Latest news with #USSLexington
ABC News
5 days ago
- General
- ABC News
Heritage honour for ships sunk in Battle of the Coral Sea
It has been more than 80 years since they came to rest 3,000 metres down on the ocean floor, but their pristine markings have been remarkably well preserved. In 1942, American ships the USS Sims, the USS Neosho and the USS Lexington were patrolling the Pacific as part of the Battle of the Coral Sea when on May 7 and 8 they were struck by Japanese torpedoes. The USS Sims, a Destroyer, was escorting the fleet oiler, USS Neosho, when Japanese aircraft landed multiple direct hits, including a suicide dive from one fighter plane. Two bomb strikes exploded in the Sims' engine room, buckling the ship and causing a massive explosion that sank the vessel. The next morning, the aircraft carrier USS Lexington attacked Japanese forces who, minutes later, fired back. The ship suffered two direct torpedo strikes, followed by an explosion from one of the internal fires that ignited petrol vapours. The strikes caused significant damage, but it was American torpedoes that finally sank the vessel to prevent it from being captured by the Japanese. It was a devastating loss, with 635 US servicemen losing their lives and just a few surviving. The wrecks laid undisturbed for 75 years, more than 3 kilometres down in the Coral Sea, about 1,000km east of Far North Queensland. Rediscovered in 2018 by a team led by US billionaire Paul Allen, the shipwrecks and war graves will now have extra protection. The federal government announced on June 1 that they had been added to the National Heritage List. Federal Minister for the Environment Murray Watt said the site was of national significance in Australia's history. "The Second World War was a time of such terrible and unimaginable loss suffered by so many and the Battle of the Coral Sea was central to keeping Australians at home safe," he said. "By including the site on the National Heritage List, we can ensure greater protection for a number of historic shipwrecks, while preserving a significant piece of world history for future generations." Richard Scully, from the University of New England, said heritage protection was crucial because some WWII warships had already disappeared from the Pacific. He said it was important to remember that, as well as having historical value, these were war graves. "Now that we know where these graves are located means we can protect them," Professor Scully said. "We can register them as heritage and we can continue to do justice to the men who fought and died." Professor Scully says the remarkable preservation also gives a vivid insight into the experience of the battle. "The Lexington, an unarmoured warship essentially being attacked from the sky, was burning in the sea before it was scuttled." Professor Scully said it was also important to raise the profile of the conflict in Australia's collective memory. He said the Pacific War was sometimes the poor cousin to the European war, with the war against Hitler holding the imagination more than the Pacific War. "This is Australia's war in so many ways, and I think it is important to remember that." He said the battles in the Coral Sea to defend Australia and New Guinea were remarkable. "This is the first naval battle in history where the opposing warships never saw each other. "It was fought entirely by aircraft flying off aircraft carriers over the horizon, locating the enemy and attacking them."
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Yorktown Naval Weapons Station, Dominion exploring energy projects, including nuclear reactor
YORKTOWN — Leadership of Naval Weapons Station Yorktown and Dominion Energy have signed an agreement to work together to build energy resiliency at the station. Potential projects at the weapons station could include solar farms, turbine energy or a small modular nuclear reactor. Cpt. Dan Patrick said it has been a goal of his to have more sustainable power sources for the station. Over the next decade, power demand in Virginia is going to increase, so having a diverse source of power is necessary for the station to continue providing weapons support to other military installations across the East Coast, he said. Dominion has forecasted a 5.5% annual demand increase over the next decade and double by 2039. Dominion Energy and the installation have worked for about 18 months ahead of Friday's agreement signing to see how a project at NWS Yorktown could fit into long-term energy plans. The first step is a site characterization study, which will determine where and what kind of project would work best in the area. Those typically take six to 12 months, according to Dominion officials. How Dominion Energy sees its future: A look at its long-term plan for demand, affordability Amazon, Google make dueling nuclear investments to power data centers with clean energy Hundreds oppose Chesapeake data center, commission recommends denial Patrick pointed to a historic long-term power outage in Tacoma, Washington as evidence of his concerns. In 1929, the city of Tacoma generated much of its electricity by hydroelectric dams on nearby rivers, but after a drought, the city struggled to provide enough power to keep citizens warm that winter. Fort Lewis, an Army base located located 9.1 miles south-southwest of Tacoma, had its barracks go 'lights out' at 4 p.m. to help conserve power. Then-President Herbert Hoover sent the Navy's USS Lexington to power the city for about a month. 