VIRGINIA BEACH (WVEC) --Heading into Memorial Day weekend, sailors and soldiers from Joint Expeditionary Base Little Creek-Fort Story took time thursday to remember 93 fallen shipmates and battle buddies who've died in action since 9-11.
At the Little Creek chapel, the names of each of the fallen were read aloud, followed by a tolling of a ceremonial ship's bell.
"Freedom isn't free," said Chaplain LTCDR Joe Wilburn, who organized this year's service. "And that's a price that's has been paid. And I think it represents the spirit of our military and the willingness to stand for that freedom."
Commanding Officer CAPT Frank Hughlett dreamed up the idea for such ceremony two years ago, as a way around Memorial Day to connect current day service members with their peers for the recent past. Hughlett says it's important that the names and the faces of those who've made the ultimate sacrifice be remembered.
"A person dies twice," he said. "he physical death, and, when their name is never spoken again. And we made sure the heroes live on forever."
And this wasn't the only military Memorial Day observance in Hampton Roads today. At the Yorktown National Cemetery, the Army Training and Doctrine Command held a wreath-laying ceremony. And, at Naval station Norfolk, the Submarine Veterans Association honored the 52 subs that were lost during World War II, plus, the USS Thresher and USS Scorpion which were lost in the 1960's.
