Navy Gold Star Coordinator Support

John Ellsworth Hasselbrink died while stationed at Pearl Harbor Naval Base and serving aboard the fast attack submarine USS Illinois (SSN 786). John E had served in the US Navy for over 21 years, the majority of time aboard fast-attack submarines, and was approaching retirement as Chief.

He was on the swim team in high school and won several medals during inter-high school competitions. He had also competed in the Hawaiian Marathon several times. He was awarded the Navy & Marine Corp Commendation Medal by the Navy, among other citations.

Other commands that he had served on were;

USS Topeka (SSN 754) deployed to the International Date Line at the millennium,

USS Columbus (SSN 762) Order of Shellbacks

USS Santa Fe (SSN 763)

COMSUBRON ONE

Wyatt Austin Cypert, age 30 passed away August 31, 2024, in Chania, Greece while on deployment with the U.S. Navy’s Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron SEVEN NINE serving as an Aviation Electrician’s Mate Third Class. He was stationed at Naval Station Rota, since May 2022. Prior to that he was stationed at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego, California. Wyatt was a 2013 graduate of Har-Ber High School in Springdale, Arkansas where he competed on the track and swim teams. Wyatt had a big heart and a deep love for his family and friends, and he loved to make people happy, and he loved to make them laugh. He enjoyed traveling, running, biking, and had become an accomplished scuba diver while being stationed and living on the beach in Rota, Spain. We cannot forget his moustache, impeccable, A1 grade, meticulously groomed, and kept to the highest of Naval Sailor moustache standards!

Seth was an amazing young man who saw good in everyone and everything.  He was a loving dad to his beautiful daughter, Naomi, as well as a loving brother and son.  Seth had a great sense of humor and an infectious laugh.  He loved what he did and chose to make the Navy his career.  A health issue sidelined his career as a submariner but he rebounded and joined the EDO Community and excelled there.  He excelled at anything he put his mind to.  Seth's passing blindsided us and we are still reeling from it.  It's something you never get used to but we will forever be grateful for our time with him.

Jesse Melton III was raised in Randallstown, MD. He attended Randallstown High School graduating with honors in 1996. He attended Messiah College, PA fall of 1996. Jesse was a Christian whose mindset was God first.  He was active in the youth group at Colonial Baptist Church, where he displayed early, his ability to lead.

Jesse enlisted in the Marine Corps Reserves, 05/19/1997 after his freshman year at Messiah. After his junior year, he completed OCS. Upon graduation with a B.A. in Communications, June 2000; he was commissioned 2nd Lieutenant. He believed a good officer must lead by example. He stated, “I want the Marines on my team to follow me out of admiration, not obligation,” Jesse was promoted to Captain prior to Iraqi deployment in 2005. Upon return to the U.S., he attended and graduated from EWS.

He was assigned to the 12th Marines, 3rd Marine Division, and III Marine Expeditionary Force Okinawa, Japan. Before deployment to Afghanistan, Melton told his mother “I want to go change the world and make a difference, to do something that will bring God Glory." He served about six months in Afghanistan before being KIA 09/09/2008 with three team members by an IED. He was off duty but agreed to substitute for a fellow Marine; whose daughter was born two days later.