Niobrara is a very small town in Nebraska–so small it doesn't have a cinema, and the locals could not have flocked to see Saving Private Ryan. But Niobrara has a memorial outside its library dedicated to the three Sage brothers, who were the first family group allowed to serve together on a U.S. warship after World War II. Radarman 3rd Class Gregory Sage and Seaman Recruits Gary Sage and Kelly Sage died together, along with 71 shipmates, on USS Frank E. Evans when the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne literally cut their destroyer in two at 3 o'clock on the morning of June 3, 1969, in the South China Sea. Most of Evans' 272-man crew were asleep at the time of the collision. Jolted awake by the impact, the Americans began a struggle to save their lives, if not their ship. The Australians soon joined in the desperate struggle.
Few Australians are aware of the collision that claimed 74 American lives during Operation Sea Spirit exercises at the height of the Vietnam War and led–in the face of tragedy–to a bond between sailors on either side of the Pacific. Now living in the United States, the retired skipper of the Australian carrier recalled the few awful minutes that changed the lives of hundreds of men. 'It's still very vivid, still bad memories, still a very traumatic occasion,' said John Stevenson.
A court-martial and the inquiry that followed found Captain Stevenson not at fault, yet his career was doomed from the moment his crew readied Evans to take up plane guard/rescue position, as Melbourne prepared for night-flying operations. Earlier in the exercise, Melbourne had had a near miss that was fresh in Stevenson's memory on June 3. 'A couple of nights before one of the other [American] destroyers took a run at us,' Stevenson recalled, but that time Melbourne had managed to get out of the destroyer's path.
Melbourne had signaled Evans, one of five U.S., British and New Zealand destroyers on the inner screen, to prepare to take up the position of plane guard, 1,000 yards behind the carrier. It was the fifth time that night that Evans had carried out the maneuver. The sea was dead calm, the water moonlit. As an extra precaution, Melbourne had her navigation lights at full brilliance. Procedures had been clearly established for the smaller vessel to turn away from the carrier before falling into a position well behind. But instead, the American destroyer turned into the huge carrier's path.
The June 3 collision is something former Sub-Lieutenant Graham Winterflood, a Westland Wessex helicopter pilot serving aboard Melbourne, won't ever forget. 'We were anti-submarine screen forward of the ship….' he said. 'We took off and were sent out on a heading ahead of Melbourne, and funnily enough, on the way there, I was the co-pilot and I could see a masthead light up ahead of us, so we had to dodge around that. Little did I know at the time that that was the USS Evans.'
Petty Officer Ron Baker was in Melbourne's radio room. 'It was like riding over a piece of corrugated iron on a bicycle,' he recalled. 'There was a shuddering as we went over something and the initial reaction was, 'We've run aground!' Of course this was all split-second thinking, and then we realized we were in 1,100 fathoms of water so the chances of running aground were pretty slim. Another thought that went through our heads was that we'd hit a submarine,' Baker added, 'because we knew there was a Russian submarine in the area monitoring the exercise.'
At that moment, Lieutenant Winterflood was hunting that submarine. 'We were just about to lower our sonar ball, when the ship recalled us, saying they'd had a collision,' he remembered. 'We flew back to the Melbourne, and tied alongside was half a destroyer. It was an unbelievable sight.'
Melbourne had ridden over the destroyer with such an impact that one of Evans' lookouts, Seaman Marcus Rodriguez, was thrown into the air, landing on the flight deck of the carrier and suffering horrible injuries. In the less than three minutes it took Winterflood's helicopter to return, the front section of the American ship had disappeared.
Aircrew and aircraft handlers were preparing to launch S-2E Tracker aircraft. Their engines were shut down immediately, and the crews rushed to help. Some dangled fire hoses over the carrier's side as makeshift ladders, while others secured Evans' stern alongside Melbourne with wire cable.
'It was all very quick,' recalled Stevenson. 'Very chaotic, but organized as far as the Melbourne was concerned. They all knew what they were doing. The stern half of the Evans was secured to the ship, and people hopped over the edge to help survivors back onto Melbourne.'
Ron Baker remembered: 'Some of the [Melbourne] officers dropped cargo nets over the side and scrambled down. Four of them actually went through the aft section of the Evans to make sure no one was left on there after the Americans had climbed on board.'
