Gloucester Alumni

By Christina Morais , Staff writer
Gloucester Daily Times

For Anthony J. Parisi, bringing the USS The Sullivans to his hometown for St. Peter's Fiesta as commanding officer is a dream come true.

Born and raised in Gloucester, the 19-year Navy veteran remembers selling sodas and souvenirs with family at the Fiesta during the summers of his childhood.

"The Fiesta was always the biggest event of our summers growing up here. I don't think I ever missed one my entire childhood," said Parisi, 40. "I am truly honored and blessed that the Navy allowed us to bring The Sullivans to Gloucester for this event."

Parisi is the first Gloucester native to captain an Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer into Gloucester's port. He is the only Gloucester native currently in command of a U.S. Navy warship.

Fresh from a six-month deployment in the Black Sea, Parisi and his crew are excited about this visit and look forward to taking part in the city's 80th annual St. Peter's Fiesta.

"This trip will be the highlight of my Navy career," Parisi said. "I cannot think of a better place to be in the summer than right here in Gloucester with my family and friends, meeting the incredible sailors I serve with."

Journey with The Sullivans

Parisi, who lives in Florida with his wife, Joy, and children, Madison, 11, and Dylan, 7, took command of the 8,700-ton Navy destroyer The Sullivans at sea on June 5, 2006. Prior to taking command, Parisi, a surface warfare officer whose specialty is combat systems, was an instructor at the Surface Warfare Officers School in Newport, R.I.

From Nov. 27, 2006, until May 29 of this year, the 505-foot long vessel, which is homeported in Mayport, Fla., was deployed in support of the war against terrorism. Parisi and his crew sailed more than 26,000 miles, making 24 different port visits in 11 different countries on three continents.

The crew spent Christmas in Rome and New Year's Eve in Villefranche-sur-Mer near Nice, France. They sailed into the Black Sea through the Turkish Straits and visited Varna, Bulgaria; Constanta, Romania; Samsun, Turkey; and Bat'umi, Georgia; as well as ports in Greece, Tunisia, Croatia, Spain and Italy. Parisi said one the highlights was an exercise with the Israeli Navy, which gave the crew the opportunity to visit Haifa, Israel, as well as Jerusalem, Galilee and the Jordan River.

"While working with the foreign navies in the region, we honed our warfighting skills and saw the best that Europe and the Black Sea region had to offer," he said. "It was the best deployment I have made in my 19 years of service."

Parisi said being away from family was one of the biggest challenges he and his crew faced while on deployment.

"The Navy will test the strength of your marriage and family bonds with recurring absences of up to nine months in length," he said. "We got through it with mutual support from the families back home and by using e-mail extensively. ... Prayer, pictures, phone calls and e-mails helped get us through."

During his career, Parisi and his family have been stationed in Florida, Mississippi, California, Rhode Island and Italy. He has served on seven ships, mostly destroyers and frigates, and was commanding officer of USS Zephyr (PC-8) from September 1997 to March 1999. Parisi has made three full six-month deployments to the Mediterranean, Red and Black Sea regions and several shorter deployments to the Eastern Pacific, Caribbean and South Atlantic.

Fisherman at heart

Parisi graduated summa cum laude from Norwich University, the Military College of Vermont, in 1988 and in the same year earned a commission as an ensign in the Navy. Throughout high school and college, Parisi worked with his father aboard the family's commercial fishing trawler, F/V Gloucesterman. He said growing up in a fishing family in Gloucester not only taught him to respect the sea and value hard work, but it also prepared him for a life as a Navy sailor.

"The Navy and a career of public service was my true calling," said the 1984 Gloucester High School graduate, who decided early on in high school he would enter the military. "My family was also very supportive of my decision to join the Navy and serve the country at sea."

Parisi's parents, James and Maria, and other local family and friends have eagerly awaited Parisi's visit to Gloucester. The family agrees that this particular visit from the Navy is a distinctive one.

"It's something special," said Parisi's father, James, a retired Gloucester fisherman who works as assistant harbormaster during the summer. "It's great to see it happen, especially as he's from Gloucester. I see ships come in all the time, but I've never been a part of it."

Recalling his experience as commanding officer of USS The Sullivans over the past year, Parisi said, "It has been challenging, taxing, trying and tough, but at the same time it has been rewarding in ways I never would have imagined.

"We are a family in The Sullivans and our ship's motto - 'We Stick Together' - really helps get us through the tough times. I have seen incredible things in this ship - from Rome to Jerusalem to New York City," he said. "It truly has been an adventure."

Anthony J. Parisi

Age: 40

Years of military service: 19

Rank: Commander of the USS The Sullivans, an Arleigh Burke Class guided missile destroyer

Awards: Joint Meritorious Service Medal, Meritorious Service Medal with one Gold Star, Navy Commendation Medal, and Navy Achievement Medal with two Gold Stars

Family: Wife, Joy; children, Madison, 11, and Dylan, 7

Hometown: Gloucester

Current residence: Florida

Favorite Fiesta memory: "My favorite Fiesta memory? That is a hard one as I have so many. Watching the Greasy Pole with my wife, children and family just a couple of years ago. It was a beautiful day and a friend of ours walked the pole dressed as Spider Man, which the kids loved. I think this Fiesta will be my most favorite memory, but I don't want to jinx it just yet."
print this story email this story AddThis Social Bookmark Button
More stories from the News section