OAK HARBOR – People in the congregation at Family Bible Church wept Sunday morning when they heard that three sailors based in their town died late last week in Iraq.
That was before they even knew their names.
Oak Harbor is built around Whidbey Island Naval Air Station. Most locals have military experience or friends and family who are serving.
“So when something like this happens, it affects everyone,” Oak Harbor City Councilman Jim Campbell said. “Those are our friends and family.”
News of the tragedy spread quietly over the weekend, and the community’s grief grew stronger when the official word came on Monday.
“When something as tragic as this happens to personnel of NAS Whidbey, it is felt by the entire community, civilian and military alike,” Oak Harbor Mayor Patty Cohen said.
Chief Petty Officer Gregory J. Billiter, 36, and Petty Officer 1st Class Joseph Adam McSween, 26, both of Oak Harbor, and Petty Officer 2nd Class Curtis R. Hall, 24, of Burley, Idaho, died Friday in combat near Kirkuk, Iraq.
The military has not released any further details.
Billiter was husband to a middle school science teacher and father of a 3-year-old son. Hall was an Eagle Scout who saved his father from drowning when he was just 14. McSween was father to two girls who attended Oak Harbor Church of Christ.
They also were experts at deactivating bombs, protecting other service members in their work as members of the Explosive Ordnance Disposal Unit 11.
“You are always aware that something like this could happen,” Oak Harbor Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Jill Johnson said.
When it does, it’s a reminder of the sacrifice so many Oak Harbor families make when their loved ones deploy to dangerous areas, she said.
Lt. Mike Buxton with the Oak Harbor Fire Department estimated that almost half of Oak Harbor residents are either in the military or part of military families.
These deaths will have a large impact on the community of 22,300, he said.
“We have a connection with these guys because they put themselves at risk,” he said, standing outside the fire station Monday. “It’s a pretty big loss.”
Like many in Oak Harbor, Debra Carroll has family in Iraq. For her, the deaths bring home the reality of war.
“To me, it’s scary,” she said. “I can’t hardly watch the news because it makes me cry.”
The naval base at Whidbey Island is unique because the community is truly a family, said State Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island.
“There is a real caring connection of the community and the people at the base,” she said. “I’m just really saddened.”
Gov. Chris Gregoire added her respects. Her husband, Mike, is a Vietnam veteran.
“Mike and I were saddened to learn of the death of three Navy sailors who lived and worked on Whidbey Island,” Gregoire said in a statement. “Our thoughts and prayers are with the family and friends of these three brave men and with those in the community whose lives were touched by their sacrifice.”
Jason Tritt, co-owner of Flyers Restaurant and Brewery in Oak Harbor, offered to help the families of the fallen sailors.
“We would do whatever we can to ease the pain,” he said.
Herald writer Jerry Cornfield contributed to this report.
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