MEDAL: Underwater discoveries help us remember history, honor the fallen

The crew of the Research Vessel Petrel, led by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, is on a roll.

Since August, the crew has discovered the long lost sunken remains of the USS Juneau, the USS Lexington and the USS Indianapolis.

The cruiser Juneau was struck by Japanese torpedoes during the Battle of Guadalcanal in November 1942. A total of 687 men died in the attack, including all five Sullivan brothers, who insisted that they serve aboard the same ship.

The aircraft carrier Lexington, along with its aircraft, was struck by multiple Japanese torpedoes and bombs on May 8, 1942, during the Battle of the Coral Sea. More than 200 Lexington sailors were killed in the fight.

And in August, the crew found the wreck of the Indianapolis, which remains the Navy’s single worst loss at sea, about 5,500 meters below the surface.

Allen and his team’s incredible discoveries, all made in some of the deepest depths of the ocean, shine a spotlight on some of the Navy’s most important history — and ensure that the sailors who gave their lives for this nation are truly never forgotten.

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