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I served aboard the USS Fitzgerald DDG62 in the 1990s. I am a plankowner having been among her first commissioning crew. We, the crew, helped finish the boat in Bath Maine at BIW and then conducted LOEs before her commission when we officially took command. We then sailed her round the east coast through the Caribbean and eventually through the ditch.

Now I know that we were all selected for a pre-com crew and were therefore pretty squared away but I just can’t believe the state of the military now, I don’t know whether I believe all the reports or not but when I heard about the “Fighting Fitz” colliding with a ship and the subsequent loss of seven souls it felt in some ways like losing a loved one. It was and still is a difficult emotion to explain.

When I saw the images of the damage the feelings turned to anger…when I saw that she was damaged on her starboard side my anger turned to fury.

I was the Fitzgerald’s first master helmsman and when I saw that she was bashed on her right side I knew this was not an accident as much as it was negligence, I knew she didn’t yield right of way.

I know that anyone and everyone would say that this wouldn’t have happened in their day but….this wouldn’t have happened in my day.

Still makes me sad,
…and mad,
Surfer