Schumer calls to add 74 names to Vietnam Memorial

Albany, NY - U.S. Sen. Charles Schumerhas set forth a motion to add the names of 74 American sailors to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.

According to an AP article, on February 19th Schumer called on Secretary of Defense, Ashton Carter to add the names of 74 sailors aboard the USS Frank E. Evans to the memorial. The destroyer was sunk when it collided with and Australian carrier during a 1969 training exercise in the South China Sea.

The names of the fallen sailors were omitted from the memorial because the incident occurred outside the Vietnam combat zone. Schumer stated that the 74 sailors should be added to the memorial for the ship had provided combat fire support in Vietnamese waters just days before the training accident.