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| USN Liberty Ship Crater-class cargo ship 14,250 Tons 441' 6" x 56' 11" x 27' 7" 1 x 5"/38 gun 2 x 40mm guns 6 x 20mm guns  Carber 1944  USN 1944 |
Ship History Built by California Shipbuilding Corporation in Wilmington, California. Laid down March 10, 1943 under a Maritime Commission (MC) contract as EC2 class Liberty Ship as MC hull 739. Launched April 5, 1943 as SS Benjamin N. Cardozo sponsored by Mrs. H.P. Needham. Wartime History On April 19, 1943 acquired by the Navy as Crater-class cargo ship and renamed USS Serpens (AK-97) for the constellation Serpens. Commissioned May 28, 1943 in the U.S. Navy (USN) at San Diego with Captain Magnus J. Johnson, USCGR in command manned by a crew from the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). On July 22, 1944 assigned to LtCdr Peery Lamar Stinson. Sinking History On January 29, 1945 while anchored off Lunga Point on Guadalcanal loaded with depth charges. Late in the evening, the ship suddenly exploded and sank. Aboard, 193 U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), 56 U.S. Army stevedores and a Public Health Service physician were killed in the blast and sinking. The force of the explosion was so great that it also killed a U.S. Army soldier ashore. The cause of the explosion was never determined and the loss of the Serpens was the largest single disaster ever suffered by the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG). Robert Brock adds: "A ship anchored off Lunga Point on Guadalcanal exploded one night and covered the beach area and inland for several meters with debris. An article was in 'Ripleys Believe-it-or not' several years ago in which it stated that one man survived the blast and was blown through a porthole. I helped recover bodies the next day. Many of the casualties were stevedores from Fiji." Fate of the Crew Only two of the crew survived the explosion and sinking: Seaman 1st Class Kelsie Kemp and Seaman 1st Class George Kennedy. Both earned the Purple Heart for injuries sustained. Eight other crew were ashore at the time of the explosion. The ship's commanding officer, Lieutenant Commander Perry Stinson, another officer plus six crewmen were ashore on administrative duty. Shipwreck During 1994, the shipwreck was first identified by Ewan Stevenson. The bow is upside down off Lunga Point. Recovery of Remains Afterwards, the remains of 250 of the crew were recovered and buried at the Army, Navy and Marine Cemetery on Guadalcanal. Postwar the remains were exhumed and transported to the United States. Memorials On June 15, 1949, the remains were re interred at Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) at section 34 in 52 caskets and 28 graves. A crowd of 1,500 people attended the reinterment service officiated by Catholic, Protestant and Jewish chaplains. On November 16, 1950 the USS Serpens Memorial was dedicated with the names of each person killed and the unveiling was attended by roughly 100 relatives and several hundred others with Vice Admiral Merlin O'Neill, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard giving a brief address that included the statement: "We cannot undo the past, but we can ensure that these men shall be respected and honored forever." Kemp passed away on October 1, 2015 at age 90. He is buried at Lawrence Stephens Farm Cemetery in Barren Springs, VA. References USS Serpens AK-97 Crew List January 29, 1945 Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Serpens I (AK-97) AK97.org The Coast Guard Manned USS Serpens AK 97 Commemorative Website NavSource - USS Serpens (AK-97) Liberty Ships built by the United States Maritime Commission in World War II - 0739 - Benjamin N. Cardozo - Completed as AK 97 Serpens Naval History and Heritage Command (NHHC) - Beans, Bullets, and Black Oil The Story of Fleet Logistics Afloat in the Pacific During World War II The Coast Guard Manned USS Serpens AK 97 Commemorative Website website down as of July 28, 2011 Arlington National Cemetery (ANC) - USS Serpens Memorial includes the names of the crew lost FindAGrave - Kelsie Kyle Kemp (grave photos) Contribute
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