The Blessing of the Fleet and Memorial Service - an annual tradition honoring locals involved in the fishing industry who have died since 1941 - will not take place on Memorial Day this year as a safety measure against COVID-19.
At the request of the families, the Charleston Fisherman's Memorial Committee will include the names of the honored deceased to plaques in the Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial Garden for 2020 and 2021.
Bill Ainsworth, "Killer" Kent Atwater, Philip J. Gray, Mark A. Gray and Jack L. Hutchens will be added to the “In Memory of Charleston Fisherman.” Wayne James Clemens, Joe Clifton and Olaf Hornstuen will now be part of the “In Memory of Charleston Fisherman's Industry” plaque. These honorees will be formally recognized next year at the ceremony.
The memorial committee is encouraging those who know someone who died that was part of the fishing industry in Charleston to fill out an application if they want to be included in next year’s ceremony. March 31, 2022 is the deadline for submissions.
The public are welcomed to visit the garden, leave flowers and ring the brass bell in the honorees’ memory.
For more information, contact Fishermen’s Memorial Committee at P.O. Box 5882, Charleston, OR 97420.
