Darrold Martin, whose son Xavier Martin was killed aboard the USS Fitzgerald, spoke to CNN's Brooke Baldwin.
June 22, 2017

Darrold Martin spoke to CNN's Brooke Baldwin about his son, Xavier, who was among the seven sailors killed after a container ship collided with the USS Fitzgerald last week.

Brooke Baldwin couldn't hold back her tears as Martin spoke of his lost son.

“He’s my son. He’s a hero in my eyes,” he said. “He did all this, and talking to his friends…I’m finding out now that every day there was not a day that I wasn’t mentioned, saying that ‘my dad is my best friend.’"

"And so many people I’ve talked to over there, I mean, from different walks of life, and all of them have said the same thing: You were his world," he added.

Tears welled up and Baldwin fought to hold them back.

She continued the interview, telling Mr. Martin that she wanted to give him the extra time to tell viewers about his son. It was incredibly touching, with Martin telling Baldwin his son was "his best friend."

There are still no answers as to why a container ship rammed into the side of the USS Fitzgerald in highly trafficked shipping lanes, killing seven sailors and damaging the Fitzgerald above and below decks. All seven lost sailors' bodies were returned to Dover Air Force base yesterday.

Watch the entire 14-minute interview above.

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