Stevenson recalled that 'Bob Burns, who's now dead, was one of the stars of the side. He dived over the stern, and a lot of guys did that.'
'He went over twice,' recounted Baker. 'He pulled in one guy who'd been crushed, got him in and was no sooner back on board than he spotted another bloke in the water, jumped over again and towed him to a lifeboat. He got the George Medal [the British Commonwealth's second highest award for noncombat heroism].' In the end, Melbourne crewmen received 15 Naval Board commendations, with two Queen's commendations, two British Empire Medals, a Member of the British Empire and one [British Commonwealth] Air Force Cross.
It was a bright, moonlit night, but down in the shadow of Melbourne was blackness. Jock Donnelly used the 10-inch signal lamp as spotlight, calling to the rescuers, 'There's another one!'
Winterflood's Wessex helicopter arrived overhead. 'There were two or three helicopters airborne at the time,' he recalled, 'and while ours didn't have a winch, we used our landing light to spotlight survivors, while the other two Wessexes used their winches.'
The unit citation awarded to Winterflood's No. 817 Squadron by the U.S. secretary of the Navy gave this account: 'Thirty-eight of the 111 men in the forward section of USS Frank E. Evans were able to escape or were thrown into the water. Within 25 minutes of the collision all these men had been returned to the Melbourne. The helicopters and men of 817 Squadron were called upon for maximum effort, not only during these first critical minutes when survivors were being illuminated in the water, but also during the more than 15 hours during which search operations continued.'
Overhead the helicopter crews were tired and stunned. Lieutenant Winterflood looked down on a scene alarmingly similar to the site of an accident five years earlier. 'There was a lot of stuff in the water,' he recalled. 'There were life rafts, motor cutters getting around and helicopters with lights. But the actual sight of half a ship was very hard to come to grips with because, having seen it once before, it was hard to imagine the same thing could happen again.'
Back in 1964 HMAS Voyager had collided with Melbourne, killing 82. Captain Stevenson had that earlier tragedy in mind on the occasion of the near-collision with an American destroyer in the spring of 1969. 'I now know what my friend Robbie [Captain John Robertson] went through,' he wrote his wife. 'He didn't have a chance of dodging Voyager. This destroyer was much farther away from me, and I didn't have much chance of avoiding her, but I just managed to get away.' Little did Stevenson know that a few days later, when Evans crossed Melbourne's path, he would have an even better idea of the horror Captain Robertson had experienced.
The helicopters flew all day on June 3, 1969, landing for hot refueling and then returning to the search area. Petty Officer Baker spent the long hours sending hundreds of messages. He described that morning as something like a dream sequence. Baker reckoned the last of the 198 sailors saved from the South China Sea was Chief Petty Officer Larry Malilay.
'Larry thought he was gone,' Baker said. 'He just drifted off, and for a while he could see and hear the choppers, but he was drifting away, and when he was finally rescued the pilot said, 'Hang on, I think I can see someone swimming for the Philippines,' and they winched him aboard.'
On board Melbourne the strangest scene was being played out. Captain Stevenson ordered the band onto the deck, and the beer vault was opened for the American survivors. Australian sailors recall their mates giving away the clothes from their backs. One sailor went below and brought up his entire kit, while the clothing store was opened and blankets were passed out. Eventually the survivors were lifted off and taken to USS Kearsarge. At that point, Baker heard a sound he'll never forget: 'As they were about to leave our ship, they stood on the quarterdeck and gave us three cheers. We had just cut their ship in half and here they were giving us three cheers.'
The end of USS Frank E. Evans was the beginning of an enduring bond between the two crews. Those who served aboard Melbourne have certainly suffered, but the survivors of the battered crew of Evans had it worse.
'I think a lot of the crew suffered trauma,' said Stevenson. 'More so in the Evans than the Melbourne….A lot of them have lost wives and families, can't work and are still having a bad time of it.'
Serving in her third conflict, the aging destroyer was on the gun line off the coast of Vietnam when she was moved out of the combat zone for Operation Sea Spirit. Like the two crews who'd served aboard Evans before them, the U.S. sailors had seen combat service. Yet the names of those who died in the collision have never been added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. 'It's a cause of great hurt to the American survivors,' said Stevenson. 'Their shipmates were lost, but their names are not on the Wall, and they're working hard to get that done, but they're not making much progress.'
