Sailor from Texas is remembered as ‘hero,’ family man
He was one of 7 found dead after destroyer was hit by container ship
WESLACO — Noe Hernandez was by all accounts a doting father, a loving husband and a source of pride for his family.
His death on the USS Fitzgerald, a destroyer that collided early Saturday with a container ship off the coast of Japan, triggered an outpouring of condolences for the grieving family, and touching memories of the 26-yearold.
“Rest in peace my dear son-in-law,” wrote Hernandez’s mother-in-law, Judith Luna, on her Facebook account. “You were, you will be and will continue being a great hero.”
Hernandez was one of seven sailors aboard the Fitzgerald who were killed when the Philippine-flagged ACX Crystal slammed into the side of the Navy destroyer. The Fitzgerald was towed to the American base at Yokosuka, Japan, where anxious families awaited news as Navy divers searched for the missing sailors.
The Navy released the names of the sailors on Sunday night after the sailors were found in flooded compartments below deck. Hernandez apparently died in the collision from a head injury as he slept, a cousin told a TV station.
Respected by peers
Hernandez’s wife, Dora, on Sunday posted a photo of Hernandez holding their 2-year-old son, Leon, with the caption “Happy Father’s Day Love of my Life.” She could not be reached for comment.
The couple met at Weslaco High School, where both were active in the JROTC program. Retired senior Army instructor, Santiago Galarza, 65, said Hernandez was respected by his peers, climbing to the rank of cadet major, and executive officer during his four years in the program. He was also a member of the Drill Team and the Color Guard.
“I will always remember the days we would hang out in the JROTC room,” friend Roy Cavazos posted on his Facebook page. “You were easily the better man than any of us. Such a great, kind-hearted and loved friend.”
Hernandez had been stationed in Illinois, Italy, California and Japan since joining the Navy in 2009.
“We all came from poverty in Guatemala. He was the one who made it,” said cousin Aly Hernandez Singer, in an Associated Press report. “We lived through his experiences. His travels.”
Chaotic aftermath
Sailors who survived the impact described a chaotic scene. Most of them were asleep when the ships collided, tearing holes in the Fitzgerald and flooding compartments below deck. Some sailors dove into the flooding berth to save shipmates, while others believed the ship had come under attack, one sailor’s mother told the Associated Press.
“We mourn the loss of a dedicated and selfless young man who represented the very best that the Rio Grande Valley has to offer,” said Rep. Vicente Gonzalez, D-McAllen.
Authorities have declined to speculate on the cause of the crash, but Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin, commander of the US 7th Fleet, said there would be several investigations, including one by the Navy’s Judge Advocate General and another by the U.S. Coast Guard.
“Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class Hernandez was one of our best and brightest who wanted to serve his country in the United States Navy,” said Cmdr. Karen Muntean, commanding officer of Navy Recruiting District San Antonio. “The Navy will fully investigate the cause of this tragedy.”