First, please take a moment of silence for the fishermen who were accepted for engraving on The Lost Fishermen’s Monument:

Dwayne Alley

Jaxson Marston

Alton Wallace

& for all names on the monument

We knew these 3 fishermen and their families, accepted for engraving today. They were a part of our community, each of them of equal value. A life is a life!

They were all hardworking fishermen, and we have shared so many of the same emotions.

Please take a moment of silence for Chet and Aaron Barrett who were not accepted for engraving, however lost their lives at sea. Both lifelong commercial fishermen. They were moving their boat and scallop gear from one port to another, in transit, therefore they were not accepted on a Lost Fishermen’s Monument. The reason is irrelevant; the outcome will never change. They were ripped away from all of us in one moment of tragedy.

Six months ago we were fighting to find the F/V Sudden Impact and the father and son crew. Advocating from one agency to the next, crying for help, educating ourselves, grabbing at every last straw to find just the right person at just the right time to help! Advocating for the right thing: to bring Chet and Aaron home for closure! Through shock, anger, grief, tears, uncontrollable emotions, temper tantrums, threats of jail if WE didn't back down. BUT guess what? WE didn't back down. WE stood together then, and WE stand together today!!! Trust me, when I say WE (WE truly means family, friends, fishermen, community, and complete strangers) I do not use the word 'WE' lightly.

With six months of sheer hell behind us, more knowledge of things I never imagined we would need to know, and more support than I can even wrap my mind around, WE stand together once again. WE will not back down ⚓️

WE are reliving this tragedy all over again, six months later. Many were wounded deeply that day, 1/18/25, but no one more than my sister, Melanie. Ever so slowly, these deep heartfelt wounds were starting to be manageable. Then on Wednesday, 7/16/25, that wound busted open, only deeper and with a sharper edge. Now someone has decided to pour salt into that wound. Imagine trying to remove every grain of salt from that wound; it's impossible. The opening of these wounds could have been 100% avoidable. The wounds could have been healed just a bit more with the approval of the engraving of Chet and Aaron’s names at the same time as the others on The Lost Fishermen’s Monument. No matter the outcome of any future revision of the engraving decision, these little grains of salt are always going to remain in those wounds, tainting the healing process and causing even more!

While overlooking the sea in a crowd of people at the Lost Fishermen’s Monument & Remembrance Day Ceremony was very difficult. Yet we were so thankful for Rep. Tiffany Strout and a bill (informally known as the Chet and Aaron Barrett Recovery Fund Bill) that was written honoring Chet and Aaron Barrett, with the intent to help the next family never to incur the obstacles we did when F/V Sudden Impact sunk. However, looking out into the sea where my nephew, my sister's only child, her son, is lost gave me strength and reassurance to stand together again and not back down ⚓️

The true meaning and healing of the engravement is gone. That was taken selfishly from our family and each and every fisherman who truly knew Chet and Aaron. Even with the of the denial, the true pain was intensified by the poorest judgment of the decision maker/s with the lack of respect to personally contact my sister/family with this decision and reasoning. But once again, WE will right the wrong once again for the next family. No one deserves this in their time of loss. Just because our wounds have salt, the next families will not because they don't deserve it any more than we did.

The tides change with time. We hope the guidelines, rules, decisions, etc., will change with tide and time as well.

Thank you all for your prayers, support, love, and for voicing your opinions. The family has several thoughts, ideas, etc., to honor Chet and Aaron Barrett in their hometown of Addison, Maine, USA, and the homeport of F/V Sudden Impact in Eastern Harbor, Addison, Maine, USA ❤️

Following the signs, feelings, and their personalities, we are confident this would be their last wishes, so we move forward to honor them!

The first simplest idea at this time is to get memorial benches with a plaque honoring the fishermen. I have written a proposal to the Addison Selectmen for placement of these benches. Our long-term projects will require planning, permits, organizing, time, and fundraising. A few of our long-term ideas are: buoy wall, memorial monument including an anchor, trap tree, or a new idea from one of our brainstorming conversations.

To show your support, please donate if you are able. If not, prayers for strength are always appreciated and will give us daily strength to always fight for the right decision. Share our fundraising efforts and follow the GoFundMe page for updates.

Anyone wishing to donate by mail:

Melanie Barrett

PO Box 33

Addison, ME 04606

In memo: fundraiser

Thank you!!

⚓️ Forever Anchored in Love