Clear skies grace annual Blessing of the Fleet

A steady onshore breeze carried the smell of salt air over the assembled crowd at the Westport Fisherman’s Monument on Sunday as civilians, emergency personnel and Coast Guardsmen gathered to remember those claimed by the sea over the years.

More than 50 fishermen and Coast Guardsmen from the area had set out and not returned, given over to the ocean, and that afternoon, the community gathered to remember them.

“It means everything. Our job is to protect the fleet,” said surfman and bosun’s mate Petty Office 2nd Class Victoria True, a Coast Guardsman at Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, who read the list of the Coast Guardsmen who had died at sea. “It’s our community too. We’ve got their backs.”

Many of the Coast Guardsmen come from across the country, and are transplants to the region, True said — it was pleasant to be invited to be part of the community that they serve, which is one of the busiest fisheries in the country, on one of the most dangerous coasts in the world, a fact not far from the community’s mind, with the loss of fisherman Bryson Fitch aboard the Ethel May in February.

“It’s nice to go and honor our neighbors that unfortunately didn’t come home,” True said. “I think this is an awesome event.”

South Beach Regional Fire Authority raised the flag aboard their ladder truck, while a Coast Guard color guard, augmented by various veterans organizations, presented the colors that afternoon, flags blowing in a steady ocean wind. Westport Mayor Rob Bearden and other local notables spoke during the presentation.

“It takes a community,” said Jennifer Custer, vice president of WEfish, a fishing and community oriented nonprofit. “There’s someone at the Coast Guard that has to participate. There’s someone at the city that has to participate.”

A Coast Guard motor lifeboat crew performed the traditional lowering of the wreath into the sea. Some years, there have been parades of fishing boats, but the current offshore of where the monument is located on Westport’s harbor can make that difficult, Custer said.

The fishing community in Westport is all-encompassing, Custer said, from the hundreds of fishermen to their families, to the industries that support their operations and process their catch. American fisheries are the backbone of America, True said.

The monument, which hasn’t been refurbished since 1974, is due for some updates, Custer said. Its location means it’s not immediately obvious to visitors unaware of its existence, Custer said, and the design of the monument plaza means that it’s occasionally scraped by traffic.

“We want community input,” Custer said.

The Westport Fisherman’s Monument Committee is seeking participation, questions, or donations from the public, reachable at WestportFMF@aol.com.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.

A boat crew from Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor lower the traditional wreath into the ocean during the Blessing of the Fleet on May 28 in Westport. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

Petty Officer 2nd Class Victoria True, of Coast Guard Station Grays Harbor, reads of the names of Coast Guardsmen who went to sea and did not return during a ceremony on May 28. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

A steady sea breeze unfurls the colors during a ceremony remembering and honoring those claimed by the sea in Westport on May 28. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

Westport Mayor Rob Bearden speaks during the remembrance for the dead and the Blessing of the Fleet on May 28. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)

A Coast Guard color guard led out participants in a ceremony at the Westport Fisherman’s Monument on May 28 to honor those claimed by the sea. (Michael S. Lockett / The Daily World)