News Channel 3 In-Depth: Naval Journey, Part Two
Earlier this week, News Channel 3's Peter Daut shared his experience aboard the USS Somerset, and highlighted some of the training. He also took an in-depth look at the warship's namesake, and its connection to United Flight 93.
Poignant reminders of Flight 93 can be found throughout the Somerset: on every deck there are photos, maps, and street signs from Somerset County, Pennsylvania. There's also a framed memorial quilt, containing squares made by the loved ones of each of the 40 passengers and crew members who sacrificed their lives to avert an even greater tragedy. One of the names: Louis Joseph "Joey" Nacke II.
"It was a common field one day, a field of honor forever," Nacke's cousin, Patrick White, said. White helped to christen the Somerset back in 2012, when it became the last of three navy ships named for 9/11 attack sites. White chose to join the warship on its journey from San Diego to San Francisco in honor of the man he considered a younger brother, and all Flight 93 heroes.
"They're the ones who stood up and said, 'Not on our watch. Not today,'" he said.
Nacke was one of the passengers who fought back against the terrorists and attempted to regain control of the plane. His wallet and remains were discovered inside the cockpit at the crash site near Shanksville in Somerset County. The 42-year-old Pennsylvania man was on the plane headed to San Francisco for business on 9/11. He left behind a wife and two sons.
"Do you feel your cousin's presence on this ship?" Daut asked White. He replied, "I do, I do. I feel it often when it's times of just quiet reflection. I love the boy, we miss him."
"Let's roll," the rallying cry of another Flight 93 passenger before they stormed the cockpit, is posted all over the ship and on crew members' patches.
The ship's Commanding Officer, Capt. Andy Koy, said it reminds them that heroism is not achieved, but revealed. "It helps us come together as a fighting force to learn from that and to take power from those citizen warriors," Koy said.
We were with White as he delivered a message to the nearly 1,000 sailors and marines aboard the warship. "Face each challenge as an opportunity to demonstrate that your personal courage shines through, no matter what adversity you face. Those aboard flight 93 did just that," he told them.
White also helped with the creation of the National Flight 93 Memorial, where each year on 9/11 Somerset crew members attend the remembrance ceremony.
As we passed beneath the Golden Gate Bridge, several crew members stood in formation on the deck to form the number 93. San Francisco is where Flight 93 was supposed to land, and though the plane never made it, its namesake warship will continue to honor the flight's heroes, wherever it goes.
"What do you think your cousin would say about this ship?" Daut asked White. He smile and replied, "Let's roll."
