On March 8, 1968, a Soviet submarine, armed with nuclear weapons, was lost with all hands in the north Pacific. The wreckage was nearly three miles down, and despite a major effort by the Soviets, they were unable to reach it.
Six years later, a CIA-built ship, the Glomar Explorer, operating under the cover of an ocean mining vessel, recovered part of the sub. Reliable reports indicate that two nuclear warheads were recovered, along with the bodies of six Soviet sailors, three of whom could be identified. The U.S. held a burial at sea for the six mariners, in Russian and English, and videotaped it.
After the fall of the U.S.S.R., the United States gave a copy of the video to Russia. Parts of the tape were shown on the PBS show Nova in 2003.
The sermon is oddly touching, as the speaker explains the rationale for the service: to honor fellow sailors who lost their lives doing their patriotic duty.
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