The Navy announced on Monday morning that a crew member on the USS Theodore Roosevelt, the ship formerly led by Captain Brett Crozier before his ouster, had died from COVID-19 earlier in the day.
The sailor, whose name is currently being withheld, tested positive for the coronavirus on March 30 and was moved to the ICU on Naval Base Guam last Thursday, according to the Navy.
On the day the sailor had tested positive, Crozier wrote a letter to Navy leadership pleading for assistance on the outbreak of COVID-19 on his ship, which had infected more than 100 members of his crew at that point.
“We are not at war. Sailors do not need to die,” the captain wrote. “If we do not act now, we are failing to properly take care of our most trusted asset our sailors.”
Shortly after Crozier sent the memo, then-acting Navy Secretary Thomas Modly fired the captain and bashed him as being “too naive or too stupid” for the position in a profanity-laced rant in front of the USS Theodore Roosevelt crew.
Modly resigned several days later, and Defense Secretary Mark Esper signaled that he was open to reinstating Crozier after the Navy’s investigation into the captain’s ouster.
But Yeah, SecDef Esper supported that tough decision…
Poor kid. Young, healthy, and then boom. Shaking my head.
Just in case you’re not mad enough about this, I read yesterday that other senior officers wanted to cosign the famous letter and Crozier said no, the burden was his. Obviously a hell of a guy. Damn damn danmn these people to hell.
So sorry for his family’s,and our country’s, loss.
So sorry for all those serving while POS Trump is President.
So proud of you for serving.
Toughen up snowflakes. This sailor died so the Trump regime could look strong and reopen the economy ASAP. What are a few (100,000+) deaths compared to the luminescent and everlasting glory of Trump?
It appears that Capt. Crozier was a naval Cassandra. I wonder how many other sailors — and maybe Crozier himself — die before he is reinstated, preferably with a very public apology from Defense Secretary Mark Esper? I would also suggest a promotion but that would be way beyond remotely feasible to expect from this maladministration.
BTW I wonder if Cadet Bone Spurs will attend the funeral when the yet unnamed sailor is laid to rest with military honors? Just kidding.