My grandfather witnessed this attack aboard the U.S.S. Wasp CV-18. He's a stern man hardly ever let his emotions get to him, but he said that day feeling so helpless as the ship was constantly bombed, he and a few oher guys broke down and cried. The aftermath was surreal with all the twisted metal from the heat was so grotesque to look at.
Great great uncle died on this ship that day..... Private Conrad (Conard) Roysten..... Never knew him.... Just makes me sad to think that since he was 24.... He'd still be alive right now.... But no.... Day 1: Killed in an explosion........
my grandfather was on this ship he worked down on the engine with other men but was trapped when the bombing started. luckily it didnt sink because we wouldnt have him right now. now hes living happily in his mid eighties in utica ohio.
my dad was on the franklin. he worked on the flight deck. he died in 1987. I never realized what he went thru.His name was Richard Marsh, he was from Honesdale Pennsylvania.
My Grandfather James Rogers is also a survivor of the attack. Still alive today at age 81. If your interested in more information on the USS Franklin you should check out the book INFERNO by Joseph A. Springer.
My Dad told me he watched the bombs hit the Franklin from his ship the USS Hickox DD-673. His ship is the one that rescued the 18 men from the fantail and 70 from the water. He didn't tell the story of that day very often, but when he did his eyes would always tear up.
@myrick4bmx sure his eyes tear up , when the main magazine went up the tail end of the carrier jumped out of the water , that's what threw most of the men overboard , I had a friend that was one of the capitans of navigation on the Lexington , they sank her at the corral sea , they could bang up big Ben but they couldn't sink her knor the 300 and some odd seamen that road her back to the brooklyn navy yard with out any help
Jon Ed Reves... Survivor of the USS Franklin passed away 11/10/2010 , age 85 in Memphis Tn. One day shy of Veterans Day. He was a dear friend. His duty was damage control.He later visited Japan and remarkably had no animosity towards the Japanese. He was a remarkable man
My grandfather served on this ship, thankfully he survived all the attackes on the Franklin. The ship was a testament to the men serving on her, they never gave up.
My Uncle was a survivor of this attack. He would hardly tell us anything at all. Every last friend he had was lost in this attack, and he only narrowly missed being among them.
If you want to read a great book about Big Ben as she was called, along with the cruise Santa Fe, look for a book called Lucky Lady. I just finished reading it and came here to look for some footage of the attack.
Sunk or not sunk, it doesn't matter. For the USS Franklin, this was her last combat. She never went back into combat action even in later post war conflicts.
my great grandad was on that ship he swam for 10 whole minutes under water because of the flames being above him he later died of a stroke. RIP Kenneth Leonard Branch
Funny, I used to drive my boat in NY Harbor and think about all the majestic and historic ships that sailed the same waters and now with Youtube, I can see a lot of them.
My uncle, Utah Bond, died in that attack that day. I never met him but have heard the stories. How strange it is to be able to watch this footage of the actual attack. I didn't even know such footage existed.
I had a relative who was on this ship. He was my great great uncle, Conrad Longerbeam. I just got off the phone with my grandmother who was his niece. She said he'd just started in the marine corps, so he was a private. She said he died when they was down eating breakfast, that's when the bombing happened.
My 2nd cousin, Lt. Frederick W. Mueller, Jr. died that day. I have been trying to find out more about him, but he was an only child and there's no one left to tell his story. I haven't had much luck getting anything out of the Navy. He was born in Egg Harbor City, NJ. I had no idea this video existed. What an incredible story. Now I have a son in the Navy and I'm proud of him as well!
