PRESS RELEASE

Above: Representatives from the United States Navy and Royal Australian Navy participate in a previous USS Frank E. Evans commemoration ceremony at the Long Beach Navy Memorial.

Long Beach, CA – The City of Long Beach Department of Health and Human Services (Health Department) Office of Veterans Support, in collaboration with the USS Frank E. Evans Association, will honor veterans and commemorate Long Beach’s rich naval history with a ceremonial community event, Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The event will honor the naval ship USS Frank E. Evans and the 74 sailors who perished at sea on June 3, 1969.

“Long Beach has a long and storied naval history, and with this event, we are paying tribute to that history by raising awareness about USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74,” said Mayor Rex Richardson. “This event offers an important opportunity to tell these stories and to honor our hometown heroes in the beautiful, reflective setting of the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park.”

In the past, the Office of Veterans Support has held an Honoring Our Heroes event during Memorial Day weekend, while the Evans Association has hosted a memorial ceremony on June 3 at the Navy Memorial. This year, the two events are uniting for a single ceremony to honor the USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74, observe and pay tribute to Memorial Day and celebrate the Navy’s history in Long Beach.

The event will take place at 10 a.m. at the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park (200 Aquarium Way) where memorial markers for the Lost 74 are sited. The program will include a presentation about the Evans tragedy, told by a survivor of the collision, as well as ceremonial components led by survivors and community members, including a bell-ringing ceremony – during which the names of the fallen will be read – a wreath-laying ceremony, a traditional 21-gun salute, and the firing of water cannons by a Long Beach Fire Department fireboat. Following the main program, people are invited to stay for a free lunch, while supplies last. Evans survivors and their families, along with the families of the fallen sailors, will travel from all over the country to be in attendance for the event.

“On June 3, 1969, 74 brave sailors aboard the USS Frank E. Evans lost their lives tragically at sea. This solemn ceremony will honor their memory, their service, and the profound sacrifice they made in defense of our nation. As we gather to commemorate the lives of these courageous service members, we do so with deep gratitude” said First District Councilwoman Mary Zendejas. “Each of the 74 sailors we remember today was stationed right here in Long Beach. We invite our community to stand with us, to reflect, to honor, and to never forget their dedication and ultimate sacrifice.”

The USS Frank E. Evans departed the Long Beach Naval Shipyard, its home port, on March 29, 1969. On June 3 of that year, it was involved in a tragic collision with HMAS Melbourne, an Australian aircraft carrier, in the South China Sea off the coast of Vietnam where 74 Evans sailors were killed.

The USS Frank E. Evans Association is a nonprofit, founded by the survivors, families of the fallen sailors, and former crew members of the ship, that advocates for public memorials to honor the USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74. More information about the organization, including its recent successful efforts to rename the junction of State Highway Route 710 and Pacific Coast Highway in Long Beach in honor of the fallen, is available at ussfee.org.

“We are proud of the work our association has done to rename the junction of State Highway Route 710 and Pacific Coast Highway in honor of the USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74,” said Steve Kraus, Evans survivor and current president of the Evans Association. “Not a day goes by that I don’t think about the Lost 74 and what their lives might have been if they hadn’t perished.”

Lead sponsorship of Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74 is provided by the Port of Long Beach. For up-to-date information about this event, visit longbeach.gov/veterans.

About the City of Long Beach
Long Beach is nestled along the Southern California coast and home to approximately 466,000 people. As an award-winning full-service charter city, Long Beach offers the amenities of a metropolitan city while maintaining a strong sense of individual and diverse neighborhoods, culture, and community. With a bustling downtown and over six miles of scenic beaches, Long Beach is a renowned tourist and business destination and home to the iconic Queen Mary, nationally recognized Aquarium of the Pacific and Long Beach Airport, the award-winning Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center and world-class Port of Long Beach.

For more information about the City of Long Beach, visit longbeach.gov/. Follow us on social to keep up with the latest news: Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. More information about the Long Beach Health Department is available at longbeach.gov/health and on Instagram, Facebook and X.