THE coordinated whistles of four maritime prepositioning ships anchored in the waters off Saipan could be heard at the Court of Honor of American Memorial Park on Sunday afternoon during a remembrance ceremony for the late Capt. David I. Lyon of the U.S. Air Force.
MV David I. Lyon chief mate Joseph J. Berte, back to the camera, foreground, a retired U.S. Air Force lt. colonel, holds the USAF flag while U.S. Coast Guard-Saipan Marine Safety Detachment commander Eugene Chung, right, back to the camera, reads a dedication for Capt. David Lyon while crew members looks on.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
Originally from Sandpoint, Idaho, Lyon was a graduate of the Air Force Academy in 2008 and a member of the 21st Logistics Readiness Squadron assigned to Peterson Air Force Base in Colorado.
While serving a year-long deployment in Afghanistan, he was killed on Dec. 27, 2013 when a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device detonated near his convoy. He was 28.
Capt. David I. Lyon
Lyon was posthumously awarded the Bronze Star, the Meritorious Service Medal, the Purple Heart, and the Air Force Combat Action Medal.
He is survived by his wife, Air Force Capt. Dana Lyon, his parents Jeannie and Robert, and his brother Sean.
In 2014, a prepositioning ship was commissioned and named the MV David Lyon.
On Sunday, the ship captain, David Steiner, and his crew gathered at American Memorial Park to commemorate the life of the fallen airman.
Capt. David Steiner of MV David Lyon speaks during the remembrance ceremony for USAF Capt. David I. Lyon at the Court of Honor of American Memorial Park on Sunday.
Photo by Bryan Manabat
Steiner told Variety that the event was to honor Capt. David Lyon and to support his “amazing family.”
“As an Air Force logistics officer,” Steiner said, “Capt. David Lyon’s primary mission was to ensure that forward-deployed war fighters had everything they needed to carry the fight to the enemy. In this new chapter, the MV David Lyon has the same mission. The men and women of MV David Lyon also carry the spirit of their namesake because they routinely keep the ship 100% ready to ensure that war fighters have everything needed to carry any fight to any enemy. It is a fitting tribute to a young American hero.”
MV David Lyon chief mate, retired USAF Lt. Col. Joseph J. Berte, said: “When it comes down to the wire, and the enemy is upon you, and you reach into your holster, draw your sidearm and level it at your adversary, the difference between a click and a bang is logistics.”
He said “this time-honored logistics phrase sums up exactly the calling that drove Capt. David Lyon to become an outstanding USAF logistics readiness officer.”
Berte said the captain’s mission “was to make sure ‘beds, beans and bullets’ always get to the fight at the right time, in the right place and in sufficient quantities to win the fight.”
Capt. Davin Lyon clearly excelled at his profession, and he was a superb and outstanding Air Force officer, Berte added. “These facts led directly to his selection for a voluntary 365-day deployment to Afghanistan, a faraway place where heroism was earmarked for destiny in the Global War on Terrorism.”
Also attending the ceremony on Sunday were U.S. Coast Guard Saipan Marine Safety Detachment commander Eugene Chung and some members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Saipan Post 3457.
