Actual Photo of the USS Hector Memorial Plaque
(Actual Dimensions - 3.75" x 7.0")

Click on the Above Memorial Plaque
to view a full Video Presentation of the Ceremony
Donated by Wilant, Paul R. (Anna) 72-74 (LI 2)
Paul purchased a VHS copy of this video in 2003 and never played the tape since.
 He discovered the tape few weeks ago while cleaning the house during the Covid-19 pandemic lockdown.
He had it converted to a DVD  in order to watch the video because his VHS player was already decommissioned. 
A copy was donated to the USS Hector historian  and one was sent to Romy Cruz  who converted and uploaded it to Youtube.
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The USS Hector Memorial Plaque was dedicated and Memorial Service was held
on October 1, 2003 at the U.S. Navy Memorial in Washington, DC
where sixty-six former USS  Hector Sailors, including guests, from as far away as California and
as near as Clifton, VA and with nearly every state in between represented, assembled at the Navy Memorial.
They were there to dedicate a plaque honoring all crewmembers who served aboard USS Hector AR-7
during her long and distinguished service to the United States Navy.

A large part of this ceremony was a memorial service and wreath laying for their departed shipmates at the
Statue of the Lone Sailor. Following the invocation by Dr. Ford, the USS Hector Sailors Association’s Chaplain,
 Dr. Ford and Bob Lea, past president of the Association, placed a memorial wreath in front of the
Statue of the Lone Sailor. During the wreath placing and playing of Taps, eight of the original crew (Plank Owners)
were standing in a place of honor on each side of the statue.

Hector served the United States Navy for forty-three continuous years after her launching on 11 November 1942,
commissioning on  07 February 1944 and  until her decommissioning on 31 March 1987.
During this time Hector earned fourteen medals and awardsincluding three Humanitarian  Service Awards.
Hector saw a total of 26 deployments to the Far East.
Her service to the fleet spanned World War 2, the Korean Conflict, Viet Nam and other South East Asia conflicts.
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The Lone Sailor Statue
represents all people who ever served, are serving now or who are yet to serve in the Navy.
The Lone Sailor is a composite of the U.S. Navy bluejacket, past, present and future. The founders
of the Navy Memorial envisioned this Lone Sailor at 25 years old at most, a senior second class petty officer
who is fast becoming a seagoing veteran. He has done it all -- fired his weapons in a dozen wars,
weighed anchor from a thousand ports, tracked supplies, doused fires, repelled boarders, typed in quadruplicate
and mess-cooked, too. He has made liberty call in great cities and tiny villages, where he played tourist,
ambassador,missionary to the poor, adventurer, souvenir shopper and friend to new lands. His shipmates
remember him with pride and tell their grandchildren stories, some of which, like him, are seven feet tall.

Group photo of the Former Hector Sailors who attended the Dedication
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Plank Owners (Original Crewmembers) Beginning at the far left:
Frank Orzolek (ME1) 43-48; John Szekeres (SAO3)  43-45; Clophus Sutton (RM2) (44-46)
Harry Lookabaugh (RM2) 44-46; (Lone Sailor Statue); Wesley Niccolls (RT1) 43-45
Lawrence Kunowski (B2/c) 44-46; Richard Barreto (PH2) 43-45; W.J. Dempsey, Jr (SF3) 44-46
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