Ceremony remembers 37 sailors killed aboard USS Stark in Iraqi missile attack

The watch is now relieved.

Naval Station Mayport gathered for those who died nearly 30 years ago aboard the USS Stark.

The ceremony took place at 10 a.m. Tuesday in a grassy lot near the corner of Maine Street and Moale Avenue, not far from the base's main gate.

Around a hundred people were in attendance, many of whom were friends and family of the 37 sailors killed aboard the ship as it patrolled the Arabian Gulf during the Iran-Iraq war.

Most of those people sat below tents or stood at attention as wreaths were laid and the victims were honored with a 21-gun salute.  

Each of the sailors' names was read during the ceremony, with a bell being rung each time a name was read.

Some of those who survived the May 17, 1987 attack - and the ship fire caused by the 2 Iraqi missiles which took those sailors around 24 hours to control - also shared their memories and their stories.

The ship took major damage and was listing at 16 degrees following the attack.

Mayport's Memorial Park was created less than 3 months after the attack, with a memorial for the USS Stark as part of its original dedication ceremony.

The original nameplate of the ship - which was eventually decommissioned at Mayport in 1999 - made its first appearance at this ceremony this year. It was found, repaired and then donated to the base by a family member of one of the fallen sailors.

Bricks featuring all the names of the fallen were recently laid at the American Legion post on Atlantic Boulevard and Mayport Road.

WOKV broadcast the full ceremony on Facebook. See the replay below.