James Kenneth Gray
Seaman
USS ORISKANY, TF 77, 7TH FLEET
United States Navy
Happy, Texas
December 17, 1943 to October 26, 1966
JAMES K GRAY is on the Wall at Panel 11E Line 110
==========
On October 26, 1966, there was a flare fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany operating in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. Two sailors were re-stowing unexpended MK-24 Mod 3 flares when one was accidentally dropped. The igniter had not been reset to SAFE. As it fell, the safety lanyard was inadvertently pulled, actuating the flare. For reasons known only to him, one of the sailors picked up the armed flare, threw it into the magazine locker, and closed the door. Some 2.75-inch rocket warheads loaded with Composition B were stowed in the locker. Shortly after the flare ignited in the locker, the intense heat caused a 2.75 rocket warhead in the locker to detonate, sending fire and smoke into the hangar bay. This was followed by a second warhead explosion that spread fire throughout the entire hangar deck and in the forward portion of the ship. Finally, heat caused a liquid oxygen tank to explode. Before the fires were completely under control, 44 sailors had died (43 from asphyxiation and one from burns) and 156 had been injured. Beside the material damage to the ship, two helicopters and an A-4E aircraft were destroyed and three A-4E aircraft were damaged. The estimated cost of the material damage was $11 million. SN James K. Gray was one of the men killed. [Taken from insensitivemunitions.org and virtualwall.org]
Seaman
USS ORISKANY, TF 77, 7TH FLEET
United States Navy
Happy, Texas
December 17, 1943 to October 26, 1966
JAMES K GRAY is on the Wall at Panel 11E Line 110
==========
On October 26, 1966, there was a flare fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany operating in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. Two sailors were re-stowing unexpended MK-24 Mod 3 flares when one was accidentally dropped. The igniter had not been reset to SAFE. As it fell, the safety lanyard was inadvertently pulled, actuating the flare. For reasons known only to him, one of the sailors picked up the armed flare, threw it into the magazine locker, and closed the door. Some 2.75-inch rocket warheads loaded with Composition B were stowed in the locker. Shortly after the flare ignited in the locker, the intense heat caused a 2.75 rocket warhead in the locker to detonate, sending fire and smoke into the hangar bay. This was followed by a second warhead explosion that spread fire throughout the entire hangar deck and in the forward portion of the ship. Finally, heat caused a liquid oxygen tank to explode. Before the fires were completely under control, 44 sailors had died (43 from asphyxiation and one from burns) and 156 had been injured. Beside the material damage to the ship, two helicopters and an A-4E aircraft were destroyed and three A-4E aircraft were damaged. The estimated cost of the material damage was $11 million. SN James K. Gray was one of the men killed. [Taken from insensitivemunitions.org and virtualwall.org]
James Kenneth Gray
Seaman
USS ORISKANY, TF 77, 7TH FLEET
United States Navy
Happy, Texas
December 17, 1943 to October 26, 1966
JAMES K GRAY is on the Wall at Panel 11E Line 110
==========
On October 26, 1966, there was a flare fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany operating in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. Two sailors were re-stowing unexpended MK-24 Mod 3 flares when one was accidentally dropped. The igniter had not been reset to SAFE. As it fell, the safety lanyard was inadvertently pulled, actuating the flare. For reasons known only to him, one of the sailors picked up the armed flare, threw it into the magazine locker, and closed the door. Some 2.75-inch rocket warheads loaded with Composition B were stowed in the locker. Shortly after the flare ignited in the locker, the intense heat caused a 2.75 rocket warhead in the locker to detonate, sending fire and smoke into the hangar bay. This was followed by a second warhead explosion that spread fire throughout the entire hangar deck and in the forward portion of the ship. Finally, heat caused a liquid oxygen tank to explode. Before the fires were completely under control, 44 sailors had died (43 from asphyxiation and one from burns) and 156 had been injured. Beside the material damage to the ship, two helicopters and an A-4E aircraft were destroyed and three A-4E aircraft were damaged. The estimated cost of the material damage was $11 million. SN James K. Gray was one of the men killed. [Taken from insensitivemunitions.org and virtualwall.org]
Seaman
USS ORISKANY, TF 77, 7TH FLEET
United States Navy
Happy, Texas
December 17, 1943 to October 26, 1966
JAMES K GRAY is on the Wall at Panel 11E Line 110
==========
On October 26, 1966, there was a flare fire aboard the aircraft carrier USS Oriskany operating in the Gulf of Tonkin off the coast of Vietnam. Two sailors were re-stowing unexpended MK-24 Mod 3 flares when one was accidentally dropped. The igniter had not been reset to SAFE. As it fell, the safety lanyard was inadvertently pulled, actuating the flare. For reasons known only to him, one of the sailors picked up the armed flare, threw it into the magazine locker, and closed the door. Some 2.75-inch rocket warheads loaded with Composition B were stowed in the locker. Shortly after the flare ignited in the locker, the intense heat caused a 2.75 rocket warhead in the locker to detonate, sending fire and smoke into the hangar bay. This was followed by a second warhead explosion that spread fire throughout the entire hangar deck and in the forward portion of the ship. Finally, heat caused a liquid oxygen tank to explode. Before the fires were completely under control, 44 sailors had died (43 from asphyxiation and one from burns) and 156 had been injured. Beside the material damage to the ship, two helicopters and an A-4E aircraft were destroyed and three A-4E aircraft were damaged. The estimated cost of the material damage was $11 million. SN James K. Gray was one of the men killed. [Taken from insensitivemunitions.org and virtualwall.org]
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
