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Connecticut sailor killed in USS Fitzgerald collision

Published  June 19, 2017 3:55pm EDT
News
FOX 5 New York

HARTFORD, Conn. (AP) - The sister of a U.S. Navy sailor from Connecticut who was killed in a collision between a destroyer and a container ship off Japan said that her family will remember him as "the most selfless person."

Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25, was one of seven sailors killed aboard the USS Fitzgerald on Saturday.

Lan Huynh told WVIT-TV on Sunday that family members are coping as best they can.

The family moved to Connecticut when Ngoc Huynh was in the eighth grade, she said. Her brother graduated from Watertown High School and also attended Naugatuck Valley Community College before enlisting in the Navy in 2014. The family moved to Oklahoma a short time later.

Lan Huynh, 23, told The Hartford Courant her brother enlisted because he wanted to give back to his mother, who raised four children on her own.

"It's not something he always wanted to do, but he wanted to do something adventurous," she said.

She described the harrowing hours between the collision and the identification of victims.

"We honestly, stayed up all night sitting by ourselves and crying our hearts out. We were constantly refreshing the web for any updates," she said.

Lan Huynh said her brother was quiet, yet had the "brightest smile" and was the "sweetest human being" she knew.

"I just want everyone know that he was the best brother ever," she said.

Connecticut Gov. Dannel P. Malloy ordered flags to fly at half-staff in Ngoc Huynh's honor until his memorial service.

"The members of the military and their families make so many sacrifices to serve our nation, and today is a sad and tragic reminder of what these men and women risk in defense of our nation every day," Malloy said in a statement. "Our state and our nation are in mourning for all of those who lost loved ones onboard the U.S.S. Fitzgerald, including Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T. Truong Huynh from Connecticut. We pray for a safe homecoming for all of our troops who are stationed around the world, and thank them for their bravery and service."