What began as a simple social studies project being done by a 10-year-old fourth grader has evolved into a lifetime of dedication, a reunion of souls and a chronology and closure for thousands of U.S. Navy servicemen, thanks to the efforts of one North Bergen native.
Last year, Linda Faistl Lassen’s daughter Sarah had to do a project for school and wanted to do something on the USS Belknap, the battleship that collided with the USS John F. Kennedy off the coast of Sicily on Nov. 22, 1975, a collision that resulted in the loss of eight lives, including the life of Sarah’s uncle, Brent William Lassen.
“It wasn’t much that my husband [Wayne] talked about,” Faistl Lassen said. “We learned bits and pieces through conversations. We didn’t even have a picture of Brent. There wasn’t this constant reminder that my husband’s brother was killed on the Belknap. But Sarah remembered and wanted to do her project on it.”
Faistl Lassen grew up in a military background. Her father, Charlie, is a long-time member of the North Bergen American Legion and serves as the director of the township’s department of Veterans’ Affairs. He has been the driving force behind the North Hudson Flag Day parade for more than 20 years.
“I grew up with Memorial Day being such an important day,” Faistl Lassen said. “So when Memorial Day came around every year, I taught my children that they should remember their Uncle Brent.”
It’s that thought which propelled Sarah Lassen to want to know more about the USS Belknap.
So Linda and her daughter began to search the Internet about information on the collision, one of the worst friendly disasters in U.S. Navy history.
However, Faistl Lassen soon found that there wasn’t a lot of information available about the disaster.
“I started to contact crew members of the Belknap on a naval message board,” Faistl Lassen said. “That’s how it all started.”
The first sailor that Faistl Lassen located was Sam Namen, a native of Ohio, who served on the Belknap at the time of the collision and was a good friend of Brent Lassen’s.
“It was through Sam Namen that Wayne finally knew how his brother died,” Faistl Lassen said. “At the time of the disaster, we were in the Cold War with Russia and everything was classified information. The government didn’t want Russia to know why we had two battleships in the Mediterranean Sea at the same time. I’m not saying the government covered it up, but they had to do whatever they could to protect their intelligence. Families were just told that there was an accident and that their children were dead.
Added Faistl Lassen, “But it was incredible to finally have the answers from Sam.”
Through E-mails, Namen told Linda that Brent was a sonar technician (STG 3) on the Belknap. He was at his post, when the Kennedy, a much larger craft, seared off the top of the Belknap, killing Brent instantly. The collision started a huge fire and the other sailors who died either died in the fire or from smoke inhalation. Seven sailors from the Belknap and one from the Kennedy were killed in the collision.
“It was an incredible experience for me to have this information,” Faistl Lassen said. “It just started the ball rolling.”
Faistl Lassen said that she always enjoyed writing, going back to her days at North Bergen High School (Class of 1981), where she was influenced by teachers like George Dean (still teaching) and the retired Florence Whitehouse.
“I contacted Sam for the information Sarah needed for the report, but it got me thinking,” Faistl Lassen said. “This story has really never been told. So many things happened then. Both ships had nuclear weapons. If they would have blown up, it could have cost the entire Mediterranean Sea. I am a believer of faith and I believe I was put in this position for a reason. Writing has always been a passion of mine. I figured this could be my passion.”
So after her daughter’s project was done, Faistl Lassen continued to research the Belknap disaster. She searched for other crew members, other survivors, the families of the other fallen sailors, and everything she could get her hands on.
“I started eating, living, breathing the Belknap,” Faistl Lassen said. “It really became an obsession. It was always for the men. There were so many questions that had to be answered.”
Collaborating on a book
Faistl Lassen continued to get in contact with several different crew members from the Belknap. One of those members, Phil Turner, became a friend through the Internet.
Now, the two are collaborating on a book about the Belknap’s history, even more than just the accident. The book is about 70 percent completed, featuring interviews and stories from many different people involved with its history.
“Phil was there, so it’s basically his experience,” Faistl Lassen said. “I’m just helping to continue the research and put it all together.”
The duo has hired a literary agent and has submitted proposals about the book to different publishing companies.
Also, as part of the extensive research Faistl Lassen compiled, she was able to organize a letter-writing campaign to get a memorial for the Belknap placed in Wisconsin Square in Norfolk, Va.
“There were already memorials for other ships at that site,” Faistl Lassen said. “One of the crew members, Preston Fitzwater, who lives in West Virginia, gave me the idea for the memorial. Right after the Vietnam War ended, he was reassigned and lost touch with everyone. I think a lot of the crew members have never been able to put it behind them. With the memorial, a lot of them were able to get the closure that they needed. It wasn’t just for the men who died, but for the entire crew.”
On April 26, Faistl Lassen and several members of the Belknap crew were on hand for the dedication of the memorial in Norfolk.
“It’s really unbelievable the amount of information we’ve been able to gather,” Faistl Lassen said. “It’s also been an emotional experience. I’m so emotionally involved now that it feels like it’s my family. The crew of the Belknap have accepted Wayne and I and brought us into their family. They’re no longer faceless people. They are people with names and families.”
Needless to say, Faistl Lassen never imagined that the simple social studies project would turn into this massive and intense search for answers.
“Never, ever, could I have dreamed this could happen,” Faistl Lassen said. “I think it’s just something that found me. I think it’s something that God led me to do, to be a part of this. It’s been a wonderful experience and I’m going to keep going. It’s not for me. It’s for the men.”
As well as the memory of the brother-in-law that she never knew.
For more information about the USS Belknap, the accident, the crew and other assorted information, log on to www.ussbelknap.com.