Memorial vigil slated for Sunday

Published 6:00 am Thursday, June 22, 2017

The East Limestone community is pulling together to honor seven men lost in the Navy USS Fitzgerald shipwreck last week. The East Limestone SOS Club and families of E5 Jackson Schrimsher of Athens and E4 Joey Railey of Harvest are meeting at 8 p.m. Sunday on the football field.

Schrimsher and Railey were both on the ship when it collided with a Philippine-flagged container ship off the coast of Japan, killing seven of their shipmates. Schrimsher’s grandmother Rita said the SOS club ordered 500 vigil candles, and she’s hoping for a good turnout.

“I’m hoping we have that many,” she said. “I think 200 would be a good number.”

Schrimsher said the SOS club is looking for seven floating sky lanterns to release in memory of each seaman who died.

“They’re asking seven retired Navy veterans to come let the lanterns go,” she said.

Because of the 13-hour time difference in the U.S. and Japan, Schrimsher said she doesn’t know if she will Facetime Jackson during the vigil, but she plans to take pictures to send to him.

She said the vigil is something she wanted to do quickly.

“We felt like the sooner the better because we didn’t want to drag it out,” Schrimsher said.