USS Frank E Evans DD754 Video

Those of you who have been visiting me for awhile know the story of my ship and her sinking and the loss of the 74 young men. One of the people in the Evans association has a cousin to was at our Milwaukee reunion and made a video from interviews with two Australian sailors who were aboard the HMAS Melbourne that night and were decorated for valor in their efforts to save our guys and with some of the survivors. There will be a DVD coming out, soon, but this is a snippet of what the video will be like.

Also, there is a book out about the sinking. The book, Unsinkable Sailors, came out a couple of months ago. Look it up and read it.

Understand, these survivors have PTSD. They wake up at night feeling like they are falling out of their racks. Some cannot stand to be in cold water and some wake up from hearing the sounds of men screaming. All feel survivor guilt and wonder why they are still here.

My bff from Chicago, Chuck, was at the Australia reunion this year. He served with me and was not part of the incident. He is, however, a deacon in the Catholic Church and works in a jail and prison ministry, which mostly means that he listens to the inmates. He is an awesome listener and as such the men of Australia talked for hours with him. One guy is having nightmares and was crying to Chuck because he only saved two men. He said there were many more in the water but he couldn’t get back to them. They either drowned from being sucked down by the suction of the front half going down, or from hypothermia from the cold water or from shark attack. He is a decorated hero, too, but he cares nothing about the medals. He morns the ones he couldn’t get to. Aren’t you glad and proud that there are men like these guys walking among us? The Navies of the world are full of men of courage like these guys. I am just proud that I got to be associated with them in some small way.

Anyways, this is the video:



Lest we forget…