Evan Fenn, the last surviving sailor from the destroyer Monaghan (DD-354), which sank in a deadly typhoon in the Pacific on Dec. 18, 1944, died at age 84. Evan was one of the Greatest Generation that I felt honored to have talked to during my research for DOWN TO THE SEA. A rough-and-tumble cowboy from Arizona, Evan somehow made it off the capsized ship that horrible morning when 256 of his shipmates perished. Evan was one of only six Monaghan survivors to be pulled from the storm-tossed sea two days later.
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Ruth Kendall says
August 26, 2011 at 9:55 pmWhile ‘trolling’ the internet looking for info re circumstances surrounding the deaths of several sailors from our rural community in NE Mississippi, we discovered the story of the USS Monaghan. One of those locals, Sherman Higginbotham, was one of the many victims of this typhoon. He’d made it thus far through the war to be killed by the weather. How sad.
Robert Thompson says
March 1, 2012 at 11:15 pmMy great uncle was Lt. Robert C Mills, engineer on the Monaghan. I recently came into possession of letters and papers related to his service and death upon the death of my father, his nephew. Among the papers is a letter from Joseph C. McCrane, Water Tender 2c to my great-grandparents. The letter is on Navy Department stationary and describes the events of the sinking and the survivors. It also listed the names and (at that time) addresses of the six survivors. I started Googling tonight in hopes that maybe one was still alive, and found this blog. I am saddened that I did not attempt to do this sooner (I have thought about it over the years, well before I had this letter) and get to talk to one of those brave men before they passed.
Brenda Unger says
October 3, 2017 at 7:16 pmMy father George Merwin was one
Gary D. Lundlee says
August 31, 2019 at 2:40 pmI believe my Grandfather was one of the sailors who survived a capsized ship in the storm that too USS Monaghan, but I have been unable to find definitive proof. He was John Maguire; and, I would appreciate anyone’s help in finding some answers. He was very reticent about discussing the war and his rescue at sea; and, only near the end of his life did he discuss some of it with my Step-father. I would be grateful for help.
karen Tucker says
June 8, 2021 at 10:07 pmHi Gary, check out my comment to Robert above^
USS Monaghan Survivors:
Joeseph C. McCrane
Robert J. Darden
James T. Story
William F. Dramer
Evans Fenn
Doil T. Carpenter
Karen Tucker says
June 8, 2021 at 10:03 pmMy great Uncle Charlie Ross was Chief Engineer on the USS Monaghan (1935-1944) when it foundered (and we have a packet of similar Navy notification documents, and letter from McCrane).
I’ve transcribed (in part) the Navy documents and some ship activity (as space allowed) on my uncles memorial page located here :
https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/56757532/charles-lee-ross
(Flowers are free, and much appreciated!)
Survivor names:
Joeseph C. McCrane
Robert J. Darden
James T. Story
William F. Dramer
Evans Fenn
Doil T. Carpenter
Karen says
June 8, 2021 at 10:46 pmPSS: Be sure to walk check out the photos of the magnificent memorial (in the photo section of my uncle’s memorial; and links to the cemetery as well)… It’s physically located in Manila (Taguig City), Philippines at the Manila-American Cemetery and Memorial; on The Walls of the Missing. (Photos of the Cemetery, Corridor Walls & Inscription are included).
karen tucker says
June 8, 2021 at 10:37 pmPS: All of the survivors (except 1) personally visited my Uncle Charlies parents after the war…
God Bless them for their caring and kindness in doing so… Their visit lightened the grief that lay heavy upon my grandparents after the loss of their oldest son… as it lightens my own sadnesss now.
Bruce… THANK YOU for this blog… and your book which I will hunt down tonight!
Mike Evangelho says
November 27, 2012 at 9:09 amMy grandfather, James T. Story, was one of the six Monaghan survivors. I think this should be made in to a film. I have grown up listening to all the stories about him on the raft for six days. He was an amazing man and a great grandfather.
