"As Long As Their Names Are Spoken They Shall Not Be Forgotten"
May They Forever Rest In Peace
On May 25, 2002, the City of Norfolk, Virginia and the US Navy Memorial Foundation dedicated the Wisconsin Square in honor of Norfolk Based ships that suffered an event, since World War II, that resulted in a significant loss of life, including the October 1, 1972 explosion on the USS Newport News (CA-148)
'A Night Of Terror' Notes
On this date Oct. 1, 1972, at about 01:00 while on a support mission off the coast of Vietnam, an explosion that tore through the center barrel of Gun Turret #2, killed 20 of our shipmates. Some died in the explosion, others died of smoke inhalation. An eight inch projectile prematurley detonated inside the center barrel as it was being fired due to a faulty fuse. The powder casing behind the projectile fired inside the barrel, causing an explosion which had no place to go but into the gunner's compartment. The remaining powder cases inside the powder hoists also exploded. Smoke quickly spread throughout the ship putting many of us at risk. Most of the ships company survived but at least 20 did not.
Below are the photos of our shipmates who were killed in the explosion inside of Turret 2. "May they forever rest in peace" You are not forgotten.
Herman Carol Acker
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Reserve, Louisiana
Date of birth: Thursday, November 19, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Aprentice
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 076
Jack Stephen Bergman Jr
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Baltimore, Maryland
Date of birth: Monday, August 25, 1952
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Reserve)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 20
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 076
William Clark Jr
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Vienna, Georgia
Date of birth: Thursday, January 26, 1950
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: BM3
MOS: BM3 Boatswain's Mate Third Class
LenSvc: 03
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 22
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 076
Charles Wayne Clinard
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Maysfield, Texas
Date of birth: Tuesday, July 03, 1951
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E4
Rank: GMG3
MOS: GMG3 Guner's Mate Third Class
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 21
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 077
Ronald Paul Daley
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Marshfield, Massachusetts
Date of birth: Monday, February 04, 1952
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Aprentice
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 20
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 077
Raymond Rance Davis
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Shreveport, Louisiana
Date of birth: Sunday, September 06, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E1
Rank: SR
MOS: SR Seaman Recruit
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 19
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 077
Terry Wayne Deal
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Taylorsville, North Carolina
Date of birth: Friday, January 26, 1951
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Reserve)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: 02
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 21
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 077
Joseph Grisafi
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Springfield, Pennsylvania
Date of birth: Wednesday, October 18, 1950
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Reserve)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: 02
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 21
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 080
William Harrison III
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Clifton Forge, Virginia
Date of birth: Tuesday, August 11, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Aprentice
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 19
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 077
Tommy Melvin Hawker
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Sutherlin, Virginia
Date of birth: Sunday, December 17, 1944
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E5
Rank: GMG
MOS: GMG2 Gunners Mate Second Class
LenSvc: 08
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 27
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 078
Robert Merril Kikkert
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Munster, Indiana
Date of birth: Friday, January 22, 1954
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 078
Edward Ralph McEleney Jr
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Medford, Massachusetts
Date of birth: Monday, December 01, 1952
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: 02
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 19
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 078
Robert Thomas Moore
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Date of birth: Wednesday, July 23, 1952
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 20
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 078
Stanley George Pilot Jr
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Salisbury, North Carolina
Date of birth: Sunday, October 11, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 078
Ralph Lewis Robinson
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Baltimore, Maryland
Date of birth: Sunday, May 11, 1952
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: **
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 20
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
Wesley Harold Rose
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Indianapolis, Indiana
Date of birth: Friday, January 04, 1935
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E6
Rank: GMG1
MOS: GMG1 Gunner's Mate First Class
LenSvc: 16
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 37
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
Ricky Lee Rucker
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Baltimore, Maryland
Date of birth: Thursday, December 17, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
Jeffrey Lynn Scheller
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Rahway, New Jersey
Date of birth: Saturday, July 31, 1954
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
David Lee Scott
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: Seymour, Missouri
Date of birth: Tuesday, October 23, 1951
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E3
Rank: SN
MOS: SN Seaman
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 18
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
Richard Carl Tessman
PERSONAL DATA
Home of Record: New Britain, Connecticut
Date of birth: Thursday, May 14, 1953
MILITARY DATA
Service: Navy (Regular)
Grade at loss: E2
Rank: SA
MOS: SA Seaman Apprentice
LenSvc: 01
Unit: USS NEWPORT NEWS, 7TH FLEET
CASUALTY DATA
Start Tour: **
Cas Date: Sunday, October 01, 1972
Age at Loss: 19
Remains: Body Recovered
Location: Offshore, North Vietnam
Type: Hostile, Died
Reason: Misadventure - Sea Casualty
ON THE WALL Panel 01W - Row 079
December 19,1953. Joseph V. Balzano died as a result of an accident on board the NN.
March 12, 1960. Seaman Terrence F. McGee drowned in an overboard incident in the Mediterranean sea.
July 4, 1972. Stephen Michael Brumfield was killed in a Forklift accident while the ship was loading supplies off the Vietnam coast.
September 10, 1972. James J. Sansone fell overboard and was never seen again. We want to remember you Jim.
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