The US Navy held a memorial ceremony Tuesday for the seven Sailors killed when the USS Fitzgerald collided with a container ship off Japan's coast on June 17.
The service was held at Fleet Activities Yokosuka, the naval base where the USS Fitzgerald is based.
The deceased Sailors were identified as:
-- Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19, from Palmyra, Virginia
-- Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25, from San Diego
-- Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T Truong Huynh, 25, from Oakville, Connecticut
-- Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26, from Weslaco, Texas
-- Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23, from Chula Vista, California
-- Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24, from Halethorpe, Maryland
-- Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37, from Elyria, Ohio
The two ships collided on the Fitzgerald’s starboard side directly next to the berthing area, where sailors sleep. The impact ripped the Fitzgerald open and caused water to pour in.
Initial reports suggest that the collision occurred at 1:30 a.m., but the container ship crew did not automatically realize it had happened. The ship turned back and it appears the collision was then formally reported around 2:20 a.m.
The US Navy, the US Coast Guard, and Japanese naval and maritime authorities are all conducting investigations.
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