This year (2012) on May 17th it will be the 25th anniversary for those that died on the USS STARK (FFG-31). For those that remember, the USS STARK was struck by two Iraq missiles that killed 37 American Sailors, my friends - my heroes, when I was just a 19 year-old sailor.
"Under my own free will, I joined the Navy's delayed entry program when I was 17. At the time, I had no idea what I wanted to do or be in life but one thing was for sure. I realized, I was not mature enough to go to college or take on the world by myself. I needed authoritative-direction from someone I could respect. The Navy gave me that and I'm very proud to have served."
From my own personal STARK experience and I can only assume its the same for others in my "Stark-Family-Circle", The USS STARK incident is a gamut of mixed emotions that throws me on a roller coaster ride of fear, hate, anger, guilt, pride, love, devotion, remorse, insensitivity, honor, sadness and the list goes on and on... To say the least, its a never ending struggle that takes jabs at my self-worth, pounds-away at my heart and pierces into the depths of my soul. If I didn't force laughter into my life, I don't know where these feelings would take me.
GSM2 Wasnock & Blister, December 1987
This May 2012 will be somewhat of a different roller coaster ride for me and it scares the hell out of me.
Just thinking about it, "I can already feel the fear and anxiety building inside."
This is something, I know I must do no-matter what! I hope I can handle the stress.
I am planning on attending the USS STARK Memorial Service to be held in Mayport, FL. (where the STARK was home ported). I am very much looking forward to meeting my old shipmates but I'm scared to death at the same time.
"I often feel, I failed the families and my shipmates that died that day and gave me life."
With this upcoming memorial, I'm so afraid to face or look into the eyes of a lost STARK family member that may attend this service, the guilt is terrible.
1987 USS STARK Band, The Poison Squirrels from Hell
"The guy standing on the left side of the picture with the white guitar was my brother FC3 Bill Hansen. He was one of the KIA on may 17th."
-pretzel813
I write this to help keep me steady and on course to attend the memorial service.
