LEWISTON – The USS Canberra Association, American Legion, Veterans of Foreign Wars and area veterans conducted a special memorial service at noon April 12 in the center of the Longley Memorial Bridge in memory of the 45th anniversary of the sinking of the USS nuclear submarine Thresher 593.

Sen. Peggy Rotundo greeted the veterans and commended them on their faithfulness in remembering their fellow comrades who paid the ultimate price.

Doug Taylor led the assembly in memorial prayer followed by the singing of “God Bless America.”

The Thresher was on sea trials off the coast of Massachusetts when all hands were lost. Thomas C. Dow, U.S. Navy retired submariner, was stationed aboard the U.S.S. Recovery ARS 43, which took part in the search for Thresher’s survivors.

Dow told how cold and windy it was on that day. “The coffee literally froze in our cups,” said Dow. Dow said only a quarter of a bucket of corking material, insulation, a rubber glove and a bottle of aspirin were recovered.

Thomas Dow and John Richey, who served on the U.S.S. Remora, and George Marshall placed a wreath of enduring memory in the Androscoggin River, a memorial tradition for “all hands lost.”

Jerry DerBoghosian, who helped build the Thresher at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, Portsmouth, N.H., talked briefly about his experiences in the building process and his relationship with the crew.