Photo By Petty Officer 1st Class Somers Steelman | 170520-N-AV234-0089 PEARL HARBOR (May 20, 2017) The youngest service members from the...... read more read more
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During the remembrance, the LSV-2 crew transported distinguished guests across Pearl Harbor from Bishop Point to West Loch, where they conducted a moment of silence followed by a wreath-laying in the hallowed waters.
"Today we honor the brave men who lost their lives in West Loch on May 21st, 1944," said Capt. Stanley Keeve, Jr., Commander, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam, and special guest speaker. “We will never forget the part they played for the cause of freedom, and today we recognize their sacrifice."
On May 21, 1944, Army troops were loading ammunition, weapons and fuel onto vessels in preparation for Operation Forager, a World War II campaign on the Marianas Islands. Following an explosion, fire spread through West Loch, which was a staging area for landing ships at Pearl Harbor U.S. Naval Base.
Keeves recounted the testimony of Bill Simpson of the fourth Marine division, a survivor of the West Loch incident, “It happened, one ship after another and the explosion resulted in metal raining down from all over. There was oil burning over much of the water, and the bodies spread across it were so thick, you could have walked across them without ever getting your feet wet.”
In the next 24 hours, six ships sank, 163 personnel died and 396 were injured in what was the second-largest tragedy of Pearl Harbor during the war. Nearly one-third of the casualties were from the Army's segregated African American 29th Chemical Decontamination Company.
"We are humbled by the courage these men showed that day," said Keeve. "They boldly fought against the raging infernos, while heroically disregarding their own safety to rescue each other and save the ships."
The incident could have caused a serious operational delay, but as a result of their actions and replacements of ships, the men were quickly rounded up and the LSTs got underway only one day late. The invasion of Saipan took place on schedule, demonstrating the resolve and courage of the Sailors, Marines and Soldiers involved.
As a result of lessons learned from the disaster and despite the continued aggressive pace of operations during the war, the Navy has not had an accident of the same magnitude since 1944 and has since implemented safer handling of hazardous materials, better munitions related logistics, and more stringent safety related training and certification requirements.
As a sign of respect and remembrance, the youngest Soldier, Sailor, Airman, Marine, and Coast Guardsman from active duty units in Hawaii laid a wreath in the same sacred waters where the individuals lost their lives, during the ceremony.
| Date Taken: | 05.24.2017 |
| Date Posted: | 05.24.2017 18:56 |
| Story ID: | 235147 |
| Location: | PEARL HARBOR, HI, US |
| Web Views: | 120 |
| Downloads: | 1 |
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