Coast Guard Petty Officers David Luke and Kevin Deininger, stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., hold wreaths at the 96th annual Titanic Memorial Service at the Fairview Lawn Cemetery, April 15. CG Photo by PO3 Charly Hengen

By PETTY OFFICERS CHARLY HENGEN
&
KIP WADLOW

HALIFAX, Nova Scotia — The haunting melody of "Amazing Grace" cuts through the solemn silence of Fairview Lawn Cemetery here as 18 U.S. Coast Guardsmen pay their respects to the victims of possibly the most tragic maritime disaster in history, the sinking of the RMS Titanic.

The Unsinkable Ship

On May 31, 1911, ship builders launched the 882-foot RMS Titanic, an industrial and technological marvel of its time. Funded by American J.P. Morgan and his International Marine Mercantile Co., it was designed to transport passengers across the Atlantic in the most luxurious manner possible.

First class passengers enjoyed the most opulent furniture, decorations and amenities afloat including fine French cuisine, a Turkish bath, gymnasium, swimming pool and libraries.

While passengers in the lower class berthing areas did not have access to some of the ship's finer amenities, all passengers enjoyed the safety of a modern day luxury liner, equipped with water tight doors and a cruising speed of 23 knots.

Night of the Sinking

The Titanic's maiden voyage ended tragically along with the White Star Line's boasts of the indestructible Titanic.

In the late evening of April 14, 1912, Titanic collided with an iceberg. It took less than four hours for the stricken ship to slip beneath the waves. A shortage of lifeboats left more than 1,500 of her 2,200 plus passengers to die in the bitterly cold waters of the Atlantic.

Radio operators on the Titanic sent out numerous distress calls during the ship's slow demise.

Approximately 58 miles away, the RMS Carpathia's radio operator heard the distress calls. Carpathia rushed to the scene and began rescuing survivors. Over the next few hours, the crew of Carpathia saved the lives of 705.

After rescuing Titanic's survivors, Carpathia sailed for New York where thousands crowded the docks searching for family members and loved ones that had been traveling aboard Titanic.

Recovery Begins

After it received news of the sinking, White Star Lines made arrangements to recover Titanic's remaining victims. Searchers buried many bodies at sea because they could not identify the dead. Others were sent to Halifax for families to identify for proper burial.

Thirty teams of undertakers, hailing from locations throughout Nova Scotia assisted in preparing the bodies for burial. They designated a curling rink for a makeshift mortuary and set aside for grieving family members and friends. Coroners worked around the clock to keep up with the steady stream of Titanic’s victims.

The First Memorial

Eighteen days after the sinking, memorial services were held at St. Mary's Cathedral and the Brunswick Street Methodist Church here. During the services, 50 bodies were taken to the Fairview Cemetery for interment.

Fairview Cemetery holds the highest number of victims with 121. In total, 209 bodies were transported to Halifax. Three city cemeteries contain the graves of 150 victims.

Fifty-one bodies were claimed and taken elsewhere for burial. Of the 328 bodies recovered, including those buried at sea, 118 remain unidentified. Those unidentified contain only a number on their tombstone with a date reading April 15, 1912.

Preventing Similar Tragedies

In response to the Titanic disaster, the first meeting of the International Conference on the Safety of Life at Sea convened in London on November 12, 1913. Attended by representatives from the world's major maritime powers, the conference helped lay the groundwork for the International Ice Patrol.

On February 7, 1914, the Revenue Cutter Service, a predecessor service of the modern Coast Guard, began patrolling the waters of the northern Atlantic to prevent similar maritime tragedies from occurring. With the exception of World Wars I and II, the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol has conducted routine patrols of the icy shipping lanes, playing a significant role in protecting lives, ships and commerce traveling between the continents of Europe and North America.

A Team Effort

Today's International Ice Patrol has a broad base of financial support from countries around the world. These countries include: Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Japan, Netherlands, Norway, Panama, Poland, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom and United States of America. The Department of State in responsible for collecting funds from the participating nations.

"As a small unit with only 17 military and civilian employees, the International Ice Patrol relies on partnerships to effectively and efficiently conduct our vital mission," said Coast Guard Cmdr. Scott Rogerson, Commanding Officer of the International Ice Patrol.

"Some of International Ice Patrol's more critical partners include Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, the Canadian Ice Service and U.S. National Ice Center, the Coast Guard Academy, Coast Guard Atlantic Area and the Canadian Coast Guard," said Rogerson.

Three Wreaths

Upon completion of the bagpiper's haunting tune, chaplain of Canadian Forces Base Halifax, Capt. Harry Crawford, offers a prayer before calling for a moment of silence to remember the 1,517 souls who lost their lives on that tragic night 96 years ago.

"The Titanic was a marine disaster. Not only is this ceremony in recognition of the Titanic tragedy, but also in recognition of the tragedies that occur in our coastal communities every day," said Crawford.
Crawford then ended the ceremony by blessing three special wreaths used to memorialize those lost in the Titanic disaster, and presented them to Rogerson.
AT SEA - Coast Guard Petty Officers Wade Mendenhall and David Luke, stationed at Coast Guard Air Station Elizabeth City, N.C., dedicate wreaths at the site of the sinking of the RMS Titanic Friday, April 18, 2007. The wreaths were dedicated to the memories of the more than 1,500 people who died when the Titanic struck an Iceberg and sank the morning of April 15, 1912. (U.S. Coast Guard photo by Petty Officer 3rd Class Charly Hengen)

"We will never forget, even for a moment, the vast responsibility that we have, not only to those who sail the ocean now; but to the men, women and children who perished when the Titanic sank 96 years ago today," said Rogerson.

Remembrance

Cold air and the droning of four massive propeller engines engulf Coast Guard Petty Officers Kevin Deininger, David Fred Luke and Wade Mendenhall as they opened the rear door of the Coast Guard C-130 Hercules aircraft. The three men prepared to deposit the wreaths at the location of Titanic's final tragic end during the April 18th iceberg reconnaissance patrol.

"It's a great moment to be a part of something historic by dropping the wreath to remember those lives lost," said Deininger.

As the wreaths slowly fall to the water's surface, they disappear into the ocean, like the victims they commemorate.

The rear door of the C-130 slowly closes as the Coast Guard's International Ice Patrol crew returns to its mission of protecting lives at sea.