Coronavirus Update: Santa Rosa Classmates Give Video Salute To Dismissed Naval Commander Brett Crozier

SANTA ROSA (CBS SF) — Santa Rosa High School classmates of U.S. Navy Capt. Brett Crozier, who was dismissed as commander of the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt after publicly raising fears of a growing coronavirus outbreak on the ship, posted a YouTube video over the weekend showing their pride and support of the 1988 fellow graduate.

A member of the aircraft carrier’s crew died Monday of complications related to the disease, the Navy said, just weeks after Crozier was relieved of command for pressing his concern that the Navy had done too little to safeguard his crew.

The sailor, whose name and other identifying information were not publicly released pending notification of relatives, had tested positive for coronavirus on March 30 and was taken off the ship and placed in “isolation housing” along with four other sailors at Naval Base Guam.

On April 9, he was found unresponsive during a medical check and was moved to a local hospital’s intensive care unit. Of the approximately 4,860 crewmembers, 585 had tested positive for coronavirus as of Monday.

In a Zoom display, many of his classmates took turns in saluting Crozier and his stand for the sailors under his command.

On the Youtube video, classmate Stacy White said the 1988 Santa Rosa graduates were standing in support of Crozier.

“The Santa Rosa High School Class of 1988 stands with Captain Brett Crozier. This tribute was lovingly made in his honor by his graduating class,” she wrote.