October 12th
Today represents a big part of who I am. Five years ago, two individuals obviously incappable of the slightest bit of love or joy took a boat and sped it to the side of the U.S.S. Cole refueling in Aiden, Yemen. With a disengeneous wave, they activated an explosive that tore a hole in the destroyer. Seventeen were killed. Thirty-nine were injured. Many, many more still feel pain.
My brother, Signalman Seaman Cherone Louis Gunn was on board the U.S.S. Cole when it was savagely attacked by nameless cowards. He was only twenty-two years old. Nearly three whole years younger than myself right now. Cherone left an impression on many of those he knew. He will not be forgotten, nor the reason why he was killed. If I live the rest of my natural life, this will be true.
Today, was the now regimented day of October 12th that we will forever live. The day started off at the Cole Memorial on the Naval Base. It would have been good only if we had little disruption for this ceremony. Unfortunately there was. It's amazing the hoops our families had to go through for a ceremony that is in our and our loved ones honor. Now, I know it's a military base, that I know. However, we were required to obtain passes to access the base, again all to go to a ceremony that is for us in the first place. This is something that should have been taken care of by the Navy well in advance. What if we did not get a pass? Would we not been allow access to memorialize and hold reverence to the lives of those who were so suddenly ripped from us? Would they actually bar us access and purposely cause more pain and anguish on a day that will be forever harder to live through part as a result of their mismanagement and ineptness? Well, my mother put that question to the test. My father actually followed procedure(for once) and waited to gain a visitors pass(despite being a retired Chief Petty Officer???) while my mother refused to be denied. My mother is one of the sweetest kind-hearted people I will ever meet and for someone to anger her or to cause her pain in any way is in the wrong. She went to the gate and was upset that she was going to be denied, but this did not stop her. After being told her going to the gate would be a useless gesture and could be problematic, she wanted to see what the problem would be? Would they actually try to stop her from honoring her son? Her son who was born from her who had no business leaving the world years before she does? Would they have the nerve? No, they did not. By the time me, my brother and my father arrived at the memorial, she was there with the other families. She knew they would not, could not stop her. Try to imagine how that would make the Navy look? Imagine how she would make them look?
After the memorial, which was a little long due to it being cold and numerous reporters seeking interviews with anyone who knew someone who died five years ago, we went to the ship for 'refeshments'. It was a slight suprise that the U.S.S. Cole was actually in dock today. I doubt it was just because it was October 12th, but it was in dock. I haven't seen the ship since July of 2000. I never wanted to. But if we were going to the ship for refreshments(which turned out to be lunch), it would obviously mean we were going to the mess hall. This is the same mess hall where my brother was killed. Knowing this and being surprised that I would actually be in the same spot was a little unnerving. As we walked in, I looked around and could not help but to wonder where it happened, how it happened and who could actually remember. I immediately recognized a location I previously seen on a video of a karaoke program the crew had where Cherone was being his Cherone self and showing off, singing, dancing around and just being who he was. When we finally sat down to eat, I asked my family about how it happened. Since we were in the same spot, I wanted to know dearly where he was when it happened. My brother Jason told me that he received world that Cherone was in line getting his drink for his lunch(which I remember hearing about) and when it happened, he was blown across the who mess hall where he was found. It's unreal when you see the distance. I remember hearing that others were blown clear away from where they were before the bombing, but to see it is unimaginable.
About an hour later, we left up to Arlington National Cemetary. We arrived there about twenty or fifteen before four. The new Commission of Rememberence had a ceremony planned at four. This year, there wasn't much of a hitch or hang-up. However they have had four years to fuck it up and they've done a good job at it. We will never forget the first anniversery. Over $1 million was collected for the families of the U.S.S. Cole victims. It was for us, but the Naval Relief was in charge of what was collected and distributed those fund how they saw fit. A part of their plan consisted of paying a third party to leave a reef of roses on the graves of the victims on every single anniversary. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. Our first year, upon our arrival to Arlington and to Cherone, there was no reef, no pagentry, no honor for him or his shipmates at all. Of course, our family raised hell. Not just us but the Costelow family and Clotfelter family as well. We were actually told that they did bring a reef out to the grave before we arrived, had a personal ceremony and removed the reef as promptly, all without us. I would put it pass them. So, since that moment, they decided to make a coordinated effort to coordinate their ceremony in a timely fashion that would allow families to attend the ceremony in Norfolk as well as the one in Arlington. It took a year or two to get it right, but last year it was a bit better and this year it was about as flawless as i imagine it will get.
One of the more amazing aspects of being in Arlington isn't just my brother being in one of the nations most historic and honored areas anymore. It was awe-inspiring the first year or two I visited him there. Now, especially in the throws of a military action that killing more and more Americans, inherently fracturing more and more families in the process, my brother is getting plenty of company unfortately. Now, whenever my family visits, we always take notice of the new arrivals, some months, before today, even some where placed there today, which was really a shock. And the most horrible part about it all isn't the fact that they are there, but the fact that like my brother, I, admittedly a young man, am currently older than most of them. I see the dates carved on their tombstones and I see 1984, 1982, 1979 and 1980. All of these guys had lives. They had full lives ahead of them. If they felt anywhere like I do it's just an extreme misfortune to see that they will not have a life anymore. It's heart shattering and overwhelming if you let yourself think about it.
It's a pain of memory.
it is now nearly an hour after 12am, which means October 12th is over for this year. But I will relive the same day I have been living for five year now on October 12th 2006, and again on October 12th 2007 and again on October 12th 2008 and again and again, forever. Although today is over with, this day will never end. October 12th will forever live on and with it the memory of Cherone Louis Gunn.
