USS Stark

So...29 years ago yesterday the USS Stark was struck by 2 (French made) Exocet missiles fired by our IRAQ allies while on patrol in the Persian Gulf....37 men were killed ....before the sun would set , Saddam had the pilots beheaded for their mistake....OR was it to silence The men and prevent them from telling the World it was not a mistake and that they were carrying out orders ( even then we had our fuckin heads in the sand ) I was in Mayport Florida onboard the USS Luce...we were on deck to replace the Starks battle group in Spring of 88 in the Gulf....we new the Stark well, they were homeported in Mayport just like us.....they used to tie up alongside us while we both were in Port......but I really knew the STARK.......you see when I was leaving Diego Garcia in October of 1986 I got to choose my next duty assignment.....so I was on long distance call with my detailer in Washington DC and I asked for a ship out of Florida.......he said to me " I have 2 ships....a Frigate and a Destroyer....the Luce or the Stark".... now I had only been in the Navy for a year and I didn't know shit from shinola ...so I asked my Senior Chief in the Post Office...PCCS Vernon Uhle..which ship should I take.....he said " take the Destroyer, you'll eat better " .....and so I told the detailer to give me the Destroyer, whichever one that is......he replied " congratulations O'Dowd, your now officially on the Luce".........so by the grace of God, or good luck or whatever I was spared being on that ship that day....I did review the list of the Deceased, and the guy who filled that empty billet that I didn't take was named PC3 Shippe , and he did survive....I saw him in the Base club in 89 before I got out , but I didn't dare ask him what it was like .....I think we bought him and his fellow Stark guys a shot , shook their hands and left them alone......they fought the fires for 24 hours and almost capsized twice.....they had to flood the ship to stay afloat.....I read a book a few years ago called MISSILE INBOUND..... about that attack..... powerful stuff................ anyway.....Rest in Peace lads....fare well and Following Seas.