Washington, DC – U.S. Senators Gillibrand (D-NY) and Kevin Cramer (R-ND), both members of the Senate Armed Services Committee, today announced their bipartisan push for leadership on the Senate and House Armed Services Committees to include the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Act in this year’s National Defense Authorization Act. The U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Act would honor the 74 crewmembers who died in the sinking of the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War by placing their names on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. Gillibrand and Cramer introduced this legislation in March of this year.
“The Vietnam Veterans Memorial honors the extraordinary sacrifices made by our Vietnam War heroes, but there are still 74 names missing from the iconic black wall,” said Senator Gillibrand, Ranking Member of the Senate Armed Services Personnel Subcommittee. “It’s long-past time that we properly memorialize the brave American service members who lost their lives on the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans. I was proud to introduce bipartisan legislation so that their names may be included on the Memorial, and I am now calling on Congress to honor those who have served our nation by passing this bill in the upcoming NDAA.”
In order for a service member’s name to be added to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, the member must have died while participating in, or providing direct support to, a combat mission en route, or returning from a target, within a combat zone.
The U.S.S. Frank E. Evans served multiple tours off the coast of Vietnam during the Vietnam War before being ordered to withdraw to participate in a South East Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) exercise. Although it was scheduled to return following the exercise, it collided with a friendly ship, which resulted in the death of 74 United States sailors. Since the soldiers did not meet the criteria to be added to the Vietnam Veteran’s Memorial, the names of those who perished on the U.S.S. Frank Evans are not included on the wall.
The U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Act would finally honor the crewmembers who died in the sinking of the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans and add the names of the 74 fallen soldiers to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall.
Along with Gillibrand and Cramer, the letter to Senate and House Armed Services Committee leadership is also signed Senators Steve Daines (R-MT), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), John Hoeven (R-ND), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Mike Braun (R-IN), and Jon Tester (D-MT).
The full text of the Senators’ letter can be found here and below:
The Honorable James Inhofe
Chairman
Senate Armed Services Committee
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Jack Reed
Ranking Member
Senate Armed Services Committee
228 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510
The Honorable Adam Smith
Chairman
House Armed Services Committee
2216 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mac Thornberry
Ranking Member
House Armed Services Committee
2216 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Dear Chairman Inhofe, Chairman Smith, Ranking Member Reed and Ranking Member Thornberry:
As you begin conference discussions on the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for (FY) Fiscal Year 2020, we respectfully ask that you include section 1094 of H.R. 2500. This section is identical to S. 849, the U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Act. This bipartisan bill would add the names of 74 sailors (the “Lost 74”) to the Vietnam Memorial wall who were killed off the coast of Vietnam in a training accident, but they were outside the conflict zone. While hundreds of names have been added since it was built, the memorial still does not include the “Lost 74″.
After serving multiple tours off the coast of Vietnam, the USS Frank E. Evans was sent to participate in a nearby training exercise. During practice maneuvers on June 3, 1969, the ship collided with an aircraft carrier and sank, killing 74 sailors who were aboard the ship. Each of these service members were deployed and died in the service of our nation, yet their names have been left off the Vietnam Memorial wall. While the incident occurred about 100 miles outside of the official combat zone, the ship and a majority of the deceased sailors had previously provided naval gunfire off the coast of Vietnam, including during the Tet Offensive. The ship was also set to return to combat after the exercise, and the other ships in the Evans group returned to Vietnamese waters following the exercise.
The U.S.S. Frank E. Evans Act has broad bipartisan support. It has 15 cosponsors spanning the political spectrum, reflecting the nonpartisan consensus that it is time to get this done. On June 19, 2019, the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks held a legislative hearing on a series of bills, including S. 849. For two years in a row, the House has unanimously passed this provision within the FY19 and FY20 NDAA.
This year marks the 50 years since we lost these 74 sailors. Honoring their service is already long overdue, but what better way to commemorate their sacrifice than to see their names added. Now is the time. Just like the nearly 60,000 people who died in Vietnam, these 74 heroes left home to give their country their all, and they did not return. We respectfully request that Section 1094 remain in the final conference text so the “Lost 74” are lost no more.