A few members of the Melbourne Association made a point of seeking out members of the Evans Association and getting together. In Ipswich, Australia, Ron Baker struck upon the idea of a reunion to mark the 25th anniversary. 'When I broached the subject of a reunion 24 years after it happened, a lot of people said, 'Forget it, let it rest,' and I wondered if perhaps I was opening old wounds,' Baker said.
Like Stevenson, Baker was well aware of how much former crewmen had suffered. Some had been in mental institutions, while others had become alcoholics. Nonetheless, a reunion was organized, and word came from the United States that members of the Evans Association would attend.
Shortly after that, Baker received a phone call from a woman in Alice Springs, Australia. 'She said her husband was on the Melbourne when it happened,' he recalled. 'It was his first voyage, he was 18, and this was his introduction to the navy, and he'd been carrying the ghost of this thing for all those years. She put him on a plane and flew him over, and I reckon he went away a different man.'
The following year, Australians attended a memorial service at Arlington National Cemetery, and a commitment was made that representatives of the two crews would meet each year. Although cleared of any blame, Captain Stevenson, the former skipper of Australia's last aircraft carrier, had his own burden to bear. 'At that point I had a wife and two kids and a mortgage and all the rest of that stuff,' he recalled. 'I went out and lost everything. I had no future, no career, no pension, no nothing. It was a very big bang.'
Stevenson believes the bond that has grown is easing the trauma. In 1999 he was in Sydney, along with many others from the United States, for a 30th anniversary memorial service. The retired captain said, 'It was such a pleasure to see the Melbourne team again, and I have an expectation that they'll bring great warmth and humanity to the survivors of the Evans, and that together, they can ease their own pain.'
While the battle to get recognition for the American sailors lost in the 1969 accident continues in the States, those fallen seamen have been honored in Australia. According to Ron Baker, 'They were killed doing their duty for their country, and it doesn't matter if you're killed by an enemy bullet or a friendly ship.'
This article was written by Phil Smith and originally published in the August 2001 issue of Vietnam Magazine.
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My brother-in-law, Dwight Scott Pattee 1968 graduate of Annapolis…23 years old) was killed on the Frank E. Evans….We have missed him terrible for nearly 40 years….such a great loss…. the men that were killed. Jane H. Pattee
73 men went down that early morning. We have been looking for relatives of LTJG Pattee. Please contact me. Go to our site at http://www.ussfee.org
The Historian
MY BROTHER BYRON R PRUDEN SM1 WAS A CREW MEMBER ABOARD THE EVANS. HE PASSED AWAY IN 1983. HE WAS CREMATED AND BURIED AT SEA. I HAVE A FEW MEMENTOS I WOULD SHARE IF SOME ONE WHO IS ON THE COMMITEE FOR THE EVANS WOULD CONTACT AND IDENIFLY HISSELF PROPERLY. MY PHONE NUMBER IS AS FOLLOWS 1-661-821-8969.. BY THE WAY I WAS IN THE NAVY. EM3RD USS NAVARRO APA215..MY FATHER IS A RETIREDED NAVY COMMANDER JOHN BYRON PRUDEN 1935 THRE 1958. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION TO THIS MATTER…..
I am looking for all list of the ships that were in Operation Sea Spirit in June of 1969. Espec ially those that were in company with the HMAS Melbourne. It is very important that I can not only find the names, but the records that would confim those ships. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
To Patrick Stevenson,(Comments above), I was serving on HMNZS Blackpool, (in company with FEE & Melbourne) on the night of 2/3 June 1969. I actually saw the incident unfold and my Bridge Communications Log was taken to the official enquiry after. Unfortunately, I do not recall the names of the other ships in our Task Force.
Regards
Stanley G Foster
ASG B18677
RNZN (Rt'rd)
In 1969 I was stationed on board the USS PICKING out of Long Beach, California. I was going to reenlist but needed to find someone that was willing to swap duty stations and on a ship going to Vietnam so I could take advantage of the reenlistment bonus. I remember finding a sailor that matched up with my credentials on board the FRANK E. EVANS. I had to go and meet with him and his Communications Officer to confirm we both met the criteria for this swap. Based on my interview with his communications officer and some unknown intervention I choose not to go ahead with this. I was on duty in the early hours of this tragedy and received the flash message coming across the teletype machine. Needless to say I was emotionally distraught both for my good fortune and their bad fortune. I don't remember the sailors name that I would have replaced nor do I remember if he survived. If anyone has the list of names I would like to know. Its been over 39 years and the tragedy is still fresh in my mind. I also have more details about this event that some people may not know. If anyone would like to communicate with me I can be reached at PGINTENN@AIM.CO
Can someone please help me. After the Frank E Evans was sunk, I spent some 8 hrs in our ships boat (HMNZS Blackpool), and we picked up 1 survivor. I cannot remember what ship he was from, (originally thought he was from the FEE), but do not know for sure.
