Navy Gold Star Coordinator Support

Sylvester was born in Morristown, NJ, and graduated from Weequahic High School. He loved his dog, Budda, and always wanted to be a pilot when he grew up. He enlisted in the Navy in 1979 where he worked his way up through the ranks to become a Master Chief Aviation Supervisor. In his free time, Sylvester enjoyed fishing and bowling. He was very committed to his military career and served for 20 years. His son, Jamel, spoke of working with his dad at a part-time job at a limousine service. Jamel cleaned the vehicles and his father would drive them. “It was the simple memories I miss about my father,” Jamel said. “I am super proud of him and his accomplishments.” Sylvester is remembered by his wife, Andriana, two sons, Jamel and DeSean, and a daughter, Nekia.

I would like to say a word or two about the life and legacy of AFCM (AW/SW) Sylvester Freeman, whom I had the honor to work with at HSL-34 (NAS Norfolk, VA) beginning during 1985 until 1987 and a second time, at HM-12 (NAS Norfolk, VA) from 1987 to 1990 and finally at NAMTRAGRUDET 1007 (NAS Oceana VA during 1996. He was a sailor's sailor at all times and loved the Navy. He should be remembered as being a sailor who was in his natural environment serving at sea faithfully aboard many ships. We salute his valor and courage, may he never be forgotten.  Written  by: Stan Killins AMHC(AW/SW) USN, Retired

PO3 Scott "Skee" Belonsky was born Oct 21, 1975 and passed away on Dec 19, 2001.

Scott graduated from Wheeling High School in Wheeling Illinois. After high school he worked in the air conditioning field. Scott would join the Navy June 18, 1998 to learn a trade, to make a career. After boot camp he was assigned to the USS Cushing which would then take him to Japan.

Those who served along-side Scott, said he was a very well liked person and a hard worker. He was a good sailor and a "good friend," "a great person," "a truly beautiful person with a heart of gold who would have given you the shirt off his back." He will always be remembered for his kindness and his sense of humor. Scott had a great heart, a positive outlook on life, and cheerful attitude. He was a lot like his father.

 Andre' was the youngest sibling of his twin brother (Brian) and older brother (Darryl Jr,) three years his senior.  He enjoyed his family, cousins, uncles, aunts, etc.  Always looking to spend time with them whenever possible.  He was also the peacemaker between the three of them. He enjoyed using his hands to repair and learn new skills, always trying to sharpen his talents and expand his horizons.  His favorite sport was basketball and softball. He loved to be helpful and and he enjoyed laughing or making up jokes to get a smile from others. When he was accepted into the Navy, he was on top of the world with happiness and glee. He looked forward to traveling, learning, and studying to be a Medic to help more soldiers, and ultimately meet his soulmate. He will always be loved and missed by his friends and family.

Nicholas Brown was 1 of 3 kids from Minnesota. His dad was a Vietnam Veteran; thus, he came from a military family.On February 22, 2001, he enlisted in the US Navy. From the very beginning, he knew it would be a long term career and he wanted to become a Chief. Some of the many places the Navy brought him to was Pensacola FL, LeMoore CA, Fallon NV, and finally Oak Harbor WA, where he was able to finally get pinned as a Navy Chief. We met while he was stationed in Fallon. We soon got married and had 3 wonderfully amazing kids. We loved to cook together, experience new adventures, and learn new things together. Here in Oak Harbor, we would go to the drive-in and enjoy some family time. Nicholas loved the Packers and you would find him watching the games with his kids, relaxing on the couch. He was such a great dad. Today, Sept 2018, my kids are 9, 7, and 3 years old, and I still speak to them about him. Although, Nicholas was a ‘Ford guy’ he was in the middle of restoring a 56’ Chevy Luv; he never finished.The Navy was a huge part of what encompassed Nicholas’ life. He loved to deploy with expeditionary units. Those deployments took him to Iraq and Libya. He strived for perfection when it came to his duties. Being the meticulous guy that he was, he was always concerned about work and how to make things more efficient and effective. He was a great Sailor, a great Chief.The stress of work and home became too much for him and after 16 years of faithful Naval Service and almost 10 years of marriage, on January 18th, 2017, he took his own life. He is missed every day by his family and friends.

-Christine Gold Star Spouse

David was the consummate Naval Officer, husband and father. He left behind 3 children and myself. We all miss him and wish we had more time with him. David loved his main hobby, woodworking, and we have pieces of his work in our home that remind us of him and his many talents. Our friends still reach out to tell us they miss him, his friendship, and his smile. This lets us know that he is not forgotten, which is important to all of us. We hope that he is never forgotten and will live on through future generations.

I Love You and Miss You To The Highest Extreme Son

Love Always Your Loving Mom and Big Sister Mia.