Rest in peace Cherone. You were missed before you left the earth. It will be too long before I am in your presence again my brother.
Good-bye... for now.
Until next year.
My brother, Signalman Seaman Cherone Louis Gunn was on board the U.S.S. Cole when it was savagely attacked by nameless cowards. He was only twenty-two years old. Nearly three whole years younger than myself right now. Cherone left an impression on many of those he knew. He will not be forgotten, nor the reason why he was killed. If I live the rest of my natural life, this will be true.
Today, was the now regimented day of October 12th that we will forever live. The day started off at the Cole Memorial on the Naval Base. It would have been good only if we had little disruption for this ceremony. Unfortunately there was. It's amazing the hoops our families had to go through for a ceremony that is in our and our loved ones honor. Now, I know it's a military base, that I know. However, we were required to obtain passes to access the base, again all to go to a ceremony that is for us in the first place. This is something that should have been taken care of by the Navy well in advance. What if we did not get a pass? Would we not been allow access to memorialize and hold reverence to the lives of those who were so suddenly ripped from us? Would they actually bar us access and purposely cause more pain and anguish on a day that will be forever harder to live through part as a result of their mismanagement and ineptness? Well, my mother put that question to the test. My father actually followed procedure(for once) and waited to gain a visitors pass(despite being a retired Chief Petty Officer???) while my mother refused to be denied. My mother is one of the sweetest kind-hearted people I will ever meet and for someone to anger her or to cause her pain in any way is in the wrong. She went to the gate and was upset that she was going to be denied, but this did not stop her. After being told her going to the gate would be a useless gesture and could be problematic, she wanted to see what the problem would be? Would they actually try to stop her from honoring her son? Her son who was born from her who had no business leaving the world years before she does? Would they have the nerve? No, they did not. By the time me, my brother and my father arrived at the memorial, she was there with the other families. She knew they would not, could not stop her. Try to imagine how that would make the Navy look? Imagine how she would make them look?
After the memorial, which was a little long due to it being cold and numerous reporters seeking interviews with anyone who knew someone who died five years ago, we went to the ship for 'refeshments'. It was a slight suprise that the U.S.S. Cole was actually in dock today. I doubt it was just because it was October 12th, but it was in dock. I haven't seen the ship since July of 2000. I never wanted to. But if we were going to the ship for refreshments(which turned out to be lunch), it would obviously mean we were going to the mess hall. This is the same mess hall where my brother was killed. Knowing this and being surprised that I would actually be in the same spot was a little unnerving. As we walked in, I looked around and could not help but to wonder where it happened, how it happened and who could actually remember. I immediately recognized a location I previously seen on a video of a karaoke program the crew had where Cherone was being his Cherone self and showing off, singing, dancing around and just being who he was. When we finally sat down to eat, I asked my family about how it happened. Since we were in the same spot, I wanted to know dearly where he was when it happened. My brother Jason told me that he received world that Cherone was in line getting his drink for his lunch(which I remember hearing about) and when it happened, he was blown across the who mess hall where he was found. It's unreal when you see the distance. I remember hearing that others were blown clear away from where they were before the bombing, but to see it is unimaginable.
About an hour later, we left up to Arlington National Cemetary. We arrived there about twenty or fifteen before four. The new Commission of Rememberence had a ceremony planned at four. This year, there wasn't much of a hitch or hang-up. However they have had four years to fuck it up and they've done a good job at it. We will never forget the first anniversery. Over $1 million was collected for the families of the U.S.S. Cole victims. It was for us, but the Naval Relief was in charge of what was collected and distributed those fund how they saw fit. A part of their plan consisted of paying a third party to leave a reef of roses on the graves of the victims on every single anniversary. Unfortunately it wasn't to be. Our first year, upon our arrival to Arlington and to Cherone, there was no reef, no pagentry, no honor for him or his shipmates at all. Of course, our family raised hell. Not just us but the Costelow family and Clotfelter family as well. We were actually told that they did bring a reef out to the grave before we arrived, had a personal ceremony and removed the reef as promptly, all without us. I would put it pass them. So, since that moment, they decided to make a coordinated effort to coordinate their ceremony in a timely fashion that would allow families to attend the ceremony in Norfolk as well as the one in Arlington. It took a year or two to get it right, but last year it was a bit better and this year it was about as flawless as i imagine it will get.
One of the more amazing aspects of being in Arlington isn't just my brother being in one of the nations most historic and honored areas anymore. It was awe-inspiring the first year or two I visited him there. Now, especially in the throws of a military action that killing more and more Americans, inherently fracturing more and more families in the process, my brother is getting plenty of company unfortately. Now, whenever my family visits, we always take notice of the new arrivals, some months, before today, even some where placed there today, which was really a shock. And the most horrible part about it all isn't the fact that they are there, but the fact that like my brother, I, admittedly a young man, am currently older than most of them. I see the dates carved on their tombstones and I see 1984, 1982, 1979 and 1980. All of these guys had lives. They had full lives ahead of them. If they felt anywhere like I do it's just an extreme misfortune to see that they will not have a life anymore. It's heart shattering and overwhelming if you let yourself think about it.
It's a pain of memory.
it is now nearly an hour after 12am, which means October 12th is over for this year. But I will relive the same day I have been living for five year now on October 12th 2006, and again on October 12th 2007 and again on October 12th 2008 and again and again, forever. Although today is over with, this day will never end. October 12th will forever live on and with it the memory of Cherone Louis Gunn.
Rest in peace Cherone. You were missed before you left the earth. It will be too long before I am in your presence again my brother.
Good-bye... for now.
Until next year.
posted by Shogunn at 10:50 PM
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