Can anyone please shed some light on this for me.
Regards
Stanley G Foster
To Patrick Stevenson:
Ships in company with HMAS Melbourne on night of 2 – 3 June
1969.
HMAS Melbourne; HMNZS Blackpool; HMS Cleopatra;
USS Frank E Evans; USS Everett F Larson; USS James E Keyes.
I trust this is of some help to you.
Regards
Stanley G Foster
May God always remember our shipmates. I worked plane guard during vietnam and was inport in the Philipines when this tragedy happened. I will never forget the sight of my shipmates ship, or should i say half a ship being towed to port as we left. Fair wind, and following sees to my shipmates.
I am still disapointed that the names of the departed sailors, did not get on the memorial wall in DC. The Sage brothers, that
did not survive the colision, were the sons of my first cousin. Mrs. Ernest Sage. I was at the dedication of the Memorial in Niobrara, Neb. and met a lot of the survivors, and I want to thank all of them for the kindness that they showed to Eunice Sage. I am still hopefull that the lost members of ;the Evans will someday be put on the WALL. I know that Sen. Hagle of Neb. has tried, but with no results. If anyone has any info on what might be done to get the names on, I will try to contact my state's legislators to try to get the job done.
JIMMIE JOHNSON tinsmith@q.com
My sister's boyfriend was killed on the Frank E Evans….Jim Kerr. He will always be in our hearts and memories!
My brother was/is Jim Kerr. 40 years has not lessened the void. He was just a big kid and yes,LaurelChadney was the love of his life.Nice to connect with you Jennifer! Drop me a note. I will attend the FEE memorial on 6/3 in LB. Lest we forget.
I was on the Evans 1960 to 1963. Took her thru FRAMII shipyard. The gray ghost came out very beautiful. We proudly sailed her to Westpac cruise in 62. For an old tin can, there was a lot of love for her. I was ASW Officer and shipyard gave her a refit sonar that could actually pickup subs. She was a great ship and the collison hit me and a few of the other officers of that day very hard. What's more, Admiral King's hearing proceedings were a disgrace. The two people who coud have shed light on the whole mess were excused because they might have future legal problems. Is their careers more important that the lives that the evans lost?
That the OOD was writing his log when the orders came t go to lifeguard station. And the JOD was also excused even tho he was the person with the "con" and had not passed his lifeguard qualifications two weeks prior.. The stationing from the screen station to lifeguard is very easy…but ony when you know what the carrier is doing.
Oh man, excuse the rant. It helps naught.
John Lucas, LTJG Gun Officer Uss Frank E. Evans DD754 (very retired.)
My Brother was Kenneth W. Glines . He was a Great Brother and Person to all. I was only 9 yrs old when he died .It was a Great lost to Our Family . And He and all the other Men died for us and Our Freedom & Country. All their names should be on The Wall in D.C. I wish that my Parents could have been here for the memorial at Mt. Washington Cemetery ,in Kansas City , Mo . They were so Proud of Kenny and all those men that Lost their lives . It's hard to believe that it's been 40 Years . It's seem forever !!!
My Father is Florentino F. Macayan, BTCS USN and the Chief of the watch on the Evans the night of the accident. He carried the scars of that night (physical and mental) all the way to his passing in Feb. 2000. Our family didn't know anything about the Evan's accident until right before his passing. All we knew was that our Mom and Dad went to Navy reunions for one of the ships our Dad served on called the Evans. Our Mom shared the story of the accident, as told to her by our Father, of the events the morning of June 3, 1969 and subsequent events after the accident. She told us that He carried guilt and remorse for the 73 lives lost and that’s why he never talked about it with us. He viewed the scars on his body from the accident as badges of shame that he saw every day for the rest of his life for not being able to do more to help the 73.
