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Sinking Ship
A World War II ship has begun its final mission —
serving as the second-largest artificial reef in the world —
after being sunk off the coast of Florida.
T
he USS Gen. Hoyt S. Van- Taylor (AP-145), traveled
denberg (T-AGM-10) has seen from all around to view the
its share of action: transporting sinking. The 911-foot Oris-
U.S. troops during World War II, tracking kany (CV-34), scuttled off of
Russian missile launches during the Cold Pensacola, Fla., in 2006, is
War, and even posing as a Russian science the only larger artifi cial reef.
ship in the 1999 movie “Virus.” Now, the
523-foot steel ship has been sunk at a site Last Surviving
six miles off the coast of Key West, Fla., in “Bedford Boy” Dies
waters about 140 feet deep, to serve as the
E
lisha “Ray” Nance,
world’s second-largest artifi cial reef. the last surviving
The ship was transported from Nor- Bedford Boy to land
folk, Va., to Key West’s Truman Annex on Omaha Beach on D-Day,
Harbor, where it was prepared for sink- has died at age 94. He was
ing. Workers removed asbestos, paint one of 32 members of a
chips, and other contaminants — includ- National Guard unit from
ing Russian lettering left from its fi lm Bedford, Va., who landed
appearance. They then placed charges to on the beaches of Nazi-held
create 47 holes for water to fl ow in and France during World War II in the fi rst The USS Gen.
fl ood the ship. waves of the Normandy invasion. Hoyt S. Vanden-
Key West boat captain Joe Weatherby, On June 6, 1944, 19 of the Bedford men berg is tied up at the
who began the project approximately 13 in Company A of the 116th Infantry, 29th Truman Waterfront
years ago, chose the ship for its interesting Division, were killed on Omaha Beach. Two in Key West, Fla.,
structure, rich military history, and mas- more died later. The death toll is considered May 6, 2009, prior
sive size. The project fi rst had to navigate one of the largest per capita suffered by any to being sunk.
a sea of federal and state regulations, and American community during the invasion.
costs soared to nearly $9 million. Nance returned from the war to become
Hundreds of veterans who served on a postal carrier and formed the reorganized
the ship, including those from World War Company A of the Virginia National Guard,
II when it was called the USS Gen. Henry serving as its fi rst commander after World
War II. In his later years, Nance enjoyed car
THIS MONTH IN HISTORY
rides around the National D-Day Memorial
in Bedford. Before his burial, a hearse carry-
■ On July 27, 1909, Orville Wright tested the U.S.
Army’s first airplane. The Smithsonian Institution
ing the veteran, followed by a motorcade of
offers a program to celebrate 100 years of military
family members, circled the memorial one
flight. For more information, visit
www.nasm.si.edu/
last time. A crowd, waving small American
events/
100yearsofmilitary.cfm.
fl ags, gathered to view the procession. MO
PHOTO: DAVID PELLIGRINELLI JULY 2009 MILITARY OFFICER 63
JJul_history.indd Sec1:
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