'If we don't take the necessary steps to build reliant and resilient energy sources for the installation community, we clearly become very vulnerable,' he said. 'As our country reaffirmed its commitment to energy dominance, it becomes ever clear that what we do with electricity and energy over the next five years will determine our installation's readiness for the next 50.' Ed Baine, president of Dominion Energy Virginia, said whichever method is selected would be owned and operated by Dominion. If a nuclear reactor is chosen, he is confident in the company's ability to handle nuclear facilities safely. Baine said short-term energy sources for the company to meet growing demand will be gas and renewable energy, but long-term plans for the company will have to include small reactors. In October, the power provider announced a partnership with Amazon to develop a small modular reactor as the utility explores building one at its North Anna Power Station, an existing traditional nuclear power plant in Louisa County. A small reactor is about a third of the size of the Surry Nuclear Power Plant, which is located just across the James River from the weapons station. On June 3, the York County Board of Supervisors approved a resolution to sponsor a study that would look at potential zoning ordinances regarding small nuclear reactors. Currently, the county's code does not address reactors at all. Baine and Patrick said whatever power source is chosen, it will bring benefits on a regional scale. 'Our overall goal and intent is that if something were to happen elsewhere, the base and the community — our major workforce — would have the lights and power on so we can continue without having to worry about the families at home or the local community not being able to work with us,' Patrick said. Eliza Noe,
Yahoo
24-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
World War II veteran 'refused to quit'
May 24—A young coxswain who was killed in a World War II battle on the Coral Sea has ties to Anatone — and a ship named after him. Marvin Ramsden's legacy is now showcased in a shadow box at his niece's house in Clarkston. The impressive display of medals, photographs and memorabilia is the result of a lot of time and effort that was sparked by a conversation in a break room at the Clearwater Paper mill several years ago. Two lifelong Clarkston friends — John Peters and Randy VanSickle — were discussing Valerie Ramsden's uncle Marvin and became curious about how the USS Ramsden was linked to Anatone and her family. VanSickle, 64, a retired Navy veteran, embarked on a deep-dive into history to help his friends learn more. Valerie, 65, and Peters, 64, recently spoke highly of VanSickle's research skills at their Clarkston Heights home. "Randy was instrumental in all of this, and his Navy connections were huge," Peters said. "After we found out Marvin died a hero and was lost at sea and had a ship named after him, we all agreed this story needs to be told." According to their research, Ramsden was a "dirt-poor farm boy" who joined the Navy at the age of 17, which required five letters in support of his maturity. He came from a family of homesteaders who settled in Anatone during World War II. His father, James, lost his first wife during childbirth, and married his second wife, Ada, when Marvin was 2 years old, Valerie said. "Grandma Ada is technically Marvin's stepmother, but she raised him, and played a big role in getting a ship named after him," she said. "She was also there when the ship was christened." After enlisting in California, Ramsden was stationed on the USS Lexington. On May 8, 1942, a fierce battle with Japan ensued, and the young coxswain remained at his post after being wounded. "He refused to quit," according to Seattle Star newspaper accounts of the battle. Ramsden was exposed in the crow's nest on the upper level of the battleship, operating a range finder for the gun crew, said VanSickle, who carefully transcribed the entire log of the attack. The young seaman courageously remained at his exposed station, in the face of intense dive-bombing attacks until he was physically exhausted. He successfully helped shoot down several enemy planes. "Basically, Marvin earned a Silver Star that day and died a hero that no one knows about," Peters said. "This kid from nowhere could've bailed, but he refused and went down with the ship." Daily headlines, straight to your inboxRead it online first and stay up-to-date, delivered daily at 7 AM Ramsden, 23, was killed in action aboard the aircraft carrier in the Coral Sea, off the east coast of Australia. He was the first Asotin County youth reported killed during