NLHS helps base remember USS Akron

Published April 25, 2013
By Larry Lyford
Naval Air Systems Command Public Affairs

MANCHESTER, N.J. -- Community members and Naval Support Activity Lakehurst Sailors attended a ceremony commemorating the 80th anniversary of the loss of the USS Akron April 4, 2013 at the Grand Army Memorial Park here.

Carl Jablonski, Navy Lakehurst Historical Society president, opened the ceremony and asked Lt. Cmdr. Craig Speer, NSA Lakehurst executive officer, to direct the honor guard to present the colors.

Jablonski introduced Mayor Michael Fressola, Manchester Township mayor after the National Anthem and opening prayer. Fressola welcomed guests and thanked them for their attendance and their desire to remember the military's local heritage.

The guest speaker, William A. Moffett III, grandson of Rear Adm. William A. Moffett, Navy's Bureau of Aeronautics' first chief, and Medal of Honor recipient, spoke of his grandfather's deep personal concern for his air crews.

Moffett III explained that his grandfather actually was not a pilot due to age restrictions, only an aerial observer. However, he identified with all those who flew for the Navy.

"Once asked by a fixed wing pilot on landing approach if he wanted to land the open cockpit aircraft, he admitted to family that he said 'Yes' and proceeded to land it making three successively lower bounces," said Moffett III.

He revealed that the chief meeting the aircraft afterward asked him with a grin if he should log one or three landings."

The grandson Moffett closed his remarks saying his grandfather believed carriers would be the future defenders of the fleet and airships would be the long-range, long-endurance warning for the U.S. on both coasts, and, Hawaii and the Gulf Coast.

Rick Zitarosa, NLHS vice president and historian, then placed the USS Akron in naval history and contrasted its disaster, with its greatest loss of life ever in lighter-than-air aircraft flight, with the Hindenburg's crash, four years later, with only half the human loss but with its demise seen and heard in movie newsreels around the world.

The Akron crashed in a violent storm off Barnegat Light, that killed 73 officers and crew resulting the greatest loss of life in any rigid lighter-than-air ship in history, said Zitarosa. The death toll of sailors was twice that of the crew and passengers on the ill-fated Hindenburg four years later. However, the world saw through newsreels the Hindenburg crashing tail first, engulfed in a ball of flames and collapsing and heard Herbert Morrison say, losing his composure as it crashed, "... Oh, the humanity of it ..."

Jablonski read the names and ranks of the 73 sailors who perished in the disaster and the two who died in the crash of the blimp searching for survivors the following day.
Officials laid two wreaths at the playing of taps and Navy Hymn prior to the concluding prayer and Retirement of the Colors.

"No one saw the 12-foot waves swallow the USS Akron's tail and hold the ship, break it apart and pull it under. No broadcasters, no photographers, no big ball of fire, as a result, who knew?" said Nick Rakoncza, NLHS tour guide answering questions after the service.

"Everybody thinks the Hindenburg was the world's greatest airship disaster. By loss of life, it was not."

NLHS helps base remember USS AKRON