2022 RAYunion ETERNAL PATROL
To provide a background for our guests who may not understand the significance of our ceremony of "Tolling the Bell,"
let me give you a brief explanation of this solemn remembrance of our Shipmates: the officers and enlisted men who
sacrificed their lives aboard submarines in the service of our country.
John F. Kennedy said, "A nation reveals itself not only by the men it produces, but also by the men it honors,
the men it remembers."
It has always been true that the sea takes its toll of seamen. This is especially true for those who sail the dark
ocean depths; the submariner. Over the years, over four thousand young men have lost their lives while serving our
country in the U.S. Submarine Service. In all, a total of sixty-five American submarines have been lost in war
and in peace.
It is also true that no maritime power has ever survived unless its men have been willing to fight back with
successively better ships manned by professional seamen who have profited by the lessons learned from the past.
Those of us who go to sea in today’s submarines and those who will do so in the future are forever indebted to
those submarine sailors who gave their lives testing different innovations in submarine warfare during times of peace.
These losses, while tragic, have served to provide us with invaluable knowledge to enable us to improve succeeding
classes of submarines and are gallant extensions of the traditions of duty, professional competence and
self-sacrifice which have always been the hallmark of the U.S. Submarine Force.
It is our duty to publically honor them so that their gallant service and sacrifice is never forgotten.
We now Toll the Bell for our shipmates of the USS RAY (both SS-271 & SSN-653) who have passed on to Eternal Patrol since the 2017 RAYunion in Norfolk, Virginia:
NAME (DATE ON ETERNAL PATROL) BOAT
Edgar Abbott, Jr (2/15/2021) SSN-653
Felicito Abille (4/20/2020) SS-271
Calvin Adams (5/18/2020) SSN-653
James Addy (11/13/2020) SS-271
A. Ronald Baggett (3/18/2021) SS-271
George Bailey (6/27/2018) SS-271
William Ball (5/29/2017) SSN-653
Hoover Blanton (12/26/2020) SS-271
Jacob Bray (10/3/2019) SSN-653
LaVaughan Brewster (8/20/2018) SSN-653
Robert Brown (5/22/2019) SS-271
Bill Burdette (12/12/2020) SSN-653
Harvey Caraway (1/24/2021) SSN-653
James Casey (4/29/2020) SS-271
Russell Chalk (5/19/2018) SSN-653
Paul Chestnut (11/12/2018) SS-271
Larry Clark (6/30/2021) SS-271
Stuart Cline (12/16/2017) SSN-653
Lawrence Coleman (1/19/2018) SS-271
Dale Comstock (4/13/2022) SSN-653
Jeff Coleman, Sr (8/25/2021) SSN-653
Thomas Conrey (3/2/2019) SSN-653
Edgar Cox (8/15/2021) SS-271
John Cox (5/1/2021) SSN-653
William Dixson (12/17/2018) SSN-653
George Dobiliauskas (3/21/2017) SSN-653
Joseph Dubeansky (02/17/2022) SSN-653
Michael Ellinwood (3/15/2020) SSN-653
William Eversole (10/21/2019) SS-271
William German (3/20/2021) SS-271
Dave Godfrey (1/25/2020) SSN-653
Jerry Griner (4/15/2020) SSN-653
Clarence Hand (11/17/2021) SS-271
Dennis Hand (5/19/2021) SSN-653
David Hass (3/8/2022) SSN-653
William Hausinger, Jr (6/6/2020) SS-271
Russell Henkel (6/22/2020) SSN-653
Jeffrey Hermansen (11/27/2021) SSN-653
James Henry III (11/26/2017) SS-271
Curt Honeycutt (8/17/2018) SSN-653
Jonathan Hurt (12/18/2017) SSN-653
John James (12/2/2021) SS-271
Kenneth Joyner, Sr. (3/26/2022) SS-271
David Laird (2/12/2018) SSN-653
Robert Lambert (11/29/2017) SSN-653
William Lauter (12/19/2020) SS-271
Christopher Law (1/31/2020) SSN-653
George Lewis (11/27/2019) SSN-653
Edward Lloyd (8/24/2017) SS-271
Michael Mandato (11/16/2018) SSN-653
James Olivas (7/19/2017) SSN-653
Ed Osborn (6/16/2018) SSN-653
Edwin Ouellette (2/11/2018) SS-271
Ronaldean Pawlisch (1/24/2019) SS-271
John Pedroni, Jr (9/20/2020) SSN-653
John Robson (12/17/2018) SS-271
Ross Rogers (11/16/2017) SSN-653
Lawrence Schuermann (4/1/2019) SSN-653
James Simmons (6/14/2018) SS-271
Donald Simonson (3/24/2017) SSN-653
Walter Smelser (9/20/2017) SS-271
Reid Smith (9/28/2020) SSN-653
Thomas Snowdy (6/26/2021) SSN-653
Jon Sutton (2/29/2020) SSN-653
Art Thompson (2/21/2022) SSN-653
Dean Tilly (5/28/2021) SSN-653
Emil Vestuti (9/4/2018) SS-271
James Vorias (2/14/2017) SS-271
William Vorlicek (8/29/2021) SSN-653
Daniel Walker (9/17/2019) SS-271
Hosie Washington (11/24/2019) SS-271
Norman Wehner (12/14/2018) SS-271
Charles Whitmire (7/7/2021) SS-271
Billie Wilcox (7/15/2019) SSN-653
Jim Williams (7/24/2019) SSN-653
Although not a crew member, we also Toll the Bell once more for Yvonne Potts, who passed since the 2017 RAYunion. Yvonne fulfilled the special role as the 653 Wive's Ombudsman from 1979-1981.
We also Toll the Bell once more for our USS Ray shipmates who passed on to Eternal Patrol prior to the 2017 RAYunion that were recognized at previous reunions.
Finally, we Toll the Bell once more in memory of those lost on the 65 U.S. submarines that never returned home and the sub sailors whose boats may have survived but who themselves departed on Eternal Patrol while in service to our nation.
SAILORS, REST YOUR OAR! YOUR WATCH HAS ENDED.
Your Brothers of the 'Phin Have the Watch.
Fair Winds and Following Seas, Shipmates.
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