Unfortunately our Dad was unable to communicate directly to use the events of that day due to his deteriorating health so we will never exactly how he felt. Since his passing I have researched the accident, spoke with previous Service Men who served on the Evans including survivors and Melbourne and have attended 2 Evans Reunions. The guilt and remorse that my Father felt seems to be a common theme among the survivors. It really is a shame that the US Government and Navy will not recognize the 73 lives lost on the Evans by adding their names to the Vietnam War memorial. One day I hope the Government will recongize the sacrafice they gave and give them recognition they rightly deserve.
My cousins, Gary, Gregory and Kelly Sage were killed in the Evans collision. I first found the Navy's website on the Evans' disaster about 10 years ago. I was 16 years old when this happened in 1969 and it was such a tragedy for our family. I am so thankful to have been able to meet many of the survivors of the crash when we had a memorial celebration for my cousins in Niobrara Nebraska in 1999. My aunt, Eunice Sage, is still alive and well as is their brother Douglas and, of course, many many relatives. I also am grateful to Pete Peters for all he did to bring us all together in 1999. We miss them all dearly and will never forget them, nor will we forget this horrible tragedy. My heart and best wishes go out to all of the survivors and their families. I recently lost my 26 year old son, Kelly (yes, named after Kelly) in an accident and I have an idea of what my aunt and uncle went through when their three sons were killed. It is such a horrible ordeal.
Best wishes to you all!
Can you please contact me? I am writing a book about the USS Frank E. Evans and am seeking information about the Sage family. louise.esola@yahoo.com
Hello Louise:
My name is Patrick Richardson , I was on HMAS Melbourne ,
the night of the collision with USS Frank E Evans . I assisted in recue
efforts after the collision . Anything I can help you with . Email me
zoomtopz@hotmail.com
I am known to a lot of the guys in FEE Association & was at San Diego
reunion .
Regards
Patrick
Patrick Richardson.
My father was on the Frank E. Evans in 1969. He took leave the week of the wreck. His name was Frank G. Young PO 1st Class. He was a cook and other odd jobs. I learned, as a Rn at a local hosptial, that the service man that filled my father's position that week survived but was later killed on land when he was mobbed. And today I ran into another serviceman today that served under the commander of the Evans. My father passed away a few weeks ago, and it is nice to run into him memory for while it lasts.
To Jackie Glines Holland: Hi Jackie, I was the skipper of the HMAS Melbournes first rescue boat in the water after the collision in 1969 and we recovered the body of your brother Ken, and 29 survivors.
It was such a bad time for all of us, and I really felt for the families of those guys who didn't make it. i agree with you about their names missing from the Vietnam Memorial wall, it is such a bloody shame and really an insult to their memory.
I will remember Kens name until the day I die!
I wish you good luck. Peter Varley
To any of the guys from USS Frank E Evans who were picked up by the Melbournes rescue boat: I was the skipper of the first rescue boat in the water, and we were pretty overloaded when we went back to the Melbourne, to offload survivors and Ken Glines body.
If you would like to make contact with me I would be happy to respond. I live in Perth Western Australia.
Peter Varley
varley1@ozemail.com.au
I was aboard Kearsarge at the time. The following is an excerpt from a FOCAF FLAG Press Release: "Emergency Stations were sounded in HMAS Melbourne before her collision with USS Frank E. Evans in the South China Sea at 3:15 AM on Tuesday, 3 Jun. Almost to a man the ship's company were at their sea emergency stations at the time or shortly after the impact. This automatic reaction on the part of Melbourne's crew was responsiblefor saving the lives of many U.S. Sailors. All Melbourne's port self-inflating life rafts and all her boats were in the water. The port side motor cutter was coxswained by Leading Seaman Peter John Varley of Kalgoorlie, W.A. who by chance was in his boat at the time emergency stations were sounded. Varley watched the forward sectionof Evans scrape by. By then his crew members were arriving and the boat was launched. With the boat at the water line with 29 U.S. survivors plus the crew it returned to Melbourne throwing out life jackets to other U.S. Sailors before returning to the rescue……" There's more, but I think you get the point that Varley and his crew were heros of the day.
I served abourd Uss.Walke DD723 . Evans was sister ship.I wittnest 1/2 of Evans after strike.
