The Office of Veterans Support, in collaboration with the USS Frank E. Evans Association, will honor veterans and commemorate Long Beach’s rich naval history with a ceremonial community event, Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74, on Tuesday, June 3, 2025. The event will honor the naval ship USS Frank E. Evans and the 74 sailors who perished at sea on June 3, 1969.

The event takes place at 10 a.m. at the Navy Memorial in Shoreline Aquatic Park (200 Aquarium Way) where memorial markers for the Lost 74 are sited. The program will include a presentation about the Evans tragedy, told by a survivor of the collision, as well as ceremonial components led by survivors and community members, including a bell-ringing ceremony – during which the names of the fallen will be read, a traditional 21-gun salute, and the firing of water cannons by a Long Beach Fire Department fireboat.

Following the main program, people are invited to stay for a free lunch, while supplies last.

Lead sponsorship of Remembering USS Frank E. Evans and the Lost 74 is provided by the Port of Long Beach.