MEDIA (photos, videos, articles, etc.)
We hope you enjoy our archive of Emmons history and please don't hesitate to send us your Emmons crew member's photos at ussemmons@gmail.com.
Lt Cdr Eugene N. Foss 2nd
***LETTERS TO HOME PROVIDE INSIGHT INTO THE LIFE AND MILITARY SERVICE OF EMMONS SHIPMATE EUGENE AKERS. Head Librarian Matthew Thorenz of Moffat Library of Washingtonville (NY), provided this talk on his research into numerous letters written by shipmate Akers to home, right up to his last letter prior to giving his life for his country aboard the EMMONS at the Battle of Okinawa. Click here to hear about Eugene's home life and life aboard the EMMONS.
***PLAQUE RECOVERY FOR CLEANING AND MAINTENANCE The USS Emmons shipmates had a memorial plaque honoring their lost shipmates placed on the ship in 2003. Our Okinawa diver friends who keep watch over the wreck honor those lost souls by routinely bring up the memorial plaque along with the replica builder's plaque for cleaning before returning them to the ship. Click here to see the recovery operation from January 2024.
***EDWIN CORNETTA INTERVIEW In March, 2000, daughter Nancy Eisele sat down with her father, shipmate Edwin J. Cornetta F2c, to talk about his time in the service, including life aboard the EMMONS and USS MOALE DD693. Click here to listen in on their talk.
***OWEN BUTLER MEMOIR An account of Signalman 3rd Class Owen Butler's time aboard the Emmons was shared with us by the family of shipmate George Flory EM3c. Click here to read the compelling account of his time aboard the EMMONS.
***SHEBOYGAN PRESS ARTICLE Sheboygan's Donald Yecke died in WWII at age 20. People across the globe continue to honor the memory of him and his shipmates. Click here to read the November 15, 2021 article by Maya Hilty.
***DOCUMENTARY "THE HIDDEN TRUTHS OF TOKKO" Excerpts from NHK-Japanese Public Television's documentary addressing the end of WWII featuring the kamikaze attack on the USS Emmons and interviews with shipmate Tony Esposito. Click here to watch the 15 minute video. Please be aware, the computer-generated depiction of the events as they unfolded may be a bit unnerving for some.
***EMMONS AT SEA VIDEO. In June 1943, the USS Emmons transported First Lord of the Admiralty A. V. Alexander to the USS South Dakota at Scapa Flow, Scotland. Click here to view the Emmons as she approaches the USS South Dakota.
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***LIFE ABOARD A WWII GLEAVES-CLASS DESTROYER
Thank you Rich Angelini for bringing to our attention these amazing USS DORAN photos of daily life aboard a WWII destroyer. Like the EMMONS, the USS DORAN DD634/DMS41 was a Gleaves-class destroyer serving during WWII and was converted to a destroyer/minesweeper before heading to the Pacific. Click here.
***JAPANESE NEWS BROADCAST OF DOCUMENTARY FEATURING INTERVIEW WITH SHIPMATE TONY ESPOSITO. NHK-Japanese Public Television researcher Keiko Winsch contacted us in the fall of 2020 regarding a documentary television program NHK was producing about the 1945 kamikaze attack on the Emmons at Okinawa and the attempt to identify the Japanese airplane engine discovered near the Emmons site. Production of the documentary, which includes an interview with Tony, was highlighted in this November 2020 Japanese news broadcast. Because the program is in Japanese, Keiko was kind enough to provide not only the video broadcast, but also this English translation with time codes to help follow along. Excerpts of Tony's interviews can be seen at time stamps 3:01, 6:23 and 10:32. The documentary is scheduled to air in Japan in the summer of 2021.
***JOHN J. GILLIGAN INTERVIEW. Then Kansas Governor Kathleen Sebelius interviews her father, former Ohio Governor and Emmons shipmate John Gilligan, as they discuss his experience the day the Emmons was attacked. At the time, Gilligan had been detached to the USS Rodman, which the Emmons had gone to assist, resulting in her taking on direct hits by five kamikaze planes and her subsequent sinking. Click here to see the interview.
***2020 VIRTUAL REUNION. Our 2020 USS Emmons Reunion in Annapolis was postponed until September 2021 due to the COVID pandemic. In it's place, we held a virtual reunion on ZOOM with 113 in attendance. To watch a recording of the 2 hour reunion program, click here.
***NEW MEMORIAL PLAQUES PLACED ON EMMONS. In preparation for April's memorial dive and plans to put the original plaque on public display, the Okinawa divers placed the new memorial plaques on the USS Emmons and raised the old plaques. Click here to view the video.
***MEMORIAL DIVES. Click here to view memorial dive videos.
***SHIPMATE INTERVIEWS. Click here to view interviews with the shipmates.
***CHANGE OF TIDES. Christopher Holzschuh produced a documentary of his grandfather's life aboard the Emmons.
Click here to view "Change of Tides: The William Roberts Story"
***SAVINGS BOND AD. Click below to hear the The Red and the Black Ink audio recording of a 1940's radio drama advertisement for savings bonds featuring Emmons shipmate Charles Hardy.
***Click here to view the video of shipmate Armand Jolly's video of his 2019 visit to Normandy for the 75th anniversary of D-day.
***RETURN OF JAPANESE GOOD LUCK FLAG. Shipmate Tony Esposito and son Mike came across a Japanese Good Luck Flag, which Japanese servicemen carried with them to battle. Along with Yu Miyaji, they located the family of the serviceman and returned it to them. See the video of the ceremony returning it to the family.