I was onboard Blackpool on that Far East trip … anyone remember me ? Wes Martin N.Z.19336
It is Memorial Day, 5/30/10 and I was thinking about the sailors who went down on the USS Frank E. Evans. I was a sonar tech on the USS Bronstein, in the same squadron as the Evans, on the SEATO excercise when the Evans was hit. We were awakened at 3:15 AM and told to go topside, for search and rescue. By the time we got to the site, there were just papers floating on the surface.
I don't remember his name, but we took one of the petty officers who worked with DASH, aboard the 'Stein for the rest of the cruise. He told us how some of the chief petty officers were pushing younger sailors up, out of the bow of the ship, to the surface, and then went down with the ship because of their selfless actions. Those men were TRUE HEROES!
To the families of those men, I pray for you and the memory of your loved ones. I will wear a black arm band with the ship's name on it when I go to work on Monday, in honor of your heroes!
I was on the Bronstein and remember the call to search and rescue as well, it is not the same as the movies, it is real.
Hi Michael,' I was also aboard Bronstein DE-1037 that night. The sight of half a ship will stay with me forever.
I was on HMAS Melbourne on that dreadful day. I saw the forward section of FEE sink, I saw the boys in the water and heard their calls for help. Talk about "Silence of the lambs", the voices of the boys in the water calling for help haunt me to this day.
Adrian,
Would you contact me? I am writing a book about the Evans. Louise.esola@yahoo.com.
I was OOW of HMNZS Blackpool that night and I still remember every detail. .I suppose we all will never forget. The concern when FEE turned towards the carrier. The horror that the worst had happened. Closing the bow section to rescue survivors : only to see the faint lights disappear. The shock to find there were no survivors from there.The whole day spent searching for survivors and finding not one. The turmoils of the Court of Inquiry. Called again for the court martials.
And I was a mere witness. How much more so for the FEE crew.
My indignation at the way the RAN treated Captain Stevenson….. he was a real gentleman and a CO of the finest order.
My deep disappointment the names of the lost are still not on the wall.
No, I guess we will never forget.
How are your sir ? … Wes Martin
I will never forget the tragedy of that day when the FEE was cut in half. I was on board the aifcraft carrier USS Kearsarge in sick bay after havein surgey on a pilonidal cyst. I will never forget the survivers that were brought in and the screams of pain those sailors were experienceing from the steam burns. Those painful calls for help continue t huant me to this day. I was so afraid, I didn't know the details of what had happened and wasn't certain until later what was truely going on.
I am embarrased that those brave sailors who lost their life are not included on the Vietnam Wall.
I was the ASW officer on the Evans from 1966 until early 1968. I knew many of the men who were lost as many were on the Evans when I left the ship to go to Viet Nam.
I was at the Destroyer School in Newport RI when I heard about the collision – found it very hard to believe. Having been the OOD on the Evans a number of times during plane guard duty I'm sure both the OOD and JOOD that night completely "lost the bubble" on what the situation was regarding the Melburne. I have often wondered if the OOD or JOOD checked with CIC to comfirm the carrier's course prior to turning the Evans – have never been able to determine if they did.
Rich
ed lacey usn,i was aboard the uss kearsarge that terrible morning.i was up on the catwalk of the flight deck having a smoke before going on watch,observing flight ops. when i seen the evans cut hard starboard at a distance it's hard to tell but she looked awful close.then a moment later the destroyer rolled portside with the behemoth carrier rolling up over her snaping her in half then her rolling violently back like a giant catapult.the screams of men drowning,the putred smell of burn't flesh and the bodies of 2 of my friends whose memories of olongopo is what i'll remember.by the way we had just come off line in the tonkin gulf for a few weeks respite.during this seato exercise we had swim call in 15,000 ft. water and were preparing to cross the equater.your right there names should be included on the wall.god bless them and the sailors of both navies.
I was a MM2 stationed on the John W. Thomason – DD 760 and was one of the few who got to board "The Evans" in Subic Bay after the disastor. I went to salvage parts from the After-Engine Room. It's hard to put into words what it felt like being on that ship. It almost felt like standing on hallowed ground. I remember walking up the port outside walkway and it came to a sudden end. I looked out and the whole bow section was missing. I took off my white hat, stood there for a number of minutes, pondered on how this could have happened and thought about the sailors that were lost. After a time, I met my buddies in the engine room, we went about our business, but in a very uncharacteristically quiet and respectful sort of way. It was a day I'll never forget. I also believe that these sailor's names should be added to "The Wall".
