Prayer for USS Cole Victims Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mississippi

Ingalls Shipbuilding is a leading producer of US Navy ships located in Pascagoula, Mississippi. The USS Cole (DDG-67) was first ordered in January 1991 and was presented to the Navy in March 1996.

Answer: Darrell S. Cole

Darrell S. Cole, originally assigned to be a bugle player, was a machine-gunner at Iwo Jima. After a successful lone attack on two enemy gun emplacements, Cole was killed by a grenade at age 24. To commemorate his bravery, the USS Cole was named in his honor.

Answer: 2000

This unfortunate incident occurred on Thursday, October 12, 2000, at 11:18 A.M. Other events that took place this same month include the Hatfield rail crash, a large coal sludge spill in Kentucky, and the release of the PlayStation 2.

Answer: Aden

An ancient seaport, the Port of Aden rests on the crater of an extinct volcano. Aden became the capital of the People's Democratic Republic of Yemen in 1970 until north and south Yemen were unified in 1990 and the capital was moved to Sana'a.

Answer: Men in a small, explosive-filled vessel rammed into the port side of the destroyer.

Reportedly, there were two men aboard the small vessel who stood at attention as their boat exploded. The blast was caused by 400 to 700 pounds of explosives molded into a shaped charge. The discharge hit the galley of the ship where, at the time, crew members were lined up for lunch.

Answer: True

As water filled the ship, able crew members had to combat flooding near engineering spaces for three days. Fortunately, the keel remained undamaged. The first ship arriving to aid the USS Cole was a UK ship called HMS Marlborough. After the damage was assessed, the USS Cole was transported back to Mississippi on a heavy lift vessel, the MV Blue Marlin.

Answer: 17 dead; 39 injured

Injured sailors were taken to a medical center in Germany until they could be returned back to the United States. The names of those who lost their lives are as follows:

-Chief Petty Officer Richard Costelow (Morrisville, Pennsylvania)
-Signalman Seaman Recruit Cheron Luis Gunn (Rex, Georgia)
-Seaman James Rodrick McDaniels (Norfolk, Virginia)
-Seaman Recruit Lakiba Nicole Palmer (San Diego, California)
-Operations Specialist 2nd Class Timothy Lamont Saunders (Ringgold, Virginia)
-Ensign Andrew Triplett (Macon, Mississippi)
-Seaman Apprentice Craig Bryan Wibberley (Williamsport, Maryland)
-Hull Maintenance Technician 3rd Class Kenneth Eugene Clodfelter (Mechanicsville, Virginia)
-Mess Management Specialist Seaman Lakeina Monique Francis (Woodleaf, North Carolina)
-Information Systems Technician Seaman Timothy Lee Gauna (Rice, Texas)
-Engineman 2nd Class Mark Ian Nieto (Fond du Lac, Wisconsin)
-Electronics Warfare Technician 3rd Class Ronald Scott Owens (Vero Beach, Florida)
-Engineman Fireman Joshua Langdon Parlett (Churchville, Maryland)
-Fireman Apprentice Patrick Howard Roy (Cornwall on Hudson, New York)
-Electronics Warfare Technician 2nd Class Kevin Shawn Rux (Portland, North Dakota)
-Mess Management Specialist 3rd Class Ronchester Mananga Santiago (Kingsville, Texas)
-Fireman Gary Graham Swenchonis Jr. (Rockport, Texas)

Answer: Enforce United Nations sanctions against Iraq

During the aftermath of this disaster, the United States Navy reconsidered their rules of engagement. These rules prevented the USS Cole's guards from firing upon the small boat until it fired at them. However, the guards had no way of knowing the craft was a suicide vessel. They may have gotten into larger trouble harming foreigners in the craft than losing seventeen American sailors.

Answer: Al-Qaeda

Al-Qaeda attempted a very similar attack in January of the same year on the USS The Sullivans. However, this plot was abandoned as the small boat was so full of explosives that it sunk. In June 2001, al-Qaeda created a recruitment video in which Osama bin Laden praised the USS Cole bombing and encouraged similar attacks.

Answer: False

The ship was repaired and set out for its first deployment overseas in late November 2003. It returned in May 2004 without incident. A memorial for those lost in the bombing sits along the Elizabeth River in Virginia. The site contains seventeen low-level markers representing youthfulness, three granite pillars symbolizing the three colors of the American flag, and a set of brown markers memorializing the darkness of the incident. Additionally, 28 black pine trees were planted to remember the seventeen lost and the eleven children they left behind.

A prayer to all of the victims.