JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The 37 sailors who lost their lives when the USS Stark was attacked 37 years ago were honored at Naval Station Mayport Friday morning.
On May 17, 1987 two Iraqi missiles hit the USS Stark when it was deployed in the Persian Gulf. Hundreds of people gathered to remember the 37 men who lost their lives in that attack.
Nick Norfleet served on the Stark on that day and recalled the moments after the first missile struck the ship.
"I was climbing up the ladder coming up behind the bridge when the second missile exploded right underneath me," said Norfleet. "My best friend Chris, who had been behind me the whole time had just gone into a different room, the explosion actually killed him, so he was just a few feet from me when he was killed."
After the ceremony the surviving members of the USS Stark gathered for a picture with their fellow shipmates.