the conflict, according to an Anatone news report. The famous USS Lexington ship, which had previously launched Amelia Earhart's plane in 1937, was sunk, and Ramsden's body was lost at sea. In early June of 1942, a telegram about his death arrived in Anatone, which had a much larger population than its present-day count, said Valerie, who grew up in the rural Asotin County town. At a community picnic decades later, she met the man who hand-delivered the sad news of her uncle's death to his family. "I was talking to a man in his 80s, and found out he had worked at the Anatone telegraph office, and actually delivered that telegram to James and Ada," Valerie said. Her uncle was a Minnesota native, born in 1919. At the time of his death, he was survived by his parents; two brothers, Lloyd and Everett; and a sister, Ellen Rassilyer. Everett, who died in 1986, is Valerie's father. Her aunt Ellen, who died during the COVID-19 pandemic, played a pivotal role in securing Marvin's medals, which had been lost over time. She also gathered newspaper clippings and photos in binders that were given to the cousins. "She was his closest remaining relative and had to sign the paperwork to get the medal replacements," Valerie said. "At the time, she was 92 and living in Federal Way. All of us cousins wrote papers about Marvin in our history classes." After Marvin Ramsden died, his parents moved to Seattle, and Ada was given his posthumous Silver Star for "gallant and intrepid conduct in action against enemy Japanese forces during the battle of the Coral Sea on May 8, 1942." Ada also sponsored the USS Ramsden, which carried the Anatone coxswain's portrait. "She was relentless and got a ship named after him," Valerie said. "Grandma Ada played a big part in this story." The Ramsden namesake ship was commissioned in 1943, and Ada was there when the vessel was launched in Houston, Texas. It served as a destroyer escort vessel, manned by a Coast Guard crew, before being decommissioned in 1960 and used as a practice target in 1975. At a Navy reunion in 1999, a family member met a man who served on the USS Ramsden. He said every sailor would touch Ramsden's portrait as he walked onto the ship. Now that the research has been done and the three Clarkston friends have gathered all of Marvin Ramsden's history, they plan to give it to a Navy museum, possibly at Farragut State Park in northern Idaho. "I was so moved to receive this shadow box, and appreciate all of the work Randy and John did to learn more and more about my Uncle Marvin," Valerie said. "We remember him on every Memorial Day, as well as others who lost their lives fighting for our country, and we are grateful to share his story." Sandaine can be reached at kerris@
Yahoo
25-02-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Corpus Christi ISD has named its new southeast middle school. See what it will be called.
A new middle school in Corpus Christi will be called Lexington Middle School after the Corpus Christi Independent School District board of trustees voted to approve the name Monday evening. The school, located in southeast Corpus Christi near Creekside Elementary School, is being constructed as a result of a bond approved by voters in 2022. The building will be nearly 159,000 square feet with a 900-student capacity. The facility includes 26 classrooms, two collaboration spaces, a fine arts wing, a media center, cafetorium, competition gym, practice gym and weight room. The school will open to students in August 2025. The "Lexington" name was chosen from a list of 30 submissions. A committee of district leadership narrowed down the list, with Lexington Middle School recommended by the district to the board for approval. Corpus Christi is home to the USS Lexington, a World War II aircraft carrier. Lexington is also the name of a subdivision in town and was previously used as the name of a now-closed elementary school in the district. Lexington Middle School will be part of the Veterans Memorial High School learning community. Students from nearby Creekside Elementary School will feed into Lexington Middle School. The name was approved by a slim board majority. Trustees Don Clark, Eric Villarreal, Dolly Gonzales-Trolley and Jaime Arredondo voted in favor of the name. Trustees Marty Bell, Alice Upshaw Hawkins and Steve Barrera voted against the name. Bell said during the meeting that he thought the district could 'do better' than Lexington, such as by honoring an individual who has contributed to the district. Many Corpus Christi schools are named after individuals; however, several recently opened schools have been named after neighborhoods or geographical descriptions, such as Creekside Elementary School and Cullen Place Elementary School. Miller graduate Guerra Jr. returns to Corpus Christi for Miller football banquet Black History Month: Test your knowledge of Corpus Christi and Texas history See why Flour Bluff teacher was chosen as H-E-B award finalist This article originally appeared on Corpus Christi Caller Times: Name chosen for new Corpus Christi ISD middle school
