On Friday, September 18, a small group of veterans who served on the USS Frank Evans DD-754, stepped on board the USS Laffey. Many of them were survivors of a horrific incident that occurred on June 3, 1969 when an Australian aircraft carrier, the HMAS Melbourne, collided with the USS Frank Evans and cut it in two, killing 74 sailors aboard the American ship. Still, they gather together to remember the good times of their service and to continue an effort to eternally honor those 74 sailors who died.
Walking on a Sumner-class destroyer again proved emotional for some of the survivors. They talked about where they were the night their ship was fatally struck and pointed out places where crewmen were that did not survive. It’s understandably hard for them to remember, but they also feel a sense of duty to their fallen brothers to make sure they are not forgotten. The greatest mission of these veterans now is a continued effort to remember those Lost 74 in a way that will last forever.
Even though the sailors were on orders to support the efforts of the United States in the Vietnam War at the time of their deaths, the collision happened about 100 miles outside of the defined combat zone. To be included on the Vietnam Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., rules state that the death must occur inside the combat zone. “It’s an arbitrary line,” disputes survivor Del Francis. Exceptions have been made before, but the Department of Defense has been hesitant to grant one for the “Lost 74.”
Less than 24 hours before the incident, the sailors had been inside the combat zone and they surely would have returned again. Francis, and many (if not all) of the 199 survivors of the USS Frank Evans incident believe the “arbitrary” line should not matter and the names should be included. After all, all sailors serving on that cruise earned Vietnam War service medals. The United States Navy has since publicly agreed and urged the Department of Defense to make an exception and include the names on the wall. For now, the USS Frank Evans veterans can only wait and hope this exception will be allowed.
As the survivors toured the USS Laffey last Friday, survivors shared memories with each other and their families and expressed a hope that finally these 74 sailors will be remembered in a proper way. The 74 men killed that day included three brothers from Nebraska and a man who was serving on the ship with his father (who survived). While coming onboard the USS Laffey was emotional for the group, many expressed gratitude that the similarly built Sumner-class destroyer is still around to provide a place to remember their ship.
Here a few photos of their visit:
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