So beautiful! God bless our military and the sacrifice they have made!!

34 years ago today. The Saratoga and JFK Battle Groups were brought to our knees. Never forgotten shipmates.

Never forget 🙏🇺🇸⚓️

⚓34th Anniversary of that tragic night this weekend. I still have nightmares about it all the time. Rest In Peace Shipmates, We Have The Watch! ⚓

Another Christmas approaches. Our brothers are forever gone. No words can be given that show our sorrow during the Christmas season. Our shipmates don't get to age. They don't get to hold their grandchildren or their own children. We will never forget you guys and your ultimate sacrifices.

I was a flightdeck troubleshooter for VA 35.I was in line at the dock,watched them sink.It was heartbraking.

Great, great video. I left Sara 2 months earlier in October 1990 to transfer to shore duty. I knew a few of those guys, Brent McCreight and I checked on board together in August of '88. Tim Seay was my DK in Disbursing, and Delwin Delgado and I worked in the Brig together. The only bad memory I have of Saratoga, and it happened after I left.

I do not look forward to Christmas. Each year passes and the pain becomes more. Words escape me.

I was on duty that night, and after my shift is when I got word, and spent most of the night carrying them to medical. I lost three friends, one was MS2 Wilkinson, my training PO

I will never stop getting chills

Well another year comes by. Words still escape me. We will meet again shipmates.

Today ground was broken for the national Desert Storm memorial. Your names will be forever. No measure of time will erase your names from history.

From USS CORSICA "nickname" given by american soldiers during the 2nd World War to this small Island where I live in "Med" In HAÏFA, this so sad night , I remember I studied in Technion campus and lived in neigborhood at the top of the city. I understood that something wrong happenned because during a long Time, the israeli hélicoptèrs flighted With strong lightning. During this night WE didn't understood what happenned It was le lendemain à la radio que nous apprenions que le ferry faisant la navette entre le porte-avions and the city had sunked USS SARATOGA en escale à Haïfa avant son départ vers l'Irak. Je n'ai jamais oublié cette si triste nuit pour vos camarades qui ont perdu la vie dans la baie Thanks for this vidéo qui permet de se souvenir d'eux. And Thanks you so much to PROTECT US during january 91.

31 years later. This remains my worst day in the Navy. Not forgotten this year shipmates. I'll pour one out for you guys this year.

I was with Randy Lee Neel that night. He was my best friend in that command (vFA-83). He was a great guy and I think about him all the time. It killed me when and how I had to find out how he had passed. I was literally sitting right next to him but when the ferry went down I lost him. We went out the aft door on the lower deck but I don’t know what happened from there. We lost 21 of our brothers that night that should not of been lost.

Thanks bro. I was on that ship. Jeffery was my best friend. Thank you. If you wanna hang out. I'm retired, and can travel. You're my forever be... My shipmate. I've got your six. Ms2 Salinas Martin

I still think of that night, that could have been My fate but I could never get off because of the long lines. Rest well, my brothers...Brent and Anthony, I only knew such a small part of my life but remember you every day!

I was there the night it happened. I was on duty and first it was man overboard, then mass casualties on fan tail. I will never forget it. Lost my shipmates that night. Really played a part in my life. It stays with you. Ate chow with some of my shipmates before they departed. Sad night. RIP.

I was there that night. I was part of the ship's company (S-3 Division Ship's Serviceman). I was on the ferry boat behind the boat that sank. Our ferry boat sailors helped pull some sailors out of the water and then continued to the Sara. It was terrible that night. It was dark, cold, windy, and the water was so choppy. I don't know why they allow ferry boat operations during that time. I too have thought and dreamt about that night off and on for the last 30 years. RIP to the 21 shipmates that eve and the other two during our deployment.

Here we are on the 30th Anniversary of the Haifa accident. ⚓️USS Saratoga CV60. In Honor & in loving memory of our 21 shipmates lost . 🎉Happy 56th Birthday Delwin 🥳⚓️💙🦅

I was supposed to be on that ferry, missed it by 10 minutes. RIP shipmates. VAQ-132 Scorpions

I was there it's been 30 years and it was a day I will never forget it still makes me cry thinking about it. God bless them and the families they left behind RIP my brothers you may be gone but, your not forgotten.

It was a terrible night. The crew did an amazing job responding. First time I had done CPR. Rest well brothers.

Delwin Delgado is my only brother. An eternal life wound. Not a day goes by that I don’t think of him, my Guardian Angel. Til we meet again🙏🏾👣🙏🏾⚓️🦅🇺🇸 ⚓️To all the heroes we lost that target day, never forgotten🇺🇸. God bless the families left behind ✝️ Anyone who can share anything at all please don’t hesitate to contact me at [email protected].

God bless

we will meet again my ship mates c sell cs1

Was onboard FF-1082 as part of the Saratoga Battle Group. The next night we anchored out in Hurghada, Egypt and had to take liberty boats. That night we learned about the Saratoga. From that day on every liberty boat I always stayed above deck. Many made fun of me on future ships but I learned my lesson from the Saratoga. AE2 Michael Bellivue was in my bootcamp company. Till Valhalla brothers.

I served onboard the Saratoga from 82-87. I worked beside FCC Jeff Shuckers. He was a really nice guy. Although it's been over 30 years since I served, I still occasionally have a dream about the Saratoga and my shipmates.

RIP my dear shipmates.

I was there, My 1st ship, my 1st deployment was Desert Shield/Storm and went through the Suez Canal 6 times. That was when I was young and was looking to the future....then I lost 21 of my brothers....

