On July 22 Honoring of the Lost at Sea, an annual event of the Sea Festival, took place in the Baltic Sea by Klaipėda. Flower wreaths were lowered into the water and the naval ceremony of passing honors marked the occasion.
The event was attended by President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda, Minister of Communications Marius Skuodis, Vice Minister of Defence Žilvinas Tomkus, Chief of Defence of Lithuania Gen Valdemaras Rupšys, Chief of the Defence Staff Maj Gen Artūras Radvilas, Karinių jūrų pajėgų vadas jūrų kpt. Giedrius Premeneckas, Karinių oro pajėgų vadas plk. Antanas Matutis, Commander of the Special Operations Forces Col Darius Milašius, Mayor of the city of Klaipėda Arvydas Vaitkus, Chief Executive of Klaipėda Seaport Algis Latakas and Harbour Master Vladas Motiejūnas, Commanding Officer of USS Roosevelt (DDG 80) guided-missile destroyer Cmdr Jeffrey Chewning, foreign defence attaches and other guests.
The procession of 30 ships was led to the sea by and wreaths of flowers were lowered in the honor of the lost from aboard LNS Jotvingis (N42) supply and command ship. Other Lithuanian Navy ships in the parade were Skalvis (M53), Kuršis (M54), Žemaitis (P11) and Dzūkas (P12) patrol ships and Šakiai search and rescue ship. Bishop of Telšiai Algirdas Jurevičius offered a prayer and Senior Chaplain of Klaipėda Garrison Cmdr Remigijus Monstvilas blessed those lost at sea.
Honoring of the Lost at Sea is a longstanding, one of the oldest traditions of the Sea Festival, dating back to the very first celebrations in Klaipėda in 1934 that aimed to attract as wide an audience from the whole of Lithuania as possible. The ceremony annually pays tribute to those lost at sea whose heroic deeds glorified the name of Lithuania, built the foundations of a maritime state and fostered the seafaring tradition of our nation.
Passing Honors is an ancient maritime tradition to convey respects and channel peaceful intents between ships passing each other. When approaching, ship crews fall into formation on deck and salute the passing vessel. The first ship to be saluted is the one that has the superior rank officer of official aboard.
Information credits: Lithuanian Navy
Photo credits: Seaman Tomas Donauskas
