Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Sailor identified by DNA

Vernon couple plays role in identifying remains of sailor

By Jason Rowe, Journal Inquirer

Nearly 64 years after a deadly naval accident in Narragansett Bay, R.I., the brother of one of the sailors who died finally knows what happened to his brother's body.

DNA testing has successfully identified the remains of a sailor who turned up in the bay in August 1943 as Seaman 1st Class Raymond S. Johnson of Fort Wayne, Ind.

Johnson was one of 15 sailors from the then newly commissioned USS Gherardi who died when the whaleboat they were traveling on capsized in the bay's cold, stormy waters in December 1942.

Cont. here:

http://www.journalinquirer.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=16930635&BRD=985&PAG=461&dept_id=161556&rfi=6