The USS Truxtun (DD-229) during the 1930s. Photo from the collection of Donald McPherson, courtesy U.S. Naval Historical Center (Charles Haberlein Jr., NHC and Chris Cavas, RoundTower Productions) |
On this date, 18th of February, 1942, over 200 American sailors died when the USS Pollux and USS Truxtun ran aground during a winter storm near St. Lawrence, The two ships, accompanied by the USS Wilkes, were headed for Argentia American navy base carrying war supplies. Due to the rescue efforts of the people of St. Lawrence and Lawn, 186 men survived the ordeal.
In this episode of the Living Heritage Podcast, we chat with local historian and tour guide Carl Slaney about the dramatic event, and the work happening now to ensure that the memory of the Truxtun and Pollux disaster is not lost.
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The Living Heritage Podcast is about people who are engaged in the heritage and culture sector, from museum professionals and archivists, to tradition bearers and craftspeople - all those who keep history alive at the community level. The show is a partnership between HeritageNL and CHMR Radio. Past episodes are hosted on Libsyn, and you can subscribe via iTunes, or Stitcher. Theme music is Rythme Gitan by Latché Swing.