True heroes visiting Tempe
Posted by: Tempegirl
October 21, 2009
This week Tempe has the great honor of welcoming a group of heroes to our city. The USS Gambier Bay 65th Anniversary Reunion is coming to Tempe and the Sheraton Phoenix Airport on October 22-24 and we are proud to be the host city for this extraordinary group.
The USS Gambier Bay was sunk after being ambushed by the largest Japanese Naval force ever brought together. Over a 2 day period, 1,110 men drifted more than 60 miles in shark infested waters without food or drinkable water. Finally, rescuers from Patrol and Landing Craft found the survivors in the dead of night. The rescuers, with spot lights aglow in waters that enemy submarines patrolled, placed their own lives in danger to find and rescue the survivors still floating about at sea.
This October marks the 65th anniversary of this remarkable event, and Tempe wants to make sure to thank this brave group for their service!