My dad was on this ship. Did Morse code, Radio man etc. He was way up when he was blown off the ship and when he went down in the ocean he went way down..the ocean was on fire due to all the fuel concern was the ship's huge propellers were still moving as was the ship.He was in the water for about 5 hours when he was picked up. At that time the belief was sharks wouldn't be in the deepest parts of the ocean..The Marianas.wrong. Now my son is a Navy man and I'm very proud
@keller 596 My father was on the heavy cruiser Santa Fe, that pulled along the Franklin. He was involved in fire control, and fought to put out the deck fires, exploding munitions, fuel etc.. He told me that it was like a living hell with all of the carnage, chaos and body parts strewn about. It was a miracle that the Franklin didn't go down. He was about 24yr's old, on a USN "mission of war. He was awarded a Silver Star for his actions during this battle. He's gone now. We miss him.
my grandpa was on this ship from '43 - '45...he was 23 and the first time he got drunk was when he got a bottle of whiskey and cleaned body parts off the deck
My father was on the uss guam close by during this battle and the uss guam put some fire hoses on the fires also, then was assigned as an escort to get the ship to safer waters,I had seen pictures but never knew there was a video. very interesting
My Grandma's little brother, my Great Uncle, Albert Newton Drake, was on board as well, however, his life was lost during this attack. Thank you for posting this video! I've always been curious about that day!
my grandfather was on this ship as well. he survived. if he had gone to eat in the mess hall he would have gotten killed from a kamikaze. instead he went to go sleep in the boiler room where he worked in the franklin. im sorry for your great uncle and am appreciative of the sacrifice he made by paying the ultimate price for our country.
My middle school science teacher was on board the Franklin when she was attacked. He used to talk about the metal plate in his head due to injuries that he sustained during the attack.
My grandpa was also on this ship. He had actually traded shifts with someone the night before the bombing with someone who was working below deck. The guy he switched shifts with died on the deck during the bombing. He is still alive today and just recently gave me his purple heart medal. It's crazy what they went through.
That was an awesome video. My grandfather was one of the survivors of the Franklin. He died before I was born. I wish I could have met him. I am a combat Veteran myself.
USS Franklin was not named after FDR, she was named after all the prior ships named Franklin (as well as Benjamin F). It is only the Nimitz class carriers that have ever been named after presidents. Moreover, the idea of naming carriers after presidents has never really set well with the fleet (possible exceptions being the GW, AL and TR). Previously, carriers were always named after other famous ships (Enterprise, Hornet, Wasp, etc.) or famous battles.
The Franklin CV-13 was NOT a Nimitz class carrier.. It was an Essex class carrier.. The Nimitz class carriers are all Nuclear and were not in existence in World War II.
There are or were many carriers named for presidents including FDR, JFK,HST,Teddy Roosevelt,Eisenhower,Regan,Lincoln,GHW Bush. The newest Carrier Gerald R Ford will be a new class of supercarrier once she is launched.
One should get their facts straight before posting a comment
Gree, if you are talking to me ... What are you talking about? Of course Franklin is not a Nimitz, she would have been about 3 decades too early dontcha think?. Additionally, CV's (and CVN's) named after presidents is a very modern convention. Prior to the Nimitz class there was one (the Midway class FDR) breaking tradition. As I said, they used to name them for famous prior ships or famous battles. Perhaps it is you who should check the facts. The ships you mentioned are all new (last 30.
My great uncle, Charles (Chuck) Cullen survived the attack but was haunted by the tragedy for the rest of his life. The crew of the Franklin guys had the "right stuff", for sure.
My dad was one of the 704 survivors of this crew. It was bombed three different times, with this footage being the last time. He said they all cried when they saw the Statue of Liberty, as they never thought they would see it again.
My father, now deceased, was a radio man on the USS Santa Fe. I remember him commenting on "what a furnace" the Franklin was when they pulled up along side. All film of the Franklin appears to be shot from the Santa Fe. Wow.
My father always said Keushu but he said Honshu, too. I heard the stories so many times I get confused. Maybe he was refering to where he was fished out of the water .
My grandfather witnessed this attack aboard the U.S.S. Wasp CV-18. He's a stern man hardly ever let his emotions get to him, but he said that day feeling so helpless as the ship was constantly bombed, he and a few oher guys broke down and cried. The aftermath was surreal with all the twisted metal from the heat was so grotesque to look at.
trans8010 2 months ago
Essex class sure was hard to kill
americaHUMVEES 4 months ago
My Dad was on this ship also. Daniel Killmer from Jersey City, NJ
dennismk1 5 months ago
My Uncle Otis Corbett gave his life on this day Please rember all who served and gave the ultumate sacrifice,
dholdsclaw61 7 months ago
My uncle was killed in that attack.
randalbyrd 8 months ago 2
Great great uncle died on this ship that day..... Private Conrad (Conard) Roysten..... Never knew him.... Just makes me sad to think that since he was 24.... He'd still be alive right now.... But no.... Day 1: Killed in an explosion........
