Pentagon: USS Frank E. Evans losses won’t be added to Vietnam Wall
On June 3, 1969, the Sumner-class destroyer USS Frank E. Evans which was on maneuvers in the Sea of Japan South China Sea the day after it was relieved from duty off the coast of Vietnam was struck amidship by the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne. According to Wiki;
At around 3 a.m. on 3 June 1969, between Vietnam and Spratly Island, Frank E. Evans was operating with the Royal Navy, Royal Australian Navy and Royal New Zealand Navy in company with Melbourne which was in the process of going to flying stations and all ships in the formation were running without lights. Melbourne radioed Evans, then to port of the carrier, to take up the rescue destroyer position. The logical movement would be to turn to port and make a circle taking up station on the carrier’s port quarter. However, since the conning officer on Evans misunderstood the formation’s base course and believed they were starboard of Melbourne, they turned to starboard, cutting across the carrier’s bow twice in the process. Frank E. Evans was struck at a point around 92 feet from her bow on her port side and was cut in two. Her bow drifted off to the port side of Melbourne and sank in less than five minutes taking 73 of her crew with it. One body was recovered from the water, making a total of 74 dead. The stern scraped along the starboard side of Melbourne and lines were able to be attached by the crew of Melbourne. Around 60-100 men were also rescued from the water.
At the time of the collision the commanding officer of Frank E. Evans was asleep in his quarters having left instructions to be awakened if there were to be any changes in the formation. Neither the officer of the deck nor the junior officer of the deck notified him when the station change was ordered. The bridge crew also did not contact the combat information center to request clarification of the positions and movements of the surrounding ships.
In recent years, the USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) Association, Inc. has been lobbying for the names of those 74 sailors lost in the incident added to the Vietnam War Memorial, since the World War II-era destroyer had previously been on duty in Vietnam waters. According to Fox News, the Pentagon has denied the request once again;
The Evans sailors “do not meet the established criteria for the inscription of their names on the wall,” Navy Lt. Cmdr. Courtney Hillson, a Pentagon spokeswoman, said. “The deputy secretary of defense extensively reviewed information and records to make an informed decision.”
The Evans veterans say the Pentagon has previously granted exceptions to the eligibility criteria for adding names to the memorial, including for dozens of Marines who were killed when the plane carrying them back to Vietnam from leave in Hong Kong crashed during takeoff.
Until I read the part about the Marines who were killed coming back from liberty pass having their names added to the Wall, I agreed with the Pentagon. Now I’m not so sure.
The USS Frank E. Evans (DD 754) Association, Inc. lists the 74 fatalities on their website.
Category: Big Pentagon
It’s a horrible tragedy, and deserves to live in our memory, but the names of our shipmates who died shouldn’t be on the Wall.
They were on a mission that had nothing to do with Vietnam. Just because they came from the VN AOR and were going back after the exercise was over just highlights that the incident had nothing to do with the VN War.
RIP, shipmates.
Jonn, looking at the Wiki entry, it looks like the incident happened in the South China Sea and not the Sea of Japan. The Wiki article says they were between Vietnam and Spratly Island which is in the South China Sea.
I think I have to agree with Mustang Crypie on this one. I have read where there is also some dispute on the destroyers Viet Nam service timeline.
They have been offered an alternative memorial I believe and perhaps that is where this tragedy belongs.
One of the 75 who died was posthumously promoted to Chief Petty Officer after death. He was instrumental in saving the lives of others in giving up his life. A true hero who I would gladly accept into the Mess. RIP all you great men.
George Joseph La Liberte’ Born: 21 July 1931 Royal Oak Michigan
Hair: Brown Eyes: Blue Spouse: Ruth La Liberte’ Children: Gerald, Dennis & Richard La Liberte’ Enlisted: Royal Oak, Michigan Boot Camp: NTC Great Lakes, Illinois Rating: Radarman 1st Class Hobbies Etc: Photography & Making Movies George was a true hero during the collision. He gave up his life helping others to escape the OI sleeping compartment located directly under the mess desk. As a result of his gallant efforts, RD1 George La Liberte’ was posthumously awarded the Navy / Marine Corp medal and promoted to Chief Radarman.
