USS Cole bombing 9th anniversary

NORFOLK, Va. - On October 12, 2000, a small boat loaded with explosives blew a hole in the side of USS Cole while the Norfolk-based destroyer was making a refueling stop in Yemen.

"October 12 is always going to be a special day for my family and everyone else here in Hampton Roads," said Lou Gunn, father of Cheronne Gunn, who lost his life while serving his country onboard USS Cole.

"Cheronne is always in my hear. Anyone will tell you the way Cheronne's life was molded was just like mine," Lou continued.

It's also the day Lorrie Triplett lost her husband Andrew. "He loved the Navy, that was his life," said Lorrie.

It's the day the lives of 17 families changed forever after Al Qaeda terrorists rammed a boat filled with explosives into the Norfolk-based USS Cole. The attack killed 17 sailors and injured 39 others.

Gunn joined other families Monday at the Cole Memorial in Norfolk for a private ceremony. Lorrie Triplett chose to remember her husband privately with her teenage girls this weekend. Triplett says she can still picture dropping Andrew off at the ship.

"We had got him a bike and my husband rolled off towards the ship as I drove away, I see that memory of him in my rear view mirror and I'll never forget that," said Triplett.

Gunn says a memorial in his home keeps Cheronne's spirit alive. "I think about him all the time. It never goes away," he said.

The anniversary, while painful, is also a way for the families to grieve together. Triplett and Gunn are looking forward in a way to the tenth anniversary; plans are already underway.

"It's just so amazing to be in a room with people who have suffered like you have suffered and know their pain and then all of a sudden you come together for one common bond and to be there like a real family," said Gunn.