Senators seek SECDEF support to add names of ‘Lost 74’ to Vietnam Memorial Wall

FOR THE VETERAN OF THE VETERAN SHARE OF THE DAY

Senators seek SECDEF support to add names of ‘Lost 74’ to Vietnam Memorial Wall
By Dylan Gresik

Sailors inspect damage to the U.S. Navy destroyer Frank E. Evans after it was cut in half in a collision with the light aircraft carrier Melbourne of the Royal Australian Navy in the South China Sea, 650 miles southwest of Manila, June 3, 1969. (AP)

In the early morning hours of June 3, 1969, the Australian aircraft carrier Melbourne collided with the American destroyer Frank E. Evans (DD-754) during a training exercise in the South China Sea, splitting the ship in half and causing the drowning deaths of 74 American sailors.

Now, a bipartisan group of senators has submitted a letter to Secretary of Defense Mark Esper to once again push to add the names of the “Lost 74” — the sailors killed on board the Evans — to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall.

PO1 William "Chip" Nagel Lt Col Charlie Brown SSG Michael Noll Lt Col John (Jack) Christensen Cpl Vic Burk MAJ Dale E. Wilson, Ph.D. SGT (Join to see) PO2 Marco Monsalve SGT David A. 'Cowboy' Groth ] SSG William Jones Sgt (Join to see) 1SG Dan Capri CDR Andrew McMenamin, PhD SrA John Monette SFC (Join to see) GySgt Jack Wallace SPC Michael Terrell SMSgt Anil Heendeniya CPL Patrick Rasmussen