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This eulogy was delivered by USS Manley (DD-940) Association President, Joe Dennison, at the memorial service conducted on Friday, April 20, 2007 on board the USS Wisconsin (BB-64)
The billows roll,
the breezes blow, We're homeward
bound, and I hear the sound, Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound! Our anchor's
aweigh and our sails they are set, Hurrah, my boys, we're homeward bound! It is fitting we assemble in this great city of Norfolk - a city steep in naval history - a city we once called our homeport - for this eleventh reunion and the fiftieth anniversary of the commissioning of the USS Manley. For the next several days we will share a story or two - or three - that more than likely all of us have heard before many times. Like no other men, sailors of the sea share a bounty of experiences and from those experiences memories certain never to fade. The ensuing tales follow us across oceans and continents erupting now and then to be shared with all who will listen and even those who will not. So, please be patient with us when we gather in quiet corners to make a little noise and pour forth the infinite details of our adventures at sea. Our memories will fire our spirit and justly challenge our will. They will shake us and stir in us the recollection of a youth devoid of fear and staunchly proud of a well spent service in the cause of our great Nation. Those stories, these memories are, if nothing less, a measurement of our lasting legacy. It is most appropriate also that we gather here this morning upon this deck in this great battleship and recall what is now an obsolete time and an oft-forgotten adventure that became the soul of our character. This overwhelming backdrop surrounding us this morning only whets our desire to sail one more voyage in a sleek, gray lady to prove to all we indeed remain able bodied seamen. We dream in our quiet slumber to sail with a following wind back to the ocean of yesterday and pause our fleeting time to do it all over again. But it cannot be. It is an ache hopelessly beyond our reach and a wish beyond the understanding of all who have never had the adventure. There is more to the craving for the sea, - the preservation of our camaraderie, and, if I might be so bold to say, the love for our shipmates. Destroyer life is unique and has been described as rugged and rigorous; demanding and frequently requiring enormous physical and mental stamina. Consider that Manley operated with a crew of less than three hundred officers and men, often much less. Very quickly you learn the idiosyncrasies of fellow crew members, what causes him to tick and what keeps him from ticking. Even more quickly, you learn that all of you have been handed a burdensome responsibility and a variety of duties that demand flawless performance. Destroyermen learn to depend upon each other 24/7. Survival and mission success are the products of a well oiled machine that performs every day's operations routinely after months of rehearsal, rehearsal, and rehearsal. Emergencies are not allowed to become emergencies; any threat to the crew or ship must be quieted almost immediately. In her twenty-six years, Manley time and time again demonstrated superior skill at saving lives: there was Zanzibar, the World Bond, pilots, sailors, civilians yanked from the sea's grip. Her emergency teams contended with three gun mount explosions, fires, raging storms, and even loss of power, and they consistently performed heroically. Recognize that a destroyer's crew rotates about every two or three years; yet, repeatedly crew after crew - the men of 1959, the men of 1966, the men of 1982 - answered every challenge and executed with precision. Evolving from the depth of this kinship is a trust and respect so robust that crew members grow as inseparable brothers. They suffer when the other suffers, laugh when the other laughs, cry when the other cries; when one is short on cash, the other digs deep; when one falls down, the other extends his hand. It is, you see, the genuine definition of the word "Shipmate." And when the sun sets as it does, we mourn our shipmates and we suffer his loss as we must. In all the stories, in all the memories, in all the adventures, he is without question our central character. He is the memory, he is the reason, he is the meaning to this gathering. It is essential that we not forget and most appropriate that we in the Manley Association reserve a few minutes in our reunion to honor our service together. I believe the greatest contribution a man can make is his unselfish, unwavering service to his fellow citizen. President John F. Kennedy on August 1, 1963 in his remarks to an Annapolis graduating class said: "I can imagine no more rewarding a career. And any man who may be asked in this century what he did to make his life worthwhile, I think can respond with a good deal of pride and satisfaction: 'I served in the United States Navy.'" Shipmates, you have served and should rest with utmost pride. In this time of challenge and division, our men and women are being called upon every day to make tremendous and courageous sacrifices in lands hostile to our nature and beliefs. We salute each and everyone of them, and pray for their safe return home. Our shipmates being remembered this morning stood steadfast beside us with great self-determination in the interest of humanity and in the cause of the day. Many Americans died in operations that remain to this day, unacknowledged, entailing heroism and loss that have yet to be revealed to a grateful Country. We should remember and honor those sacrifices that brought about a victorious but unceremonious conclusion to the Cold War, to the enormous betterment of the United State and the world. Cold War warriors have now entered the history books for their roles in conquering tyranny and freeing millions from communist servitude, and we must not allow the history books to lie gathering dust on a library shelf somewhere. And as we honor the heroic performance of today's armed forces, our shipmates are not to rest anonymously in their shadow but are destined one day to stand at their side knowing that we did together our duty with equal determination. Sergeant Brian Shay joins us with his mother, Kathryn, and wife, Priscilla, this morning to honor the service of his father, Christopher Shay. Shaun and Jody McCabe join their mother, Lucy, in what has become a family tradition in not forgetting their father, Charles, and his naval service. Each and every one of us has earned the right to be proud of our service, and every American owes those not with us this morning their greatest appreciation. Heroes, after all, are common people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done regardless of the consequences. You can rest knowing that history will treat us fairly and with dignity. When you leave here this morning know that you sailed the oceans with shipmates who engaged in a noble cause, serving their Country with remarkable dedication, with utmost integrity and pride, and honor, with distinction and valor during war, conflict, skirmish, and peace. Almighty God, we make this earnest prayer that you will keep the United States in your holy protection, and that you will hold our men and women in uniform in the safety of your embrace. Dear Lord, we pray also that our departed loved ones who we pay respect to this morning have found the peace and comfort of your eternal domain.
O h the
times was hard and the wages low And the grub was
bad and the gales did blow Leave her, shipmate, leave her. For the voyage is
done and the winds do blow I thought I heard
the old man say Leave her, shipmate, leave her. The voyage was
long And now it's time
to say goodbye We will all sing a
song... Coil down,
shipmate, coil down.
This page last updated 18 August 2011 |
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