My dad and two uncles served on CV-60 and they are all retired now

Saw this on the news and my son was on this ship. I rember anxiously waiting to hear if he was safe. I thank God that he was determined to telephone his wife so he missed the ferry by 5 minutes. My prayers and thoughts go out to the mothers of these brave sailiors who did not come home.

Even after all these years, it still feels like yesterday. I can still see their faces, hear their jokes, and remember the silence in the days that followed knowing that Christmas for those families would turn to horror when they received the news. That year, a simple phone call from the station set up on the pier to loved ones stateside was the greatest gift any of us would give our friends and family. Not a day has passed since I don't stop to think of them, and to wonder how things might have been. Matt Schiedler, my best friend, was only 20 years old, and would now be close to 50. Rest in peace, brothers - we will meet again.

Thank you for sharing. I remember waiting on the phone all night with my sister-in-law for word. My brother Ret Lt Commander James R Beeler Sr served on this carrier at that time. He made a special point to visit the memorial every year on the anniversary. He would have loved seeing this. God Bless all our veterans & service men and women. God Bless America.

I remember I got tired of waiting to use the phones on the pier and took the ferry back to the ship. The next ferry coming back to the ship was the one that sank. God bless all of the families of our sailors that were lost.

I was ship's company Aug '86 - Jan '90. ET2 (SW) OPS/OE Div. I remember hearing about the ferry sinking on the news and wondering if anyone I knew was onboard.

Remembering it all to well. What a sad night that was. I remember responding the call and trying to help but still watching those men pass before my eyes. It still hunts me to this day. Thanks for the vid. Gone but not forgotten.

I was there Weps Dept. I worked with Christopher Brown I still have nightmares

Great posting to make sure we never forget those we knew and didn’t. We served on Sara so they will always be our bros.

I was there that night on duty while my shipmates went ashore for liberty. Late in the evening it started out with man overboard starboard side, then man overboard port side then changed to mass casualties on the fantail. It was strange to me because this is a common drill but didn't make sense since we were anchored. I ran to the fantail to see what was going on and was shocked to hear. As part to the CACO team it was my responsibility to identify those that died confirming their identity and working with the CACO response team getting the information back to the states to notify family members. To this day it still haunts me with 21 shipmates that passed and 2 personal friends in DK2 Seay and MS2 Wilkinson. This is something that will never leave me and any time there are mass casualties the memories come flooding back especially when this was so close to Christmas for my shipmates and friends.

I was there as well as Ship’s Sec that night...duty Admin Officer. Also was CACO (Casualty Assistance Calls Officer) for the ship. LT Chris Imbach and I had to get messages out on the remains, inventory personal affects, assign escorts to the remains and prepare them for shipment to Dover AFB via Germany. Thank God for YN2 Gary LeBlanc that went to the “local morgue” to pack the remains in ice - since Israel didn’t have a true morgue. He had to inventory the personal affects on the bodies - wallets, watches, etc. He was my “go to guy” who stayed with the remains until we had a plane. Wouldn’t you know it - we didn’t get satellite phones until 3 months after this event. 72 hours with no sleep. Worst couple of days in my career - taking care of our guys. Stood OOD watch with Delgado on several occasions - he was personally responsible for saving at least 2 lives. Still have some of their faces in my mind. Tragic event that would not have happened if the ferry boats had bilge pumps. By the way - was assigned to the month long JAGMAN investigation on the incident....4 feet of paperwork that didn’t accomplish anything!!

I rember that night, the hanger bay covered in stretchers. Some officer handed me a yellow tablet and pen...interview them all he said. Get there names, and the names of everyone they saw. So I talked to everyone pulled out of the water, watched a chief die. Every name on my list that could not be found, died that night. I still have that list.

I was VFA-83's Operations Dept. CPO. AN Randy Neel, one of the sailors who drowned in that accident, worked for me. I escorted his body back to his family in Albuquerque, NM, and went on to duty at Saufley Field, Pensacola from there. The night of the accident, I was ashore in Haifa. Shore Patrol went to all the hotels and started banging on doors to tell everyone there was a "emergency muster" at fleet landing. None of us knew the true story. We heard rumors that some guys had fallen overboard, either from the ferry, or when getting back aboard the Sara, but that all of them were rescued. Wasn't until we got back aboard that we were told what really happened. kzbin.info/www/bejne/fYWTnmB9r8p9bJo

Very nicely done USS Saratoga (CV-60) EM2 E-Div 82'-84'

I was there too....damn!!!!! it still makes me cry.......

God Bless all that served on the USS Saratoga 🇺🇸🙏🏻

i still tear and choke up when i watch this, i was in 4MMR on duty that night when the call went out, i didn't know any of the guys personally, but knew a couple of them around the ship.But we were all "brothers" in a way. It was a very sad night for all.

thanks for your service to all you guys who did.

RIP. I was there. I still remember Anthony Flemming from my squadron VS-30

Delwin Delgado and Brent McCreight, both served with me on the inport fire fighting team. both were good friends. when that ferry boat sank it took a big part of my soul too. I lost too many friends on that boat. Tore me up inside so badly for years to come. Delwin was a true hero that night. Saved countless lives before he made that one dive down and did not come back up. I still have nightmares of that night and will until the day i die. Brent was almost as tall as me. Use to call him shorty lol. always told him to duck going through the hatches because there was so many times we hit our heads lol. I wished it never had happened. Rest in peace my friends, Rest in peace.