Vietnamese sailor killed on US destroyer crash

Among the seven American sailors killed on the crashed warship was a Vietnamese man named Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh.

Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh meeting his niece for the first time last year. Photo: Hartford Courant

Sonar technician Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh from Watertown, Connecticut, turned 25 on the day the USS Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine cargo ship off the coast of Japan last weekend, killing him and six other sailors, according to the Hartford Courant.

Lan Thi Huynh, 23, Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh's younger sister, said her brother joined the U.S. Navy in 2014. "He wanted to do something adventurous," she said. "We will always remember him as a selfless, quiet person with a bright smile."

According to Lan Thi Huynh, the last time she saw her brother was last year when Ngoc was stationed in San Diego. She said her brother could not hide his joy when he met his niece for the first time at the San Diego Zoo.

Lan said the time it took for authorities to search for and confirm the dead on the crashed destroyer was a nightmare for her family. "We stayed up almost all night, sitting there and crying. We kept checking the navy website for information."

The Fitzgerald collided with a Philippine cargo ship at around 2:30 a.m. on June 17 in busy waters about 65 miles southwest of Yokosuka, Japan.

In addition to Ngoc "Tan" Truong Huynh, the remaining six crew members killed included Dakota Kyle Rigsby, Shingo Alexander Douglass, Noe Hernandez, Carlosvictor Ganzon Sibayan, Xavier Alec Martin and Gary Leo Rehm Jr.

According to Vice Admiral Joseph P. Aucoin, commander of the US Navy's 7th Fleet, most of the sailors were sleeping at the time of the Fitzgerald collision. The Fitzgerald was at risk of sinking after the collision, but the crew made efforts to save the ship. On the evening of June 17, the ship returned to Yokosuka Naval Base, south of Tokyo, Japan.

The US and Japan are investigating how a large cargo ship could collide with a smaller warship in clear weather.

According to VNE