Team Infidel
Forum Spin Doctor
Boston Globe
October 6, 2008
Newton family's tenacity pays off
By John C. Drake and Padraig B. Shea
Relatives of the Navy crew members who perished in the 1942 sinking of the USS Grunion, including the Newton family of its lieutenant commander, had already been planning to gather in Cleveland later this week to memorialize the men.
But an announcement from the Navy on Thursday that it had verified the discovery of the ship's wreckage has heightened that gathering's significance.
"It is very valuable to have them do that recognition," said Bruce Abele, son of the vessel's commander, Lieutenant Commander Mannert L. Abele of Quincy, who, along with his two brothers, hired the search team that pinpointed the wreckage site in 2006. "It's everything, because what it says is there's credibility to [our discovery], and that's what's important."
The Navy's Pacific Fleet credited the Abele family's efforts in announcing that the wreckage discovered off the coast of the Aleutian Islands, a volcanic chain in the North Pacific about 1,200 miles southwest of Alaskan Peninsula, was indeed that of the World War II submarine, which was declared lost by the Navy on Aug. 16, 1964, 22 years after it disappeared for still unknown reasons.
"We are very grateful to the family of Grunion's commanding officer . . . for providing the underwater video footage and pictures that allowed us to make this determination," said Rear Admiral Douglas McAneny, commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet, in a statement. "We hope this announcement will help to give closure to the families of the 70 crewmen of Grunion."
Relatives of the crewmen had been planning the memorial, set for Saturday, for more than a year, since the expedition hired by Abele, a founder of Boston Scientific Corp., found the wreck, 65 years after its disappearance. A representative of the Navy's submarine force is now set to speak at the service,
"This is a memorial just like a funeral service, essentially," said Susan Abele, Bruce's wife. "It will bring all the families together."
After the memorial, Abele said he and his brother John will turn to uncovering what sank the Grunion. A third brother, Brad, died in May. Specialists from around the country have volunteered to help them understand the fates of their father and the 69 other men who sank with the sub, Bruce Abele said.
"What we're doing is try to find out what happened to the Grunion," he said. "That's still the open question."
In August 2006, a team of sonar specialists hired by the Abele family identified a site near the Aleutian island of Kiska, nearly a mile below the ocean surface, as the likely site of the wreckage. Then, in August 2007, a second expedition sent a remotely operated vehicle to the site and returned with photos and video of the vessel, submerged 3,200 feet and largely preserved because of the very cold water and lack of significant currents.
A memorial group for the USS Cod submarine, a twin of the USS Grunion, helped identify the wreckage, and the Naval Historical Center confirmed the findings. The USS Cod Memorial is hosting the Cleveland service.
October 6, 2008
Newton family's tenacity pays off
By John C. Drake and Padraig B. Shea
Relatives of the Navy crew members who perished in the 1942 sinking of the USS Grunion, including the Newton family of its lieutenant commander, had already been planning to gather in Cleveland later this week to memorialize the men.
But an announcement from the Navy on Thursday that it had verified the discovery of the ship's wreckage has heightened that gathering's significance.
"It is very valuable to have them do that recognition," said Bruce Abele, son of the vessel's commander, Lieutenant Commander Mannert L. Abele of Quincy, who, along with his two brothers, hired the search team that pinpointed the wreckage site in 2006. "It's everything, because what it says is there's credibility to [our discovery], and that's what's important."
The Navy's Pacific Fleet credited the Abele family's efforts in announcing that the wreckage discovered off the coast of the Aleutian Islands, a volcanic chain in the North Pacific about 1,200 miles southwest of Alaskan Peninsula, was indeed that of the World War II submarine, which was declared lost by the Navy on Aug. 16, 1964, 22 years after it disappeared for still unknown reasons.
"We are very grateful to the family of Grunion's commanding officer . . . for providing the underwater video footage and pictures that allowed us to make this determination," said Rear Admiral Douglas McAneny, commander, Submarine Forces Pacific Fleet, in a statement. "We hope this announcement will help to give closure to the families of the 70 crewmen of Grunion."
Relatives of the crewmen had been planning the memorial, set for Saturday, for more than a year, since the expedition hired by Abele, a founder of Boston Scientific Corp., found the wreck, 65 years after its disappearance. A representative of the Navy's submarine force is now set to speak at the service,
"This is a memorial just like a funeral service, essentially," said Susan Abele, Bruce's wife. "It will bring all the families together."
After the memorial, Abele said he and his brother John will turn to uncovering what sank the Grunion. A third brother, Brad, died in May. Specialists from around the country have volunteered to help them understand the fates of their father and the 69 other men who sank with the sub, Bruce Abele said.
"What we're doing is try to find out what happened to the Grunion," he said. "That's still the open question."
In August 2006, a team of sonar specialists hired by the Abele family identified a site near the Aleutian island of Kiska, nearly a mile below the ocean surface, as the likely site of the wreckage. Then, in August 2007, a second expedition sent a remotely operated vehicle to the site and returned with photos and video of the vessel, submerged 3,200 feet and largely preserved because of the very cold water and lack of significant currents.
A memorial group for the USS Cod submarine, a twin of the USS Grunion, helped identify the wreckage, and the Naval Historical Center confirmed the findings. The USS Cod Memorial is hosting the Cleveland service.