For Cole Families, Healing Begins Now
Seventeen heartbroken families gathered at the Norfolk Naval Air Station for Wednesday's memorial in honor of those who died in the attack on the USS Cole last Thursday.
It was an emotional, tearful and sad time for the loved ones, whose healing process may have started when the music stopped at the ceremony.
CBS News Correspondent Byron Pitts attended the memorial and visited with one of the families as that process began.
For an hour after the service, they hugged and they cried. It seemed no one wanted to leave. But of course, no one wanted to be here, either.
"We all felt each other's pain, and knew that we were all here for the same reason," said Anton Gunn.
Gunn lost his brother, Signalman seaman recruit Cherone Gunn, who was 22. He's the sailor who had sent an e-mail from the USS Cole to his aunt just five hours before the explosion.
It's a message his mother, Mona Gunn, says she will always cherish. "[It says]'How you doing, auntie. It's nice to say that I'm doing OK, I guess.' He said, 'I miss home....'"
Home. It's where 17 American families will return now. They'll go home to heal and hold on to memories.
One of the wounded sailors told Cherone Gunn's father, "Your son was killed in the ship's mess. He was smiling when he died."
"My son died serving his countrysomething he wanted to do," said Louge Gunn.
And Anton Gunn believes his brother is in a better place now. He's happy. He was happy when we went. He's happy now and he wants us to be happy about him, to celebrate his life."
But on this day it was too difficult for anyone at the memorial service to celebrate.
The healing may have begun, but the sorrow and sadness never end.
The 17 sailors the Navy says were lost in the attack on the USS Cole:
- Seaman, James Rodrick McDaniels, Norfolk, Va.
- Operations Specialist second class, Timothy Lamont Saunders, Ringold, Va.
- Electronic technician first class, Richard Costelow, Morrisville, Pa.
- Signalman seaman recruit, Cheron Louis Gunn, Rex, Ga.
- Seaman recruit, Lakiba Nicole Palmer, San Diego.
- Ensign, Andrew Triplett, Macon, Miss.
- Seaman Apprentice, Craig Bryan Wibberley, Williamsport, Md.
- Hull Maintenance technician third class, Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter, Mechanicsville, Va.
- Mess Management specialist seaman, Lakeina Monique Francis, Woodleaf, N.C.
- Information systems technician seaman, Timothy Lee Gauna, Rice, Texas.
- Engineman second class, Mark Ian Nieto, Fond du Lac Wis.
- Electronics Warfare technician third class, Ronald Scott Owens, Vero Beach, Fla.
- Engineman fireman, Joshua Langdon Parlett, Churchville, Md.
- Fireman apprentice, Patrick Howard Roy Cornwall n Hudson, N.Y.
- Electronics Warfare technician second class, Kevin Shawn Rux, Portland, N.D.
- Mess Management specialist third class, Ronchester Mananga Santiago, Kingsville, Texas.
- Fireman, Gary Graham Swenchonis Jr., Rockport, Texas.