I spent 1963-64 on the Evans, my final tour before getting out of the Navy after my four year enlistment. Although I did not know any of the shipmates on board at the time of the disaster, my thoughts are with them. stevepaint@frontier.com
I served on the Kearsarge with Gabby (Tom Gabinelli) and remember the Captain coming over the 1MC telling us about the accident. We were about 2 hours away from the accident and I remember when we arrived the moon was bright and the water was glassy. The thing that stands out in my mind was seeing the remainder of the FEE bobbing in the water and seeing paper and Foster beer cans floating everywhere. Melbourne took survivors onboard and gave them beer.
With all due respect Ed Lacey, we were too far away for you to have seen the accident as I remember it taking a minimum of 2 hours steaming full speed to get there. We were in the middle of SEATO exercizes and we were on the far end of the quadrant and they were on the other end.
to ron davis,i,m sorry to say my dad suffers from alzheimer,s ,his recolection of time and events are diffulcult,no disrespect. god bless all who were there. erin lacey
So sorry to hear about your Dad. Please give my best wishes to him.
Ron
30: Are you LT Ron Davis? CWO Jeff Robinson asks?
Jeff,
I was in Disbursing Office with Gabby. I do think I remember your name.
Ron
In the early morning of June 3 1969 I was Mirror Control Officer for HMAS MELBOURNE and dozing on the mirror platform, waiting for the carrier to commence launching aircraft. I was woken by the impact as our ship cut through USS FRANK E EVANS. The memories still overwhelm me: The mirror sponson was on the carrier's port side so I woke up to the horror of smoke, fumes, and the bows of Evans drifting clear of the carrier's bows.
I joined the recovery work, first spotlighting survivors trying to swim clear of the bows, then rigging scrambling nets and climbing down to the stern of Evans to assist stunned survivors up to the carrier flight deck. A few hours later I gained a co-pilot seat in a Wessex helicopter to help with the air search for survivors and in spotting impact debris. My logbook records one landing on USS KEARSARGE to transport passengers from the Melbourne: I have no idea who they were after all this time. So many experiences follow from this event. A few months later I obtained a posting back to Australia for Huey training and then joined the US Army 135th Assault Helicopter Company in Dong Tam, South Vietnam, for the 1970-71 period.
It is hard to describe the impact of stumbling onto your site: I am grateful for this opportunity, after so long, to express my sincere condolences, not only to friends and family of those who died that night but to all who shared the trauma of the accident and the haunting memories that will remain forever.
Jim Buchanan
Jim, thank you for sharing your story. I am writing a book about the Evans. Would you e-mail me? louise.esola@yahoo.com.
Anyone who served on any ship involved with the incident of 3 June, 1969, as well as any family or friends of those who served, please contact any of the members of the USS Frank E Evans DD754 Association. We welcome any communications and there is an open invitation to anyone who would like to attend our yearly reunions.
John Coffey at johnjudyc@gmail.com – Association Director of Communications
Frank Jablonski at fjab333@earthlink.net – Association Historian
Steve Kraus at karussa@cox.net – Association Vice President
Pete Peters at rep1029@aol.com – Association Director of Survivor Relations
Thanks, and we look forward to meeting and communicating with you.
John
I received the link to the story about the loss of the FRANK E. EVANS from my good friend and Navy buddy, Rich Fichtelman, who served on the EVANS as ASW officer from 1966-1968.
At the time of the loss of the EVANS, I was a reserve JO (Assistant Gun Boss and 2nd Division officer) on the USS MANSFIELD (DD728). MANSFIELD was an ALLEN SUMNER class FRAMII destroyer, just like the EVANS. In June 1969, MANSFIELD was in our homeport of Long Beach preparing for our next WESPAC cruise in September. EVANS was also homeported in Long Beach, and I recall that some of our more senior JOs lived ashore in the same apartment complex in Belmont Shores that some of the EVANS JOs lived, including the unfortunate OOD at the time of the collision with the Melbourne.
The Navy held a memorial service for those lost on the EVANS 2~3 weeks after the tragedy at the Long Beach Naval Station. I recall that I had duty on the day of the memorial service, and the MANSFIELD received a request from the Naval Station to host EVANS' family members that had voiced a desire to witness first hand what the EVANS physical configuration was as the coffin for their loved ones. You may imagine how eerie and uncomfortable this was for the MANSFIELD sailors that conducted the tours; our only prayer was that the experience of touring the forward berthing spaces may have, in some way, brought closure to the families.
