NEWS: Sen. Schiff Renews Push to Honor 74 Fallen Sailors on Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall with Sens. Schumer and Cramer, Reps. Flood and Chu

Washington, D.C. - Today, U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) led a bipartisan group of lawmakers in renewing a push to see the names of 74 sailors who lost their lives in the fatal accident of the USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War memorialized on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C.

In 1969, the USS Frank E. Evans sank off the coast of Vietnam after being accidentally struck by an Australian aircraft carrier. Because the Department of Defense maintains the sinking of Frank E. Evans took place outside of the declared war zone, the sailors who perished have been deemed ineligible for inclusion on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall in Washington, D.C., despite the fact that these men were deployed to the region for the war.

"The 74 service members who sacrificed their lives during the Vietnam war while aboard the USS Frank E. Evans deserve the same honor and recognition as all others on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial,"said Senator Schiff. "The sailors aboard the Frank E. Evans were true patriots who made the ultimate sacrifice. Their families should be able to visit and pay tribute to them on the Capitol Mall like the thousands of other families that lost a loved one half a century ago. In their memory, I am proud to continue this bipartisan push for recognition in the U.S. Senate."

"For more than half a century, bureaucratic rules have stood in the way of honoring the brave men and women who nobly served their country and paid the ultimate sacrifice on the USS Frank E. Evans protecting the freedoms we hold dear. These heroes deserve to have their names added to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall," said Senator Schumer. "Withholding their names from the Memorial wall denies these servicemembers and their loved ones the honor and recognition they deserve and earned. I have long pushed the Department of Defense to add these names to the memorial, and will not stop fighting until we are able to see their names engraved on the wall where they belong to ensure their service and sacrifice are fully recognized."

"As the Vietnam War recedes further into history, we learn more about the important contribution of many service members whose original missions were shrouded in secrecy or minimized by a cold-hearted bureaucracy. The sailors who died on the USS Frank E. Evans were no less brave than those who fought and served in the many well-known or non-classified theaters of the Vietnam War. Recognizing these brave veterans sends a strong message to all the families of those who were lost fighting in the shadows of the war. The USS Frank E. Evans Act will honor the sacrifice of these heroes by finally memorializing their service on the Vietnam Veterans Memorial wall," said Senator Cramer.

"I am proud to join Senators Schiff and Cramer and Rep. Flood in introducing the bipartisan USS Frank E. Evans Act to honor the 74 sailors, including 22 Californians, whose ultimate sacrifice must not be forgotten," said Representative Chu. "I have heard from the families and survivors who have long sought this recognition for their loved ones and am committed to supporting these efforts. These brave Americans deserve to be honored alongside their fellow service members at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial."

"It has been over 56 years since 74 sailors of USS Frank E. Evans DD 754 left our homeland to fight in the Vietnam War. Words cannot express our frustration that we have waited this long for these heroes to be honored in their rightful place on the Vietnam Veteran's Memorial. It is difficult to imagine that a select few continue to believe an imaginary line in the water can be used to distinguish between those that deserve recognition and those that do not. The only reason USS Frank E Evans was in theater was to serve in the war. Our 74 sailors gave up their lives just as those others listed on the Wall. Today's bipartisan legislation, sponsored by Senators, Kevin Cramer (R), Adam Schiff (D) and Chuck Schumer (D) is the roadmap for recognition for these honored heroes,"said Steve Kraus, President of the Frank E. Evans Association.

The legislation introduced today would direct the Secretary of Defense to have the sailors' names added to the Memorial. Schiff previously led similar legislation in the House to amend the designation for the sailors who perished aboard the Frank E. Evans.

The legislation is cosponsored by Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.). Representative Mike Flood (R-Neb.) is leading companion legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives with Representative Judy Chu (D-Calif.).

The USS Frank E. Evans Act is joined by an over 30-year effort from surviving crew members and families to properly recognize the sailors.In 2018, the U.S. House of Representatives passed Schiff's legislation, but it ultimately did not become law.

Full text of the legislation is available here.

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