Mark Guio says
February 28, 2013 at 2:50 pmHello Bruce,
Mark here…great-nephew of Joseph Guio. Saddened to tell you that my Uncle Joe’s little sister Stella Guio Frengel, the one who shared with our family the life and times and spread his sprit of her older brother “Black Jack” with us all, passed away yesterday, 2/27/13. She was 98 and full of life until the end. I would like to thank you again for all that you had done to put a smile on her face and sharing his legacy with the world.
On behalf of the entire Guio family, I thank you.
Mark Robert Guio
Bruce Henderson says
March 19, 2013 at 3:22 amMark,
I am sorry to hear of Stella’s passing. She certainly carried the torch for her big brother. I am pleased that my recognition of Joe “Black Jack” Guio, and the telling of his courageous story in DOWN TO THE SEA, put a smile on her face.
Bruce
Barbara J. Austin says
April 1, 2015 at 7:38 pmMy older brother Dewey Lee Heflin was Signalman 1/C on the Monaghan. He first went on the
Monaghan in 1940; The Monaghan was in many battles, beginning with Pearl Harbor 12/7/41.
He was a great big brother; and was loved by all. I have a friend who was in that storm; he was
on an carrier; he is now 91 and living in Arizona.
Kathy eldridge says
February 11, 2016 at 2:21 amMy uncle Robert E. Ferrero a machinist mate went down on the Monaghan. We were just in the process of making contact with Evan Fenn when we heard he had passed away. My family was never the same after Bob’s death, just not knowing is worst than knowing.
barbara britton abbott says
May 20, 2016 at 9:10 pmI just finished reading your book Down to the Sea and am still in shock as i am starting to read it again which is som3thing i have never done before. Asi have written you before i had your book, i knew almost nothing about my brothes death in typhoon cobra except the name of his ship the USS Monaghan. He was Thomas Lee Britton. MM1.Now i am so absorbed in the story of these brave men that i can hardly think of anything else. I plan to do a tribute formy brother on Memorial day in church. Say aprayer for me if you pray. If not just send me good thoughts. Thank you for your wonderful book. [email protected].
Jaunell McIntosh Howard says
July 12, 2017 at 10:33 pmIf there is a book, I would love to read it. My Uncle GM3 R C Preston McIntosh lost his life that day. He was a young 17 years old.
Bruce Henderson says
July 17, 2017 at 8:32 pmJaunell. So young… Yes, I wrote a book about what happened to those ships and their sailors. It’s called Down to the Sea, and is available on Amazon in paperback and ebook.
Gregg Arthur says
December 28, 2017 at 11:08 amMy father Jack N Arthur was on the Monaghan beginning in May 1942 until she was lost . At the beginning of his enlistment he did salvage and repair of the damage at Pearl Harbor as his first assignment upon completion of Great Lakes boot camp before joining the Monaghan , He was 16 years old. He was ashore when the ship left on that mission. As a young man, he considered the crew of the Monaghan his family, the loss of the ship and his crew was a blow that he never recovered from, it tortured him for the rest of his life. He joined his shipmates in 2000. I think of him nearly every day. Rest in Peace Dad.
Bruce Henderson says
December 28, 2017 at 8:15 pmThank you, Gregg, for sharing your father’s story. There were six survivors from Monaghan, and I wonder if your father knew them — he probably did on such a small ship — and if he ever had the chance to meet with any of them after the war. Bruce
Tom Blazejack says
December 5, 2018 at 2:44 pmGosh, what a discovery. I’ve ordered your book. My dad, Anthony F. Blazejack was a Monaghan sailor (signalman) who was ashore on medical leave when she went down. He married a Navy nurse and raised seven children. He passed away in 1973, but we have his service record and his medical record. He rarely spoke of his service.
