The crowd was quiet and moved slowly into the ballroom. The DESA Memorial Service began at 9:00
a.m.
The Presentation of the Colors was followed by the Pledge of Allegiance and singing of our National Anthem . Rev. Frederick
Collins, USS Grantner, DE 60, lead the invocation.
The opening remarks of Sam Saylor reminded everyone of the tremendous sacrifices made by
so many. He honored not only those who served in lost DEs, but all who have now sailed their final seas from WWII through Vietnam. He remembered also the British DEs lost in
action and the men who perished in them.
Phyllis Gruber prepared a table in memory of the DEs lost in service. A ribbon was laid for each of
the 16 DEs as the ship name, cause and location of the loss and number of crewmembers lost was read aloud by Earl Johnson. A British flag was laid in remembrance of the 17 RN DEs
lost. A bell rang a single toll for each ship as her name was read.
When all the names had been read and ribbons carefully placed on the
table, a small frail man rose from his wheelchair in the back of the room. William Burkholder, USS Bostwick DE 103, played taps.
Click on a photo for a larger view.
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DESA members and guests fill the room |
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USS Gantner DE 60/APD 42 shipmates |
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Presentation of the Colors |
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Denver Public School JROTC member |
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Tom Kidd's opening remarks
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The ribbons have all been placed |
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Ralph Parkes-Pfeil remembers the lost British DEs |
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L-R: John Cosgrove, Dick Ager, Rigger, Don Osborne, Al Gregg |
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