August 29, 2016 — With the long line of American flags rippling above the crescent of Stacy Boulevard and the postcard of its harbor serving as the backdrop, Gloucester on Saturday once again wrapped its arms around those who went out to sea and never returned.
The number of Gloucester fishermen who have perished harvesting seafood from the cauldron of the North Atlantic Ocean now reaches into the thousands — the most recent loss that of David “Heavy D” Sutherland last December during a rescue attempt after his boat, the Orin C, went down about 12 miles off Thacher Island.
On Saturday evening, America’s oldest fishing community gathered to pay homage and remembrance to those who never returned to their hailing port from their last trip, with about 400 fishing friends and family circling the iconic Gloucester Fishermen’s Memorial for the annual Fishermen’s Memorial Service.
Speaker after speaker, from master-of-ceremonies Barry Pett to Mayor Sefatia Romeo Theken and on to keynote speaker Linda Greenlaw, framed some remarks in the language of loss and remembrance.
But the indelible thread that ran through the service was that of the city’s perpetual resilience and its unwavering grip on the traditions and sense of community that sustain it through good times and bad, through bounty and crisis.
“I grew to love this place,” said Greenlaw, who rose to prominence first through her depiction in both the book and cinematic rendition of “The Perfect Storm” and later as an author. “It’s one of the very few remaining true fishing ports on the entire Eastern Seaboard.”