Memorial ceremony held to remember fallen Seabees

"This ceremony today is to stop, pause and honor our Seabees who lost their lives so we can all live in a country with the freedom we all cherish. Today, we remember Seabees who live by our core values of honor, courage and commitment. We stop today for a few moments so we never forget the enormous price our brothers and their families paid so we and all Americans can live our lives without fear," said EOC Michael Falk at the beginning of the memorial service.

NMCB-14 Commanding Officer Cmdr. Gary Rouse then took the podium to remind the audience of why they were there. "We started this ceremony a couple years ago as a small get together to keep alive the spirit of our seven killed in action (KIAs) who gave the ultimate sacrifice in 2004 during Operation Iraqi Freedom. By God's grace, this service has grown into a tribute to not only the KIAs, but to their families and to all of our fellow service members who never made it back home or came home wounded while bravely serving their country," stated Rouse. "It's uplifting to see so many here today. I've always said that the military is a very special family bonded together in very special ways."

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 14 Commanding Officer Capt. Gary Rouse remembers seven sailors from his command who were killed in combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom during the 2004 deployment to Al Anbar Province, Iraq.

Rouse then introduced the guest speaker, Capt. Scott Newman, commander, 3rd Naval Construction Regiment. "We do this because we must remember those who have spilled their blood for us and our country. I know this is difficult for the families to be here today, but it's something we must do to remember our fallen comrades," said Newman. After recognizing some of the families in attendance, he told them, "You have paid the sacrifice that I can't imagine. Those dark days of late April and early May 2004, less than three years after 9/11, will be etched in our memories forever. Not a day should go by that we don't remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice and NMCB-14 has paid that. There have been 15 KIAs during Operation Iraqi Freedom. Almost half of those were on NMCB-14's first deployment. I thank you families, and I'm sorry."

One family member, Karen Anderson brought her daughter, Brandi to pay tribute to her husband, Michael. "When I found out they were having this memorial to honor Michael, I thought it was a great opportunity to be around people who feel like we do. They understand how we feel because many people don't understand what we've been through," she said.

Another guest was retired BU2 Pete Herrick who lost a leg and was left a quadriplegic by a mortar attack that killed five of his fellow Seabees on May 2, 2004. "It's an incredible honor to be here today. When I found out about this ceremony, there was no way I wasn't going to make it here for the ceremony. It means a lot to know that I'm still involved with the Seabees," said Herrick."

While the memorial service is held each year to remember those lost, it also gives family members the assurance that the Navy family is there for them. "There is still a lot of pain and scars that are not completely healed and I'm not sure they ever will be. This is the first year, we've had some wives and parents join us. It's taken some time for them to be able to associate with us and remember in a positive way, the contributions of their husband or son," said Newman.