The Californer - Long Beach to Commemorate its Naval History with Commemorative Community Event

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Long Beach, CA ~ Long Beach, CA - On Tuesday, June 3, 2025, the City of Long Beach will hold a ceremonial community event to honor veterans and commemorate the naval ship USS Frank E. Evans and the 74 sailors who lost their lives at sea on June 3, 1969. The event, titled "Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74," is a collaboration between the City's Department of Health and Human Services Office of Veterans Support and the USS Frank E. Evans Association.

Long Beach Mayor Rex Richardson expressed his excitement for the event, stating that it is an important opportunity to raise awareness about the history of USS Frank E. Evans and pay tribute to the fallen sailors. "Long Beach has a long and storied naval history," said Mayor Richardson. "This event offers an important opportunity to tell these stories and to honor our hometown heroes in the beautiful, reflective setting of the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park."

In previous years, the Office of Veterans Support held an Honoring Our Heroes event during Memorial Day weekend while the Evans Association hosted a memorial ceremony on June 3 at the Navy Memorial. This year, both events will be combined into one ceremony to honor USS Frank E. Evans and observe Memorial Day.

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The ceremony will take place at 10 a.m. at the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park where memorial markers for the Lost 74 are located. The program will include a presentation about the tragic collision that claimed the lives of 74 sailors, told by a survivor of the incident. Survivors and community members will also lead ceremonial components such as a bell-ringing ceremony where names of fallen sailors will be read, a wreath-laying ceremony, a traditional 21-gun salute, and water cannons fired by a Long Beach Fire Department fireboat.

Afterwards, attendees are invited to stay for a free lunch while supplies last. Survivors and families of the fallen sailors will be traveling from all over the country to attend the event.

First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas emphasized the significance of honoring these brave sailors who were stationed in Long Beach. "Each of the 74 sailors we remember today was stationed right here in Long Beach," said Councilwoman Zendejas. "We invite our community to stand with us, to reflect, to honor, and to never forget their dedication and ultimate sacrifice."

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The USS Frank E. Evans departed from its home port at the Long Beach Naval Shipyard on March 29, 1969. On June 3 of that year, it collided with HMAS Melbourne, an Australian aircraft carrier, in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam resulting in the loss of 74 lives.

The USS Frank E. Evans Association, a nonprofit organization founded by survivors, families of fallen sailors, and former crew members of the ship, has been advocating for public memorials to honor USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74. The organization's recent success in renaming a junction in Long Beach after the fallen sailors is just one example of their efforts.

Steve Kraus, an Evans survivor and current president of the association expressed his pride in their work. "Not a day goes by that I don't think about the Lost 74 and what their lives might have been if they hadn't perished," said Kraus.

The Port of Long Beach is providing lead sponsorship for Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74. For more information about this event, visit longbeach.gov/veterans.

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