The Navy and Marine Corps Medal, BTW, isn’t a geedunk award. It is very difficult to earn. I’ve known more Corpsmen with a Bronze Star (V) and probably a Silver Star than I have known with the N&MCM.
Not to nit pick, but there is a reason for seeing more SS and BS than N&MCM amongst corpsmen.
N&MCM is for NON-combat while the other two are specifically for combat.
Please pardon my lack of capitalization of Corpsman, no disrespect intended (my kingdom for an edit option).
An interesting aside, the HMAS Melbourne was involved in an eerily similar collision a few years earlier with the destroyer HMAS Voyager.
I am trying to figure out how a fast and nimble destroyer, even if WWII vintage, gets hit by a carrier.
It was dark. No lights.
No radar? No signal lights? The 1960s had some pretty good technology.
Things happen very quickly when you are operating within 2000 yards or so. Both ships moving at 25 knots means you can have a closing speed of close to 50 knots. Until you have done it, you cannot realize how quickly you can lose track of your location relative to other ships in formation during a course/station change. Having said that, many basic mistakes were made by the conning team and CIC.
Rest in peace fellow sailors !
If they were running to port of the carrier and believed they were running to starboard, I’d say one hell of a navigation mistake had been made before the maneuver order was ever given, quite possibly before the captain left the bridge. Surely they didn’t just drift over there while he was snoozing.
Kinda like how in the world could a fast nimble PT boat be run down by a Japanese destroyer without the officers literally being asleep at the wheel?
Yeah, I agree.
The Marines were flying back from RnR which appears to satisfy the 2nd requirement for inclusion on the wall.
“According to current DoD guidelines, service members are eligible for inscription on The Wall if they have:
– died (no matter the cause) within the defined combat zone of Vietnam (varies based on dates)
– died while on a combat/combat support mission to/from the defined combat zone of Vietnam
– died within 120 days of wounds, physical injuries, or illnesses incurred or diagnosed in the defined combat zone of Vietnam.”
And per the Evan’s website you linked to:
“She arrived at Yokosuka 26 April 1969 and put to sea 30 April 1969 to operate off the Coast of Vietnam with KEARSARGE (CVS 33) Anti-submarine Task Group.
Following this duty she proceeded to Subic Bay in the Philippines, arriving 17 May 1969.
Here, she joined in preparation for Southeast Asia Treaty Organization maneuvers and exercises in waters reaching to Thailand. On 26 May 1969 she departed in the screen of the Australian anti-submarine warfare carrier HMAS MELBOURNE ( R 21) bound towards Thailand.”
They are asking for a pretty liberal enforcement of the second bullet. They were onto another task in their deployment and were no longer part of the Vietnam mission.
I tend to agree with you as her orders only extended out so far as the exercise in Thailand. I perhaps would be more inclined if there was either an order stating, “after completion of SEATO exercise XYZ proceed to Dixie Station for OPCON to Naval Forces Vietnam” or even a published or draft request for forces from Naval Forces Vietnam asking for a destroyer to be on station in June 69.
Without either of those pieces of evidence/documentation it is only speculation that the Evans would re-enter the Vietnam combat zone.
As Evans was attached to CVSG-53, she would have proceeded back to the Tonkin Gulf with Kearsarge. I was aboard Kearsarge when this occurred, and that’s where we went after the Board of Inquiry at Subic Bay. That is a night I will never forget, and a long day.
When you start making exceptions, all integrity goes out the window. Now I’m beginning to see tarnish developing on that sacred memorial.
This, in my opinion, is BS.
The names of those Heroes should be on the Wall. Only a few months ago the survivors and families of those who perished that night were practically assured that the names were going to be added but with first initial of first name then entire last name due to lack of space on the wall. They were involved in meetings about the cost of adding the names.
I’m heartsick for these folks. I know that the Frank E Evans Association will continue to honor their fallen brothers and keep working to make this right for them. They are great folks.