USS Lassen’s Legacy Lives On Through Namesakes
By Ensign Sean A. Brophy, USS Lassen Public Affairs


The new Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home in St. Augustine, Fla., is named after American hero Cmdr. Clyde E. Lassen, the namesake of the forward-deployed Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82). Photo courtesy of Bill Dudley

A ceremony was held recently to dedicate the new Clyde E. Lassen State Veterans’ Nursing Home in St. Augustine, Fla.

Cmdr. Clyde E. Lassen, a native of Fort Meyers, Fla., and namesake of the Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Lassen (DDG 82), received the Congressional Medal of Honor for his heroism as a UH-2 Seasprite helicopter pilot during the Vietnam War.

Drawing heavy enemy fire in the dark of night in North Vietnam, then Lt. j.g. Lassen risked his life to save two downed aviators June 19, 1968. After returning from Vietnam, Lassen continued to serve in the U.S. Navy until he retired at the rank of commander in 1982. Lassen passed away in 1994, but the legacy of his service continues to live on through the nursing home and the ship.

Through the City of Tampa Navy League, a citizen organization that serves and supports United States sea services, USS Lassen contributed a commemorative plaque and letter that were presented during the dedication ceremony by Commander Navy Medicine Support Command Rear Adm. Eleanor Valentin.

“The 275 officers and crew who sail in USS Lassen, which was commissioned in Tampa in 2001 and now forward-deployed to Yokosuka, Japan, serve with pride in knowing that their ship’s namesake was an American hero,” said USS Lassen Commanding Officer Cmdr. H.B. Le.

“In our daily operations, we strive to uphold the legacy of service that Clyde E. Lassen represents. We are glad that we were able to help honor the memory and service of Cmdr. Lassen during the dedication ceremony and feel privileged to share a special bond with the new State Veteran’s Nursing Home in St. Johns County,” Le added.

Congressman John Mica and Adjutant General of Florida Maj. Gen. Emmett Titshaw were among the distinguished speakers to address the crowd of hundreds who gathered for the grand opening of the new 95,000-square-foot, 140-bed facility. The family of Cmdr. Lassen, veterans, and local community leaders were also in attendance for the dedication ceremony.

At a cost of $31 million, it is the first Florida veterans’ home to be named after a U.S. Navy veteran and the first Florida nursing home built as a Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design certified ‘green’ facility.