A Place of Honor Where Heroes Lie

I had been trying to dive the USS Emmons for quite some time. Our dives were cancelled numerous times due to the weather. But, it was fitting for my last dive on this island to be the USS Emmons. It was a dive that will stay in my heart.

USS Emmons lies 147 feet on the bottom of the East China Sea where it sank during WW2 It was a heavily decorated ship that had fought in various places and most recently to it's sinking in Normandy before it was re outfitted to sweep mines off Okinawa waters where the Japanese were dug in, in caves and tunnels. On Easter morning, April 1, 1945, 1300 ships surrounded Okinawa, the Okinawan's referred to it as the Typhoon of Steel. The ships began pounding the island. On April 6th the Japanese launched their largest air attack ever. 400 planes with around 223 of them from the Special Attack Forces known as "Tokko-tai" or more commonly known by us as Kamikazes. The Kamikaze suicide pilots came out of desperation as a last attempt to stop the American's. It is crazy that the Japanese leaders were fine with sacrificig their best pilots to a certain death! Kamikaze actually means divine wind which also has a historical as well as romantic meaning to the Japanese people. The term refers to 2 typhoons that saved Japan from invasion in 1274 and 1281. On April 6th the Uss Emmons was patrolling the waters with her sister ship the Rodman. They had been together since Africa as well as the super risky Murmansk runs they did in the North Atlantic. Just a little after 3 that afternoon about 20 to 30 enemy planes were heading to them. The Emmons made it thru that attack without being hit but the Rodman was hit by a suicide bomber. Around 4:30 pm the second wave hit them. The Emmons circled the Rodman giving fire support. Just one right after the other came at the Emmons and she was hit almost consecutively by 5 suicide bombers. Many of the crew were injured and had been thrown overboard in the explosions. It looked like the Emmons might drift into enemy waters and so it was decided to sink her. She laid silently for 55 years. In September 2000 the Japanese Coast Guard discovered her. Now you are able to go down below to see this place of honor where heroes rest. It was an experiance i will never forget.

I will attempt to make a slide show, however, several of the photos are on my facebook.