B1gB0ss45 9 months ago
my grandfather was on this ship he worked down on the engine with other men but was trapped when the bombing started. luckily it didnt sink because we wouldnt have him right now. now hes living happily in his mid eighties in utica ohio.
kmanmoyer 10 months ago 3
@kmanmoyer My grandfather also worked in the engine room of the Franklin when it was bombed. His name was Leo Drouin and he lived in CT until 1989.
jeffdrouin 7 months ago 2
my dad was on the franklin. he worked on the flight deck. he died in 1987. I never realized what he went thru.His name was Richard Marsh, he was from Honesdale Pennsylvania.
EuReKaDeAdScOpE 10 months ago
My uncle was in an Avenger squadron on the Franklin when this happened. He was unhurt but described incredible carnage. He passed away in 1987.
animaldawg 11 months ago
My Grandfather James Rogers is also a survivor of the attack. Still alive today at age 81. If your interested in more information on the USS Franklin you should check out the book INFERNO by Joseph A. Springer.
marschik2005 1 year ago
my dad was on this ship when it got hit he was on the hanger deck working on an airplane when the bombs hit
thefabulousbugman 1 year ago
My Dad told me he watched the bombs hit the Franklin from his ship the USS Hickox DD-673. His ship is the one that rescued the 18 men from the fantail and 70 from the water. He didn't tell the story of that day very often, but when he did his eyes would always tear up.
myrick4bmx 1 year ago 2
@myrick4bmx sure his eyes tear up , when the main magazine went up the tail end of the carrier jumped out of the water , that's what threw most of the men overboard , I had a friend that was one of the capitans of navigation on the Lexington , they sank her at the corral sea , they could bang up big Ben but they couldn't sink her knor the 300 and some odd seamen that road her back to the brooklyn navy yard with out any help
jhunted7667 1 year ago
take that u jap bastard! D:<
roflcoppter111 1 year ago
Jon Ed Reves... Survivor of the USS Franklin passed away 11/10/2010 , age 85 in Memphis Tn. One day shy of Veterans Day. He was a dear friend. His duty was damage control.He later visited Japan and remarkably had no animosity towards the Japanese. He was a remarkable man
richardn61 1 year ago
My father was supposed to have been on this deployment but he flunked his dental inspection. Two tooth cavities saved his life.
PDoggdadd 1 year ago
John R Surette survived, and went on to have 10 kids in Boston, Mass
661bopper 1 year ago
Filthy Slant eyes
chuckeieio 1 year ago
Remember these images when you see a Toyota commercial.
tennforever 1 year ago
My grandfather served on this ship, thankfully he survived all the attackes on the Franklin. The ship was a testament to the men serving on her, they never gave up.
CyTrek74 1 year ago
My Uncle was a survivor of this attack. He would hardly tell us anything at all. Every last friend he had was lost in this attack, and he only narrowly missed being among them.
TomELange 1 year ago
If you want to read a great book about Big Ben as she was called, along with the cruise Santa Fe, look for a book called Lucky Lady. I just finished reading it and came here to look for some footage of the attack.
rx7carl 1 year ago
Sunk or not sunk, it doesn't matter. For the USS Franklin, this was her last combat. She never went back into combat action even in later post war conflicts.
ichmalealsobinich 1 year ago
RIP Clifford Nelson
manfred62493 1 year ago
my great grandad was on that ship he swam for 10 whole minutes under water because of the flames being above him he later died of a stroke. RIP Kenneth Leonard Branch
masontheone 1 year ago
Funny, I used to drive my boat in NY Harbor and think about all the majestic and historic ships that sailed the same waters and now with Youtube, I can see a lot of them.
