MARINER TO MARINER

From Mariner to Mariner

By Mikel B. Classen

Sailing, out of Sault Sainte Marie, the U.S. Naval Frigate, USS Clark was about to deviate from its course to Duluth, Minn., for a very special reason. They were going to sail to where the Edmund Fitzgerald went down, the site of a tragic legend, Lake Superior's most famous shipwreck.

"We're doing it Mariner to Mariner," said Lt. Peppler of the Clark about their plan to honor the men of the Edmund Fitzgerald. "This is the first time a U.S. Naval ship has done this; it has always been the Coast Guard until now."

On November 10, 1975, the Edmund Fitzgerald sank leaving no survivors. Some remnants of it washed on shore leaving ominous clues to its disastrous fate, but it remained lost, until four days later when a U.S. Navy plane spotted the wreck lying on the bottom in two pieces. The Navy was coming full circle.

As they approached the location of the wreck, the song "Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald" was played over the onboard PA System, while preparations were made for their arrival at the site. Uniforms were changed, diagrams of the ceremony were studied, and individual parts reviewed. Everything was planned down to the last detail.

A while later the announcement, came, we had arrived.

All of the officers assembled on the forecastle of the Clark to begin their ceremony. The sky was partly cloudy with thick billowy clouds. The often turbulent Lake Superior was calm, at peace for the moment.

On the horizon is the irony to the Edmund Fitzgerald tragedy. The Canadian shoreline looms, plainly visible, just a few miles away, where the doomed men might have found safety.

Commander Albert Lord, captain of the Clark began the ceremony. As he began to speak droplets of rain began to fall. Looking up, there were no rain clouds above.

"Those that go down to the sea in ships, share a common denominator, and that common denominator is the love of the sea that we have, the business that we do at sea, and the sea itself. The Edmund Fitzgerald, what we're about here today, is a symbol for some of us to want to commemorate those that gave their lives as sailors and our prayers and our thoughts are with the families of the crew of the Edmund Fitzgerald"

A prayer was read. "Eternal father, strong to save, Whose arm has bound the restless wave, Who bids the mighty ocean deep, Its own appointed limits keep: To you we pray most earnestly, For those in peril on the Sea."

One of the officers, holding a wreath, stepped forward and strode to the rail. Leaning over he dropped the wreath into the steel gray water of Lake Superior. One more thing claimed by the Lake.

All stood at attention as a seaman rang the ship's bell 29 times. When it had stopped, so had the rain. The men broke ranks and went back to their duties.

The USS Clark was sailing throughout the Great Lakes on a 16-city tour. They gave tours through the ship for the general public as well as answering questions about the Navy. It was the last time the USS Clark sailed under an American flag. It was sold to Poland for the Polish Navy. It was one last mission of memory for the sailors, mariner to mariner.