Thomas Blazejack says
April 5, 2020 at 9:09 amI was wrong. He transferred off Monaghan to Lammons in ‘43. He was with her at Midway, Coral Sea and Aleutian patrol. Your book was wonderful. Thanks
Fulvio Venturi says
December 18, 2018 at 12:15 amEvery year on 18th December I think at this “other” tragedy of the seas and war. I don’t know why exactly, maybe because my grandfather was born on 18th December and he was a sailor. During WWII two destroyers of the Italian Navy, RN Lanciere and RN Scirocco, also sunk in a storm on March 23, 1942. Odd war indeed
Heather says
October 23, 2019 at 5:20 pmI have recently discovered that my grandfather, Fred Arrie Allen was on the Monaghan that day.
My father was only 1 years old at the time, so growing up we were never able to learn anything about him.
I haven’t even seen a photo of what he looks like.
After my father passed 3 years ago, I decided to start researching his side of the family, and I feel so connected to my grandfather, and requested all the records I could, so I could in a way get to know him.
I am very happy to have come across your book, and look forward to reading it.
Bruce Henderson says
October 23, 2019 at 5:33 pmHeather, I hope my book, Down to the Sea, helps you better understand your grandfather’s war. Bruce
Patrick Marshall says
November 2, 2019 at 1:24 amSurprised to find this site.
My uncle (mother’s older brother) was FRANCIS NEILSEN (Neal) RIVER, Signalman 1st class, on the USS Monaghan (DD-354) at the time the ship sank in the heavy seas of Typhoon “Cobra.” He did not survive the sinking. Mom said that Neal loved the Navy and loved serving aboard the “tin can” Monaghan. He enlisted in the Navy sometime before Pearl Harbor was attacked and was on duty on the ship when the Japanese attacked. He served the entire war, until the ship went down, aboard the Monaghan–even “passing” on an option order to leave the ship to report to Farragut, Idaho to be promoted to Chief and become a signalman instructor. He was never married and had no children. He was 28 years old when he died. I never knew him as I wasn’t born until 1947. I think of him often, and I am very proud of him. I have read Bruce Henderson’s excellent book, Down to the Sea.
Until Prof. Henderson’s book I knew little of the events surrounding the loss of the three destroyers. Mom told me that the family was not informed of Neal’s death until sometime in February, 1945, about two and a half months after the ship went down. Mom said that the Navy never gave the family any details as to how/why the ships were lost other than they sank in the typhoon.
Susan Sikes says
February 28, 2020 at 10:09 pmI was doing some genealogy research on my grandmother’s extended family and noticed her cousin William Trostel was listed on a Navy casualty list. Upon seeing he died “at Sea”, I looked deeper to see how and found he went down on the Monaghan. War is tragic enough without losing so many young men in such a senseless way. William was barely 19, born just 6 days before my mother. Made me glad my dad was a bit younger and still in boot camp (Navy) when the war ended. I may need to get your book, knowing that I had kin on that ship.
Ruth Ann Lagasse says
July 19, 2020 at 9:50 pmMy dad Henry Heitner went down with the Monaghan when I was 3 years old. I was in touch with Mr. Fenn when one of his neighbors was emailing for him. He was already losing some of his memories of his friends on board and didn’t have many answers for me. However, I have little in tangible info because his military records were some of those destroyed in St. Louis years ago. I do know that there is a memorial stone for him at the US Military Cemetery in Manilla in the Philippines and the military will place wreaths for a charge. If interested, check at US cemeteries for details. Thanks Bruce for this outlet and I am getting your book ASAP!! Even after 76 years I talk to him my heart.
Bruce Henderson says
May 5, 2021 at 8:15 pmDid you find that my book filled in some gaps as to your father’s WWII service?
Karen T says
June 9, 2021 at 12:53 pmThank you Bruce for this blog, and especially for your book; I will buy/order it today!
(PS: Sorry about my double post above [glitchy connection]; feel free to delete duplicate)