Local sailor earns medal for role fighting ship fire
SAN DIEGO — A sailor from Butler County was recently awarded a medal for his part in helping fight a fire that heavily damaged the USS Bonhomme Richard.
Fireman Markos Grandelis, 19, was awarded the Navy and Marine Achievement Medal two weeks ago during a ceremony in San Diego, where his ship, the USS Harpers Ferry, a dock landing ship that transports landing craft and amphibious vehicles, is preparing to put to sea.
Grandelis had just been assigned to the Harpers Ferry in May. A fire broke out July 12 on the Wasp-class amphibious assault vessel USS Bonhomme Richard.Grandelis, who was staying on a dormitory barge near the Harpers Ferry, said he and his crew mates could “see the smoke.”“We were on the ship when we got reports through the chain of command about the fire,” he said. “We could see the smoke from where we were.”“Initially, we didn't think much of it, but then they told us they needed a few guys to go over and provide support,” he said.Grandelis said the Harpers Ferry contingent was told not to wear their firefighting gear at first, and that they were going to be in support roles.Then, he said, the first explosion rocked the Bonhomme Richard.“We were all in shock. We got off the pier, but it was very strange. I was nervous for everyone,” he said.He returned to his ship, but around an hour later a call went out again.“They told us they needed volunteers,” he said.“They set us up in this little theater with food and drinks and as we sat there, they were going over the plan of how to fight the fire,” Grandelis said.For the next 24 hours, Grandelis and other sailors helped to move materials on the pier, connected fire hoses and moved supplies around in support of firefighting efforts.He said more than 400 sailors from 20 ships and even people who were on liberty turned up to help.
In addition to three Helicopter Sea Combat squadrons, the U.S. Coast Guard, four Federal Fire agencies, the Camp Pendleton Fire Department and Combat Center Fire Department, also assisting were the National City Fire Department, San Diego Metro Fire Department and Harbor Police fire boats.“It was awesome,” Grandelis said. “You should have seen all the people on the pier. Everybody was there to support the effort and holding each other up.”“I think we stayed up for a day and then they let us go home,” he said.Firefighting efforts continued for four days.Navy spokesman Lt. Ryan Slattery said about 160 sailors were aboard at the time. USS Bonhomme Richard was going through a maintenance availability and has a crew size of about 1,000.Sixty eight people, 45 sailors and 23 civilians were treated for minor injuries, including heat exhaustion and smoke inhalation.At this time, the Navy is investigating the cause of the fire and determining the extent of the damage, according to Slattery.“We don't know yet,” Slattery said. “Decisions are still being made. Damage estimates remain ongoing.”For Grandelis, it was an exciting start to his naval career.
The Butler native graduated from Butler Area High School in 2019.“I decided to join the Navy a few months after that,” said Grandelis, who enlisted in January.He comes from a seafaring family. His older brother, Ian Grandelis, serves as a Navy corpsman at Camp Pendleton and recently was awarded the Humanitarian Service Medal for assisting in COVID-19 treatment. His father, Stefan Grandelis, spent 30 years in the Navy in active and ROTC service and presently is with the Navy ROTC unit at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburgh.After eight weeks of boot camp at Naval Station Great Lakes on Lake Michigan in Illinois and additional engineering training, Markos Grandelis was assigned to the Harpers Ferry.As a fireman, he said, “I work with the engine men in the engine room.”Grandelis said the firefighting techniques taught to all Navy recruits came in handy in August.Despite winning a medal for his actions on land, Grandelis said he's looking forward to the Harpers Ferry being deployed.“I'm looking forward to going to sea. There's a lot to appreciate being on the sea with your shipmates,” said Grandelis.