Two other linkages: First, Rich Fichtelman joined MANSFIELD in July, shortly after the memorial service after he had completed Destroyer School and assumed responsibilities as MANSFIELD's Weapons Department head. MANSFIELD deployed for a six month cruise in September. During an extended period on the gun line off SVN, we encountered a casualty stemming from accelerated bore erosion in one of our 5"38 gun mounts. During a short visit to Subic Bay, we turned in the defective barrel and replaced it with one of the barrels from EVANS's mount 53. It was strange feeling seeing the stern section of the EVANS, knowing that 74 American sailors had gone down with the forward half, giving the last, full measure of service for their country.
My recollections was that the EVANS' CO, XO, the OOD, JOOD and CIC Watch officer all survived the collision. Nearly everyone else in the forward section perished. Surely, the memories and sense of responsibility for those in command must have been very heavy. As a young, reserve line officer that stood many bridge watches on MANSFIELD, I can only say "…. there but by the grace of God go I."
I had never previously read about the heroic and comforting actions taken by the officers and men of the Melbourne. That being said, it doesn't surprise me, as their actions seem entirely in character for the Aussies and the professionals that I had the priviledge to meet from the Australian Navy.
It's been over 42 years since the EVANS's loss. My heart goes out to the men aboard the EVANS that evening and for the family and loved ones for those that perished. The sentiments embodied in the Navy Hymn ("Eternal Father, Strong to Save") certainly apply.
Very respectfully,
Rod Lanthorne
Mr. Lanthorne,
I enjoyed reading you memories of our ship and I will forward a copy of it to our association historian, Frank Jablonski. One correction if I may. The CIC officer, Ens. Alan Armstrong, and everyone in CIC were killed, probably on impact. But no one survived in CIC or Sonar (in the same section behind the bridge.)
My husband, STG2 John R Spray, was lost with the ship on June 3rd. It was 4 days after my 21st birthday and 1 week before our 1st anniversary. I will never forget that day as long as I live.
I attended the reunion in Long Beach several years ago and it was so beautiful to see that the men were not forgotten.
I had the priviledge to meet some of the men who sailed with him (and knew him who could tell me stories and share some of their memories) and also to meet some of the men from the Melbourne. Although they could not have helped John, I did thank them for rescuing so many and saving their lives.
For many years I was kept in the dark about what actually happened and it is only now that I am reading more and more reports about the incident.
I was on the USS Kearsarge when this happened. I can vividly remember the site and the boarding of the survivors. I teared up just reading this article. God's blessing to the survivors and the families of the deceased.
My Husband MR1 Donald A Bakken was on the Frank E Evans He passed 10/1/1992 It changed our live forever..Don was never quiet the same after the Evans . Gone but not forgotten I have quiet a few things pretaing to the acc if any one is interested.
I am in the USMC and at a training command. My academics chief, who was in the USN, and is a Navy and Amphibous history guru. He told me of this story this a.m. in the smoke pit. This is an amazing story and websight. It saddens me that it this event has gone away from the memmory of most. In 2007 i was stationed on the LPD3 USS Kearsarge for almost 2 months. Not a word was said about this when talking to any of the Sailors about how old the ship was. If there is a book out i would love to know the name so i can pick up a copy and keep this historical event alive for the generations to come. thank you.
and god speed
Brent, the Kearsarge referred to is the USS KEARSARGE (CVS-33). I was aboard her when she was decommissioned in 1970.
Brent, there are a couple of excellent books available. The first one is called In The Wake, By Jo Stevenson, and the second book is called Unsinkable Sailors by Paul Sherbo. I think that they are both available at Amazon.
Brent, I am the Director of Communications for the USS Frank E Evans DD754 Association and our Historian, Frank Jablonski, has several books out about the events of 3 June ’69. The best, and one he updates each year with new stories and memories as they come in, is “The 278 Men Of The USS Frank E Evans DD754 – 3 June 69” and can be purchased on LuLu.com. We also have a web site, USSFEE.org that also list memories and the lost 74. Thank you for your interest, and help us keep the memories of these guys alive – until we can get their names on The Wall.
John Coffey
johnjudyc@gmail.com