10/13/2026
One of Fluvanna's own! We have the watch!
In just minutes on June 17, 2017, seven American sailors lost their lives aboard the USS Fitzgerald. They were not in combat. They were resting in their sleeping quarters when a collision at sea turned an ordinary night into a tragedy their families would never forget.
In the early morning hours of June 17, 2017, the U.S. Navy guided-missile destroyer USS Fitzgerald (DDG-62) was sailing through the waters off Japan. The Arleigh Burke-class destroyer had departed its homeport in Yokosuka and was heading toward the Philippines with 315 people aboard. Most of the crew were carrying out their normal duties or resting below deck. At approximately 1:30 a.m., about 56 nautical miles southwest of Yokosuka, their routine voyage became a devastating disaster when the ship collided with the much larger Philippine-flagged container vessel ACX Crystal.
The container ship was traveling toward Tokyo from Nagoya when the two vessels approached each other on crossing courses. Neither ship's crew contacted the other by radio as the distance between them decreased. Although watch officers attempted last-second maneuvers, they could not prevent the collision. The container ship struck the Fitzgerald's starboard side, tearing open the destroyer's hull and causing extensive damage above and below the waterline. The impact occurred near the sailors' sleeping quarters, known as Berthing 2, where dozens of crew members had been resting.
The force of the collision damaged the entrance to Berthing 2, allowing seawater to surge directly into the compartment. Within approximately 30 to 60 seconds, the sleeping area was almost completely flooded. Sailors were awakened by the violent impact, rushing water, and debris moving through the compartment. Mattresses, lockers, and furniture were thrown from their positions, making it increasingly difficult to reach an exit. Darkness, rising water, and the ship's list made the struggle to escape even more dangerous. Of the 35 sailors present in Berthing 2, 28 survived the flooding. Seven did not.
Even under these desperate conditions, sailors helped one another escape. Some guided their shipmates through the flooded compartment toward a ladder leading to safety. Others remained near the escape opening to assist those struggling through the rising water. Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., one of the seven sailors who lost his life, was remembered in the Navy's investigation through a survivor's account of how he pushed a fellow sailor away from a falling locker. Two sailors positioned near the escape ladder pulled others from the water, including men who had become completely submerged. Their efforts continued until flooding made remaining in the compartment impossible.
Above them, the situation was also critical. The collision had severely damaged the commanding officer's cabin, trapping Cmdr. Bryce Benson inside. Sailors worked together to break through the damaged doorway, move debris, and reach their commanding officer. At the same time, damage-control teams battled the flooding threatening other parts of the destroyer. Crew members sealed compartments, tended to injured shipmates, and worked to keep their damaged warship afloat. Despite the destruction, the Fitzgerald remained afloat and eventually returned to Yokosuka under its own power.
But seven sailors were missing. Once the destroyer reached port, efforts continued to account for everyone aboard. On June 18, Navy divers gained access to the flooded berthing compartments and recovered the remains of the seven missing sailors. The devastating discovery confirmed what their families and shipmates had feared. The men who had been resting aboard their ship would never return home. The U.S. Navy released their identities, and communities across America began mourning the loss of young men whose lives had ended far from home.
The seven American sailors who lost their lives were:
🇺🇸 Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, 19 — Palmyra, Virginia
🇺🇸 Yeoman 3rd Class Shingo Alexander Douglass, 25 — San Diego, California
🇺🇸 Sonar Technician 3rd Class Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, 25 — Oakville, Connecticut
🇺🇸 Gunner's Mate 2nd Class Noe Hernandez, 26 — Weslaco, Texas
🇺🇸 Fire Controlman 2nd Class Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, 23 — Chula Vista, California
🇺🇸 Personnel Specialist 1st Class Xavier Alec Martin, 24 — Halethorpe, Maryland
🇺🇸 Fire Controlman 1st Class Gary Leo Rehm Jr., 37 — Elyria, Ohio
The youngest was just 19 years old, barely beginning his adult life. The oldest was 37. They came from different backgrounds and communities, but they shared a commitment to serving their country aboard the same Navy destroyer. For their families, June 17, 2017, became the day their sons, husbands, relatives, and loved ones were lost. Their absence would be felt not only aboard the USS Fitzgerald but in the homes and communities they had left behind.
In the months that followed, the U.S. Navy investigated the disaster. Investigators determined that the collision was preventable and identified serious failures in navigation, communication, training, and leadership. A subsequent National Transportation Safety Board investigation reached similar conclusions, finding that the Fitzgerald's bridge team had failed to take timely and substantial action to avoid the approaching vessel. The NTSB also identified contributing shortcomings involving the ACX Crystal's watch officer and the Navy's oversight of crew training and fatigue. The collision had claimed seven lives, seriously injured three other sailors, and caused more than $300 million in damage to the destroyer.
The USS Fitzgerald underwent extensive repairs and modernization before returning to sea in February 2020. On July 2, 2020, the restored destroyer arrived at its new homeport in San Diego, California. The ship had survived the collision, and the Navy had worked for more than two years to restore it. But restoring the vessel could never undo the loss suffered by the seven families.
On June 17, 2022, five years after the tragedy, the crew of USS Fitzgerald held a remembrance ceremony while deployed in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. The destroyer flew its remembrance flag in honor of the seven fallen sailors. Their names remained part of the ship's history, a reminder of the lives lost that morning and of the courage shown by those who fought to save their shipmates.
Nine years have nearly passed since that terrible morning. Seven American sailors went to sea in service to their country and never returned to the families who loved them. Their deaths did not occur on a battlefield, but their loss was no less heartbreaking. A ship could be repaired, rebuilt, and returned to the fleet. Seven lives could not be restored.
May Gunner's Mate Seaman Dakota Kyle Rigsby, YN3 Shingo Alexander Douglass, STG3 Ngoc T. Truong Huynh, GM2 Noe Hernandez, FC2 Carlos Victor Ganzon Sibayan, PS1 Xavier Alec Martin, and FC1 Gary Leo Rehm Jr. forever be remembered.
Fair winds and following seas. Rest in peace, seven American sailors. 🇺🇸
This true story is based on historical records. This post is for educational purposes.
Sources: U.S. Navy; U.S. 7th Fleet; Naval Sea Systems Command; U.S. Fleet Forces Command; National Transportation Safety Board; U.S. Naval Institute News; Stars and Stripes.
