House Passes Local Congressman’s Measures to Protect Open Space, Honor Lost Sailors From Vietnam War

West Pasadena Rep. Adam Schiff applauded the passage of The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act and The Frank E. Evans Act as amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA). Both amendments passed with bipartisan support.

The Frank E. Evans Act would add the names of 74 sailors who lost their lives on the destroyer USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War to the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington D.C. That includes Ronald Thibodeau, whose son Tim Wendler serves on the Pasadena Planning Commission. 

According to Wendler, his family at first thought the exclusion of his father’s name was a mistake when his grandfather could not find his name on the wall.

Later they discovered that the names were never included on the Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C., because the ship was not in combat when it was destroyed, although it was in conflict days before and was scheduled to return.

“I am thrilled that our local Congress member, Adam Schiff, continues to fight for these 74 heroes, including my father, Radarman Second Class Ron Thibodeau,” Wendler said. “Their ship, the USS Frank E Evans, had recently left the front lines of Vietnam to support an international training exercise which had the purpose of sending a message that the United States and its allies controlled the seas.  

“During that exercise, tragedy struck as an Australian aircraft carrier {HMAS Melbourne} collided with the USS Evans,” Schiff said. “These 74 men are missing from the Vietnam Veterans Memorial Wall due to an arbitrary line in the sea designating a combat zone to adjust pay rates.  I hope that this time, with Congressman Schiff’s strong support, we will be successful in remembering these 74 heroes.”

The collision occurred during a Southeast Asia Treaty Organization training exercise,  codenamed Sea Spirit, in the South China Sea on June 3, 1969. The USS Evans was split in half by the impact.

“The ‘Lost 74’ died aboard the USS Frank E. Evans during the Vietnam War, and the House has taken an important step to ensure their sacrifice is not forgotten,” Rep. Schiff said. “These brave Americans deserve to be honored alongside other fallen service members at the Vietnam Veterans Memorial.”

The Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act would add more than 191,000 acres of the Rim of the Valley Corridor to the Santa Monica Mountains National Recreation Area. Schiff first introduced this legislation in 2017, and Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris introduced companion legislation in the Senate.

In February, it passed the House of Representatives with bipartisan support.

“I am thrilled that the House of Representatives passed the Rim of the Valley Corridor Preservation Act as an amendment to NDAA,” Schiff said. “This is legislation I have championed for nearly 20 years and preservation of the open space in our communities is not only good for our environment, wildlife, and ecosystems, but it is beneficial for the health and wellbeing of residents of all ages. The Rim of the Valley corridor is an area of striking and breathtaking natural beauty, and we must do whatever we can to preserve that beauty for the benefit of L.A. residents, the millions each year who visit, and for generations to come.”

The House passed NDAA 295-125.