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Under the wide and starry sky
Dig the grave and let me lie:
Glad did I live and gladly die,
And I laid me down with a will.
This be the
verse you grave for me:
Here he lies where he long'd to be;
Home
is the sailor, home from the sea,
And the hunter home
from the hill.” Robert Louis Stevenson
Concord sailors have two families, one that is biological
and one borne out of steel, deployment, and dedication to our country. A loss of either family member is heartbreaking and
difficult. This is one of the main reasons our association was formed, to remember our brothers and sisters who have sailed
on. LCDR Shepperd sent the following report of a shipmates' passing and his thoughts concerning his mentor warranted posting
below. Thanks Mike. Since
I retired from the USN in September of 1994, I’ve been trying to track down LCDR Richard A. Buttina. He was Ops
boss on the USS CONCORD (AFS-5) from about the time that I first reported until the Spring of 1980. He taught me a lot.
I finally tracked him down. Unfortunately, he died on Christmas Day 2011. This breaks my heart. While moored
in Norfolk, VA in February 1980, (I think it was 20 February 1980) he was CDO on the CONCORD. We were watching the “Miracle
on Ice” hockey game in the wardroom. After the USA had won, I asked his permission to pass the word to the crew,
even though it was after Taps. He immediately said, “yes.” I went to the Quarterdeck and personally
passed the word to the crew that team USA had beaten the Russians and were to take on Sweden in the Gold Medal round.
The team won that, too! After I passed the word, you could hear a roar emanating from below decks all the way to several
levels above the main decks. LCDR Buttina was a special man. He needs to be remembered by the crew of the USS
CONCORD.
Michael B. Shepperd, LCDR, USN (Ret.) d d d d
I'd like to report a deceased shipmate
"Twenty years from now you will be more disppointed
by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor.
Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
The USS Concord AFS/TAFS 5 Association is a not-for
profit and tax free organization IAW 501(c) 19. Dues \ donations however are non tax deductible.
All of our membership
dues and other contributions directly fund the association functions, events, and necessary expenditures associated with
maintaining our organization.
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