 Americans who served in the Merchant Marines during World War II, stating that about 1 in every 25 “who served were killed.”

“Locations of some sunken submarines have been identified, the locations of others have never been established, they quite probably never will,” Desper said. “Perhaps the spirit of all those lost men are riding the bow waves of the present submarine force and will continue to watch their shipmates for future generations.”

Desper said, “since the first shots at Lexington and Concord were fired and our Revolutionary War began, the American men and women have been … answering the nation’s call to duty.”

“On this Memorial Day, I hope we all remember the past and present sacrifices of the Navy sailors, Coast Guardsmen and the Merchant Marines who have given life or still offer it in the performance of heroic duties,” he said.

Wearing a city of Portsmouth tie, Mayor Rick Becksted told the crowd, “It’s truly an honor to be able to be here again in person.”

“We’ve had some trying times, it was a tough winter,” he told those in attendance during an unseasonably cool late May morning.

His grandfather was a Marine in World War II, as his brother is now, he said.

“I have the privilege of knowing the sacrifices by other members of my family and so many others in the community,” Becksted said.

He called the annual Burial at Sea ceremony “one of the unique traditions that makes Portsmouth who we are.”

“It is fitting that in this site of the nation’s oldest shipyard that we remember (those) who put their lives on the line, and went to great lengths to serve this great country of ours,” Becksted said. “The men and women of Portsmouth helped shape the future of our nation before we were a nation, believing in the cause bigger than themselves.”

Members of the Portsmouth Middle School Chamber Orchestra under Steve Cirillo's direction performed several songs Friday, including the National Anthem.

The ceremony concluded when Beverly Stone, adjutant of the Portsmouth Central Veterans Council, and Mike Smith, junior vice commander of Portsmouth’s American Legion, threw flowers into the Piscataqua River to honor those lost at sea.

Many city officials attended the event, including City Manager Karen Conard and City Councilor Paige Trace.

Josh Denton, a U.S. Army veteran who served in Iraq and was recently named the new commander of VFW Post 168, attended the event.

The Link Lonk


May 29, 2021 at 01:14AM
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Portsmouth Burial At Sea honors 'those with no resting place in solid ground' - Seacoastonline.com

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