tryithere 1 year ago
My uncle, Utah Bond, died in that attack that day. I never met him but have heard the stories. How strange it is to be able to watch this footage of the actual attack. I didn't even know such footage existed.
wwiggins65 1 year ago
its really hard for me to watch this because my grandpa died on that ship that day so i never got to meet him.. :'(
nicolee772 1 year ago
I had a relative who was on this ship. He was my great great uncle, Conrad Longerbeam. I just got off the phone with my grandmother who was his niece. She said he'd just started in the marine corps, so he was a private. She said he died when they was down eating breakfast, that's when the bombing happened.
B1gB0ss45 1 year ago
My 2nd cousin, Lt. Frederick W. Mueller, Jr. died that day. I have been trying to find out more about him, but he was an only child and there's no one left to tell his story. I haven't had much luck getting anything out of the Navy. He was born in Egg Harbor City, NJ. I had no idea this video existed. What an incredible story. Now I have a son in the Navy and I'm proud of him as well!
mkeillor 2 years ago
My dad was on this ship. Did Morse code, Radio man etc. He was way up when he was blown off the ship and when he went down in the ocean he went way down..the ocean was on fire due to all the fuel concern was the ship's huge propellers were still moving as was the ship.He was in the water for about 5 hours when he was picked up. At that time the belief was sharks wouldn't be in the deepest parts of the ocean..The Marianas.wrong. Now my son is a Navy man and I'm very proud
mkeller596 2 years ago
we are grateful for both thier services :)
ShortCardinalsFan262 2 years ago
@keller 596 My father was on the heavy cruiser Santa Fe, that pulled along the Franklin. He was involved in fire control, and fought to put out the deck fires, exploding munitions, fuel etc.. He told me that it was like a living hell with all of the carnage, chaos and body parts strewn about. It was a miracle that the Franklin didn't go down. He was about 24yr's old, on a USN "mission of war. He was awarded a Silver Star for his actions during this battle. He's gone now. We miss him.
Dealit707 1 year ago
Amazing story. Americans are a tough bunch of bastards.
Pacis2009 2 years ago 2
my grandpa was on this ship from '43 - '45...he was 23 and the first time he got drunk was when he got a bottle of whiskey and cleaned body parts off the deck
nomatik22 2 years ago
My father was on the uss guam close by during this battle and the uss guam put some fire hoses on the fires also, then was assigned as an escort to get the ship to safer waters,I had seen pictures but never knew there was a video. very interesting
fkflintstone 2 years ago
My Grandma's little brother, my Great Uncle, Albert Newton Drake, was on board as well, however, his life was lost during this attack. Thank you for posting this video! I've always been curious about that day!
welchkids1 2 years ago
my grandfather was on this ship as well. he survived. if he had gone to eat in the mess hall he would have gotten killed from a kamikaze. instead he went to go sleep in the boiler room where he worked in the franklin. im sorry for your great uncle and am appreciative of the sacrifice he made by paying the ultimate price for our country.
nomatik22 2 years ago
My grandpa was on board too. Someone have the link to the newsreel version of this video with sound? I had it book-marked last year but lost it....
MT169 2 years ago
My middle school science teacher was on board the Franklin when she was attacked. He used to talk about the metal plate in his head due to injuries that he sustained during the attack.
cyberzonie 2 years ago
My grandfather Richard Sparshott was a pilot aboard the Franklin when this happened.
He was one of the survivors.
He passed away last week after having a long and interesting life with lots of kids, grandkids and great grandkids.
I'll miss you Poppa.
marvinal 2 years ago
My uncle Billy Forbes died in this attack.
randalbyrd 2 years ago
My grandpa was also on this ship. He had actually traded shifts with someone the night before the bombing with someone who was working below deck. The guy he switched shifts with died on the deck during the bombing. He is still alive today and just recently gave me his purple heart medal. It's crazy what they went through.
SabbyMcSab 2 years ago
That was an awesome video. My grandfather was one of the survivors of the Franklin. He died before I was born. I wish I could have met him. I am a combat Veteran myself.
rinoman5644 3 years ago
I wonder what aircraft attacked the FDR???
