Peter Weber paused in his reading of some of the names of his fallen USS Stark shipmates. The former boatswain's mate second class took an emotional breath before carefully enunciating the next ones at Naval Station Mayport.
After each name, retired sonar technician James Pair smartly rang a brass bell in honor of those 37 killed when two Iranian Exocet missiles hit the Navy frigate 35 years ago during patrols in the Persian Gulf.
Memories of the largest loss of life to any U.S. Navy ship based at Mayport during a single attack were everywhere Tuesday morning at the USS Stark memorial at Morse Avenue and Maine street at the naval station. About 250 people, former crew members of the Stark as well as current and retired military, gathered to honor the dead and survivors at the 35th annual memorial.
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