Sailors dedicate bench at Armed Forces Park

Agranite bench was commemorated at the Armed Forces Park in Yuma Monday morning as a memorial to all 4,259 of the sailors who ever served aboard the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans, which was destroyed in the earlymorning darkness in June 1969, when it collided with another ship while in war games in the South China Sea.

Located at of the main entrance to the park, it is the first bench to the right of the stairs, and has a drawing of the vessel, its name and the words, “To the memory of all the sailors who served aboard the destroyer, some gave all,” etched into it.

Built in October 1945, the USS Evans saw action in World War II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. The ceremony featured a sailor from each decade the vessel was in operation cutting a ribbon.

Willis Zismer, who now lives in Yuma and served eight years in the U.S. Navy, was assigned to the ship from 1952 and 1953 and represented sailors from the 1950s.

“Being this is an armed services park, we figured this would be a fitting place for it,” Zismer said. “The bench is not only a way to honor those who

“The bench is not only a way to honor those who lost their lives, but everyone who has served aboard the ship.”

lost their lives, but everyone who has served aboard the ship.”

None of the sailors on board the USS Evans at the time of the collision were from Yuma, but Alex Sanchez, who was a banker here for many years, did serve aboard the ship. He, however, passed away several years ago.

Some of the survivors of that fateful collision were in attendance for the ceremony, including Steve Kraus, who is the current Vice President of the USS Frank E. Evans (DD754) Association.

Formed in 1992 in Forth Worth, Texas at the first reunion, Kraus explained that 74 sailors lost their lives in the collision, and the goal of the organization is to place a Memorial Stone somewhere in each state where each of those sailors were from.

Kraus explained that the sailors who died came from 28 states, and that the organization has about five states remaining, including California, where 23 of had been from.

“We are saving California for last,” Kraus said. “We plan to do it in 2019, which coincides with the 50th anniversary of the accident.”

While it has been 48 years, Kraus — who was the signalman of the watch that morning — said the collision isn’t something he will ever forget, especially since it happened right before his eyes.

Serving in her third conflict, the aging destroyer was off the coast of Vietnam when it was moved out of the combat zone for Operation Sea Spirit.

Sea Spirit, Kraus said, was a joint operation being held as part of a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization (SEATO) exercise, along with the Australian aircraft carrier HMAS Melbourne.

During the maneuvers the Melbourne had signaled Evans, one of five U.S., British and New Zealand destroyers on the inner screen, to prepare to take up the position of plane guard, which is about 1,000 yards behind the carrier.

Kraus said it was while the USS Evans was attempting to maneuver to its new position that it crossed in front of the aircraft carrier on a collision course and was not able to get out of its path.

“It was a darkened ship exercise and there was some confusion about our position,” Krause said. “They thought we were on the starboard side and needed to turn right, but the reality is we were on the port (left) side. They did a few maneuvers but didn’t get out of the way.”

Kraus said when he saw what was happening he ran into the signal shop and hit the inner screen yelling the ship was about to be hit. Almost at that exact moment the Melbourne collided with the USS Evans, cutting the ship in half.

“We got hit right between the stacks,” Kraus said. “The ship rolled completely over onto its side. It then corrected itself and the front of the ship went down in about two minutes.”

The Melbourne had ridden over the destroyer with such an impact that one of Evans’ lookouts was thrown into the air, landing on the flight deck of the carrier, suffering horrible injuries.

Once out of the ship, Kraus was able to swim away, where he was rescued by Australian sailors. Only one body of the 74 men was recovered.

James Gilbert can be reached at jgilbert@yumasun. com or 539-6854. Find him on Facebook at www. Facebook.com/YSJamesGilbert or on Twitter @ YSJamesGilbert.

Buy these photos at YumaSun.com PHOTOS BY RANDY HOEFT/ YUMA SUN U.S. ARMY VETERAN GARY KRAUS (LEFT) AND U.S. NAVY VETERAN GLENN BELEC (second from left), representing the military era of the 1940s and 1960s, respectively, watch as Navy veteran Willis Zismer cuts the ceremonial ribbon at the newest bench at Yuma Armed Forces Park, a memorial to the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Evans, on which 74 sailors lost their lives in a collision with the H.M.S. Melbourne on the morning of June 3, 1969. Zismer serviced on the destroyer from 1952 to 1953. In the background is Navy veteran Steve Kraus, one of the survivors of the collision. The newest bench (top) at Yuma Armed Forces Park is a memorial to the U.S. Navy destroyer USS Frank E. Evans.

U.S. NAVY VETERAN STEVE KRAUS, WHO SURVIVED THE COLLISION of the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans and the H.M.S. Melbourne on the morning of June 3, 1969, serves as master of ceremonies at the event. The American Legion color guard (right) presents the colors at the start of the dedication ceremony.