The World May Never Know!
stargaterocks001 3 years ago
stargate
USS Franklin was not named after FDR, she was named after all the prior ships named Franklin (as well as Benjamin F). It is only the Nimitz class carriers that have ever been named after presidents. Moreover, the idea of naming carriers after presidents has never really set well with the fleet (possible exceptions being the GW, AL and TR). Previously, carriers were always named after other famous ships (Enterprise, Hornet, Wasp, etc.) or famous battles.
zappasaurus 2 years ago
The Franklin CV-13 was NOT a Nimitz class carrier.. It was an Essex class carrier.. The Nimitz class carriers are all Nuclear and were not in existence in World War II.
There are or were many carriers named for presidents including FDR, JFK,HST,Teddy Roosevelt,Eisenhower,Regan,Lincoln,GHW Bush. The newest Carrier Gerald R Ford will be a new class of supercarrier once she is launched.
One should get their facts straight before posting a comment
gree214 2 years ago
Gree, if you are talking to me ... What are you talking about? Of course Franklin is not a Nimitz, she would have been about 3 decades too early dontcha think?. Additionally, CV's (and CVN's) named after presidents is a very modern convention. Prior to the Nimitz class there was one (the Midway class FDR) breaking tradition. As I said, they used to name them for famous prior ships or famous battles. Perhaps it is you who should check the facts. The ships you mentioned are all new (last 30.
zappasaurus 2 years ago
@zappasaurus The John F. Kennedy and the Franklin D. Roosevelt were not Nimitz class carriers.
CambotSOL 1 year ago
@CambotSOL I heard they named a port Marilyn Monroe and the JFK kept coming back into port there.
tryithere 1 year ago
My great uncle, Charles (Chuck) Cullen survived the attack but was haunted by the tragedy for the rest of his life. The crew of the Franklin guys had the "right stuff", for sure.
tdirgins 3 years ago
my uncle died in that solo attack. he just went below deck when the first of two bombs hit
stizzystickler 3 years ago
Fantastic...Fantastic ...Fantastic wartime footage; make me proud to ba an American.
mariojac 3 years ago
That was one brave (and lucky) Japanese pilot.
label1877 3 years ago
two of my great uncles died on the Franklin, Peter and John Papaleo were Marines who were probably killed instantly...
While I was born in 1966 i have the greatest respect for the men who died that day,and those who saved lives.Touching video...
davethecaveman 3 years ago
This has been flagged as spam show
Japan = Nazi Germany during WW2, because they united together. They wanted all peoples became their slaves !
sgt21692 3 years ago
Last year, I met Photoghapher's Mate Al Bullock of the USS Sante Fe who took this film. He was at the FRANKLIN reunion in Pensacola.
bartlettbob 3 years ago
My dad was one of the 704 survivors of this crew. It was bombed three different times, with this footage being the last time. He said they all cried when they saw the Statue of Liberty, as they never thought they would see it again.
condor1950 3 years ago
My Dad was a CWO in the Frisco's engine room.
He did not have to tell sea stories about this event.
I have seen this video with narration at one time, iirc.
OlderPete 4 years ago
My father, now deceased, was a radio man on the USS Santa Fe. I remember him commenting on "what a furnace" the Franklin was when they pulled up along side. All film of the Franklin appears to be shot from the Santa Fe. Wow.
jeremiahjohnson1 4 years ago
My Dad was a cook on this ship in WWII
oakpkdude 4 years ago
Actually the attack happened within 50 miles of the Japanese Home Islands near Honshu, Japan.
omegapanda007 4 years ago
Yes, it was off the Home Islands.
Okinawa is not considered one of them.
Nor are the Natives there considered Nipponese.
OlderPete 4 years ago
My father always said Keushu but he said Honshu, too. I heard the stories so many times I get confused. Maybe he was refering to where he was fished out of the water .
DutchMstr 3 years ago
Unbelieveable footage from CV13. This is one of the greatest stories of WW2.
swanningaround 4 years ago