A Sailor's Wish

One of my father's greatest wishes was to be buried at sea.  He always told us that it was so we could send him flowers any time we wanted to  - just by flushing them down the toilet.  I never talked to him much about his time spent at sea, I was too young to care when he was still in the Navy, and for the time that I was in their lives, he was never at sea, and never gone for any period of time, so it never crossed my mind.  I do believe that the sea became very much a part of his life, and I know he enjoyed it any time he could get on a boat.  After his death, my mother and I made arrangements to have his wish fulfilled, and on January 16th he was committed to the sea.

Here is the text from the letter we received from the Commanding Officer of the USS BARRY (DDG 52):

Dear Mrs. Samuelson,

The cremains of your father, YNCM Edward A. Keyser, were committed to the sea following your request.

The cremains were brought to the ship on 10 January 2011 while in port at Norfolk Naval Station, Virginia.  We departed at 0900 on 13 January 2011 en route to service with the Enterprise Carrier Strike Group.  Your father dedicated several years of service to his country and it was a fitting choice that he be committed from the deck of a proud ship so employed.

The burial at sea ceremony took place on the ship's Flight Deck on Sunday, 16 January 2011 at 1000 hours and conforming to Naval tradition, the ship was stopped, colors displayed at half-mast and the participating Officers and Crew were at parade in full dress uniform.  The morning was partly cloudy with a 65 degree temperature and slight winds and seas.  Under these favorable conditions, both the religious and military ceremonies were conducted with dignity and solemnity.

The ship's Executive Officer, Commander Kevin Byrne, United States Navy, was the Military Commander of the ceremony.

I, as Commanding Officer, attended the religious ceremony and committal.  A four-person Rifle Squad with a Senior Chief Petty Officer in Charge, a flag bearer, the urn bearer and the 22 member Honor Platoon were all formed from the crew of the USS BARRY (DDG 52).

Enclosed are a CD containing photographs of the ceremony and shell casings fired in his honor.  A chart showing the location of the ship at the time of committal will be mailed to you at a later date.

The Officers and Crew of the USS BARRY are proud to have participated in this solemn time-honored tradition and ceremony.  Please accept my personal warm regards and sincerest sympathy in your great loss.

Sincerely,

A.H. Ibarra
Commander, U.S. Navy
Commanding Officer