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BRUCE
Bruce was just two weeks short of his 13th birthday when the family received the western
union telegram stating that Grunion was missing. In one of Fran McMahon’s first letters
to Kay, she mentioned Bruce in particular, saying “I think about Bruce so much—he
seemed such a sensitive lad & with such a deep feeling of responsibility for his family…”
In a 2006 interview for the Today Show, Bruce unexpectedly choked back tears as he told
Bob Dotson that he would shoot baskets, and if he could “shoot five at a time, Jim would
come back. He never did.” The emotions of the 13-year-old boy were as keen in 2006 as
they were in 1942. Repressed grief over the loss of his father shaped his life and rippled
out over the generations. The bond with his brothers and the feeling of responsibility for
his family grew stronger with time. Responding to the astonishing information from
Yutaka’s post, the need to explor the mystery of Grunion’s disappearance become an
all-consuming passion. John funded the search, but Bruce, working with John, took
on lion’s share of the work to research, organize and oversee the myriad of the
complex details to make it happen. Master story teller, Bob Dotson, encapsulated
Grunion’s “American Story” in a four-minute segments on the Today Show in 2006 and
2007, but the story is huge, continuing to grow and reverberate around the world. Bruce
remains connected with a broad net of engaged individuals and the archive of material—a
vast trove of photographs, videos, and correspondence that makes the telling Grunion’s
story possible.
The following sections of the Bruce chapter (not yet fleshed out) will describe the
collected material and the research done over the winter between the 06 and 07
search, details of the 07 search, and analysis of images from ROV.
The final chapter will tell about Grunion’s bell, the memorial reunion at USS Cod,
and recognition by the Navy of Grunion’s discovery.
An epilogue will tell the story of Kiska Petals
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Surge of activity on website - - Grunion again became national news
AP story – Boston Globe, many other news sources
Wahoo located November 2006
[http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/story?id=2670734&page=1\
Lagato may 2005/june 2006
nov – Waterford (best life lead to Donovan)
joe hunter
Activity on the website exploded with news of the discovery. Bolstered by the grainy
sonar images, submariners, engineers, and amateurs weighed in, citing real world
experiences and observations, all questioning, all wanting more detail.
All comments seriously considered, even those who continued to challenge the discovery.
Based on the summer’s work
With gps fix –we knew the location and had a good chance of relocating
Clarifying documentation
Reviewing Airua’s map describe from Bruce’s diagram
Airua’s plan, in the words of one of the search team members, serves as a lasting legacy
of a seasoned and experienced captain.
Always possibility – geology v. sub
But this we believed - sub not geology by length and width
In his first message –Art stated: we found a submarine shaped hard target about 320
feet long and 12 meters wide.
One discrepancy – length of target could not be adequately assessed. To experts and
amateurs alike, it was clear that the length of the target was not quite 312 feet, and that
location of the superstructure – conning tower and shears – made it look more like a
surface ship than an sub -
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We did not know that the bow had broken off, or was perhaps buried - this problem
could only be understood by a return trip with ROV.
At Adak – Richard Graham had showed Bruce enhance sonar imagery that added
credibility to identification of target as sub not surface ship. By adjusting color and
contrast, Graham identified prop guards on the stern of the target believed to be Grunion.
To the untrained eye, his assertion was difficult to assess, but he was correct. In addition,
he also identified the limber holes which run the length of the sub, between the pressure
hull and the external wall of the sub and function as drains as the sub surfaces. Even
harder to see, impossible to the untrained eye, Graham was again correct. Bruce was not
convinced about the limber holes, and perhaps Graham, knowing where they should be,
imagined them, but in all Graham was accurate. The target was a submarine, and the
target had to be Grunion as no other fleet sub was lost in the Aleutians.
Research on prop guards was satisfactory. Prop guards were installed on the early fleet
boats to keep mooring line from becoming tangled in the propellers, but were later
removed as enemy ships could drop grappling hooks, entangle the sub, attach a bouy and
effectively identify the location of a submerged submarine.
*Richard Graham to Bruce Abele Sept 21, 2006
Bruce I’ve spent a fair amount of time researching the issue of prop guards and believe
that they were in place on Grunion when she was lost
John Fakan, director of the Cod Museum in Cleveland, who we would come to know
later, had given the opinion that the guards were “light gauge” material and would have
been lost to corrosion, but Graham concluded that Grunion’s location in 3,000 feet of
water – cold water would not have caused corrosion.
Commander John D. Alden, U.S. Navy (ret.) who wrote a definitive work on fleet
subs of the U. S. Navy, confirmed that Grunion’s prop guards were in place at launch and
at time of sinking as the directive to remove existing guards did not come until 1
September 1942, a month after her loss.
One of most tantalizing element – slide trail – see file April May Kale Graham
Once one understands the elements of sonar imagery, the target – Grunion—appears to
be substantial. Another element in the scan tests our imagination – the research team
noted the slide trail, which ……. carved into the mountainside, it bare’s witness today to
Grunion’s descent, almost as if it were just yesterday.
On going research would include visits to WWII subs in US, most particularliy USS Cod,
permanently docked in Cleveland and established as a museum. Museum director John
Fakan would become an important collaborator – in ongoing research.
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In December – suggestion of Cod
TTerrass to Bruce December 23, 2006
Recommending subs to visit, esp USS Cod, most like Grunion
Mike McMahon’s commanding officer
[??? But Bruce not yet involved with John Fakan]
Grunion’s community is broad and deep. Among the interested individuals was Mike
McMahon’s former commanding officer, Cmdr. Terry Terrass, US Navy (ret). Mike was
x years old when Grunion was lost, but Navy ran deep in the family and he served under
Terrass in …. It was Terrass who first suggested that we visit the USS Cod, a fleet sub
most like Grunion, which lead to collaboration with John Fakan and Paul Farace. Fakan bio
Through out the winter 06/07 – ongong talks with Williamson
Talk with Williamson etc, but eventually we would find that the ROV they
suggested was not adequate at Grunion’s depth
Other discussions with WHOI
In summer of 06, when there was brief consideration of flying in small ROV - Art
had suggested Chris N
Ended in last minute choice of Oceanearing
Profile Chris N.
President & CEO , (d. oct.5 2015)
Deep Sea Systems International Inc.
June 1983 – October 2006 (23 years 5 months)Falmouth , Ma.
Owned and operated the company for 23 years
Designer, Inventor and product development for undersea
ROV systems , IE: Mini Rover , Sea Rover and MaxRover
Contractor to National Geographic Society magazine for +20 years , with multiple ROV
expeditions worldwide to remote regions, Chris Nicholson and Deep Sea have also received
multiple research grants form NGS over the past 20 years for the development of specialized
ROV's, imaging systems and HDTV cameras.
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Getting ROV to Adak
Commencing 07 trip
Age 10
Britain and France declared war on Germany in September 1939
Age 10, Bruce must have written to President Roosevelt asking to join the army –
At age 8, Jim wanted to join the Navy – not war time, ??adventure
more likely the “call of duty” – sensitive to that as his father was in Navy…
Nov. 9, 1939 response …”no provision for military service of boys of your age.”
…after you have reached enlistment age, your application at that time will be give consideration (reservoir
road, brookline)
letters in the summer of 42
after US entered war in 42 and Jim’s departure in may 42:
responsibility short letters about commando drills; urging Jim to shin Jap, German, ships – did not
understand geography of the war – K: try to be fine because of you
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