May 2009

I received this email about our alumni Vince Bostwick and was so touched by it that I thought I would share it with you all

Kelly

FYI,
               I just wanted to say thank you for remembering Vinnie, I was stationed with him when the Oceans called him.  I can honestly say at this point I do have tears coming down my face thinking about the night he left us.  I just wanted to give you a few details about that night, we were coming home after a 6 month cruise and around midnight one of the outlying ships picked up a Soviet Submarine contact and Vinnie and three others launched to find/track either to destroy or to instill the fear of god in them that the might of the USS America and its crew new they were there.  After intercepting the Submarine and tracking it, sometime into the mission the Helicopter he was flying on crashed into the water and all four crew members perished.  Vinnie and his Girlfriend at the time and my Wife were good friends, his girlfriend worked with my wife Mandy at the Summer day camp on base.  I don't know what happened to her after that but I hope she is doing well, I only new Vinnie for a short time compared to all of you in his High School but those that he did call friends will definitely miss him like he was a brother.  On that night we lost four brave men who went out into the night to defend our freedom and they paid the ultimate price.  Freedom does not come free so when all of you get together on June 19th please raise your glass and toast all who have gone, but also remember there are still Men and Women overseas defending the world just like Vinnie did.  I'm sorry if this does not make any sense, but It just brought back a whole bunch of memories about that night.  I hope you all have a great time reminiscing...

S/F,
AEC(AW) Alistair T. McIntyre
HX-21 GIO/QA LCPO
COMM:  1-301-757-9042
DSN:         757-9042
alistair.mcintyre@navy.mil