63 years.

April 10th marked the 63rd anniversary of the loss of the USS Thresher and its crew. My family and I made the 5 hour drive up to Portsmouth, NH & Kittery, ME to attend the annual memorial service, which has happened every year since 1963.

This was the second time that my wife and I attended the memorial services, the first being two years ago when my father-in-law got to speak about his father, Paul, who was one of the civilian engineers aboard when the Thresher was lost at sea. I learned more about my father-in-law in the 20 minutes he spoke than in the entire 12 years I’ve known him.

This year’s ceremony was just as important and just as somber. In addition to the members of the US Navy that spoke, Neil Collier had the opportunity to speak about his father, LT. Merrill F. Collier, who was one of the 129 men lost.

The speech he made was similar to the one my father-in-law made two years ago; they both lost their fathers before the age of 3, their families rarely, if ever, talked about this tragedy, and they want to make sure that future generations are aware of the sacrifice these brave men (and their families) made.

I was deeply moved by the ceremony and their continued perseverance. It’s very personal to them and all of Portsmouth. The handful of people I spoke with all said the same thing: Keep their memory alive and don’t let anyone forget them.

That’s why I wrote the musical. I wrote it for Portsmouth. I wrote it for the families. I wrote it for anyone who’s lost someone dear to them. I wrote it so their story can be told and never forgotten.

The night before, the Memorial Bridge which spans the Piscataqua River, was lit blue in honor of the Thresher.