A special tribute to the victims of 9/11 was performed underwater last Saturday.
A group of divers in Florida Keys draped a large US flag on the wreckage of the USNS Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, a WW2 ship that was retired in 1983 and eventually repurposed as part of an artificial reef a few miles off Key West, reports say.
The massive flag was unfurled starting at the ship’s highest point, about 60 feet deep while two Navy helicopters flew over during the event, as per FOX 13 Tampa Bay. Among the observers were relatives and friends of 9/11 victims.
A group of divers in Florida marked the 20th anniversary of the September 11 attacks by strapping a 1,200-square-foot United States flag to the wreck of a World War II-era military vessel a few miles off Key West. https://t.co/V2zSGWDp3f
— FOX 13 Tampa Bay (@FOX13News) September 12, 2021
The Vandenberg weighs 17,000 tons and is 523-feet-long. It was called the Gen. Harry Taylor during World War II and changed names in 1961 after it was turned into an Air Force vessel, according to AP.
The vessel was used to transport Army and Navy personnel for many years before becoming a missile tracker during the Cold War.
Sadly, the ship was sunk in 2009.
The cost of this was $8 million, with authorities hoping it would raise money from tourists willing to dive underwater to take a look at it.
Originally from Milwaukee, Vandenberg was the second chief of staff in Air Force history and also served as director of the CIA. He passed away in 1954 at age 55.
New Hampshire-born Tyler was an Army chief of engineers who operated during WW1 and passed away in 1930, the Naval History and Heritage Command website states.
What are your thoughts on this story? Let us know by joining the conversation in the comments and please share this article if you’ve enjoyed it.
