Distinguished Speakers Series
Search for the USS Grunion, John Abele
Tuesday, December 9, 2008, 6:30pm
Search for the U.S.S. Grunion, by John Abele
Dec. 9, 2008, 6:30pm
Main Street Landing Film House
Located at Lake and College St. in Burlington, VT
Free of Charge
Join John Abele as he recounts the extraordinary story of his family’s historical and technological journey in search of the submarine commanded by their father, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele. Grunion was commissioned into service for the U.S. Navy in April 1942, and by July 30 had disappeared without a trace. More than 60 years later, Abele’s three sons Bruce, John, and Brad, discovered the wreck of USS Grunion near Alaska’s Aleutian Islands. Free illustrated lecture hosted by Lake Champlain Maritime Museum at Main Street Landing’s Film House, Lake and College Streets, Burlington.
On April 11, 1942 the USS Grunion, a Gato-class submarine, was commissioned into service for the US Navy. By July 30 of that year, the Grunion would make its final communiqué and disappear without a trace. Among the missing was the ship's commander, Lt. Cmdr. Mannert L. Abele. For many years his three sons, Bruce, John, and Brad searched in vain to discover the fate of the USS Grunion. In 2002, with new information supplied by a Japanese translator about a confrontation between a Japanese freighter and an American submarine off Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, an underwater search was launched. In August 2006, an expedition led by Williamson & Associates onboard the ship Aquila using sonar, located several targets almost a mile below the surface. Subsequent video documentation of the site with a remotely operated vehicle conclusively identified the sub and helped reconstruct the events that led to its loss.
In October 2008, at a memorial service in Cleveland with relatives of over half the crew present, the U.S. Navy officially confirmed the discovery of the USS Grunion and thanked the Abeles for their efforts.
Download the poster (446k) pdf
Group Tours for Adults at Basin Harbor
Visitors boarding the
replica gunboat Philadelphia II.
We offer several guided tour options. Subject areas can include the Revolutionary War in the Champlain Valley, Nautical Archaeology, and Boatbuilding. Tours generally last an hour and a half, with time afterwards to explore on your own. We offer self-guided groups an introduction to the exhibits, and then let you explore the site at your own pace.
Our facility houses two meeting spaces and a new 100-seat auditorium perfect for presentations. We also have a picnic area and cool drinks in the museum store. If you’re ready for lunch, head across the street to the Red Mill Restaurant at the Basin Harbor Club.
Our programming is flexible; please call to discuss how we can best accommodate your group.
Pricing
Groups of 10+: $8
Registration is required.