A memorial service was held aboard Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville Sept. 27 in memory of two naval officers from Sea Control Squadron (VS) 32 who died Sept. 21 in an S-3B Viking jet crash.

Navy Pilot Lt. Cmdr. Thomas E. Blake, 33, a native of Spencer, Neb. and Naval Flight Officer Lt. Cmdr. Scott T. Bracher, 33, of Malverne, N.Y., died while making an approach to land at NAS Jacksonville.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Both men were 11-year Navy veterans and had been members of the “Maulers” for approximately six months.

The more than 600 attendees at the service heard speaker after speaker recall the outstanding service these two young aviators had given to the nation and of the friendships shared over the years.

“This morning, we gather to celebrate Scott and Tom’s life, legacy and their commitment and dedication to our great nation through selfless, honorable service,” said VS-32 Commanding Officer Cmdr. William Henderson during his remarks. “They, as many before them, paid the ultimate sacrifice in defense of ideas which our country was founded upon.”

“This is a devastating loss for all of us,” stated Lt. Andrew Wylie of Training Squadron (VT) 86 at NAS Pensacola, Fla., as he recalled his friendship with Bracher.

“Scott was a son, a brother and a friend. It is hard to say all that needs to be said. How can a man’s life be summarized in a few minutes' speech? He was was energetic and studious.”

“Tom and Scott’s service embodied the immortal words of our late President Ronald Reagan, ‘We will always remember, we will always be proud, we will always be prepared, so we may always be free,’” Henderson said. [ANN Thanks Miriam S. Gallet, NAS Jacksonville Public Affairs]

FMI: www.navy.mil