America’s heroes from the Greatest Generation continue to inspire us today.
Their sacrifices during World War II saved the world from tyranny and evil.
And deep-sea explorers just made one jaw-dropping discovery that will leave World War II history buffs stunned.
New images reveal the USS Laffey’s incredible preservation after 80 years underwater
Maritime experts recently completed an extraordinary expedition to one of the most hallowed underwater graveyards in the world.
The team explored the wreckage of the USS Laffey, a World War II destroyer that went down fighting during one of the war’s most pivotal battles.
What they found half a mile beneath the surface of the Pacific Ocean was absolutely remarkable.
The USS Laffey currently rests upright roughly half a mile beneath the surface in Iron Bottom Sound.
After more than 80 years underwater, much of the destroyer’s bow and midsection remain remarkably intact.
The latest expedition, called NA173, was conducted by the nonprofit Ocean Exploration Trust with support from NOAA over 21 days.
Using remotely operated vehicles and sophisticated imaging technology, researchers surveyed the wreckage and documented it in stunning detail.
Among their most amazing discoveries was a plaque that’s still legible after eight decades on the ocean floor.
The plaque shows the ship’s name and builder information despite years of underwater exposure.
How the USS Laffey went down fighting on November 13, 1942
The USS Laffey was in the thick of it during the Naval Battle of Guadalcanal on November 13, 1942.
This wasn’t just any naval battle – it was one of the most brutal fights in the Pacific Theater.
American sailors found themselves going toe-to-toe with Japanese battleships in a fight that’d help decide who won the war.
The crew of the Laffey wasn’t about to run from a fight.
They took on several Japanese battleships in a knock-down, drag-out battle that went on all night long.
59 American sailors paid the ultimate price during that attack, with more than 100 others getting wounded.
A torpedo finally took the Laffey down, but those boys never stopped fighting.
That’s the kind of grit that made the Greatest Generation so special.
Now the Laffey sits in Iron Bottom Sound – and that name says it all.
It’s become an underwater graveyard for dozens of ships and hundreds of planes that went down during the war.
A rare glimpse into one of history’s most important battlefields
The USS Laffey was originally discovered in 1992 during a National Geographic Society expedition led by Dr. Robert Ballard.
Ballard’s the same guy who found the Titanic back in ’85.
Since Ballard’s team first spotted the Laffey in ’92, hardly anyone’s been down there to check it out.
We’re talking maybe four or five expeditions total – that’s it.
So getting these new pictures? That’s a pretty big deal.
The new images provide a rare glimpse into the condition of this historic wreckage and serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifice made by American servicemen.
During the broader Guadalcanal campaign, located more than 1,000 miles northeast of Australia, some 20,000 lives were claimed from both the Japanese and Allied powers.
Researchers estimate at least 111 ships and 1,450 planes were lost in the region during the war.
But only a small fraction of these wrecks have been thoroughly explored or documented.
The Iron Bottom Sound represents one of the most significant underwater archaeological sites in the world.
Honoring the heroes who rest in Iron Bottom Sound
During their three-week mission, the expedition team also investigated other historic wrecks in the area.
The team didn’t just focus on the Laffey during their three weeks down there.
They also took a look at Australia’s HMAS Canberra.
That’s the biggest warship Australia ever lost in a battle.
They also checked out a bunch of other wrecks scattered around the area – ships from America, Japan, wherever.
Every single one of these sunken ships tells you the same thing – good men who wouldn’t give up.
The guys who went down with the Laffey? That’s what real Americans look like.
When the world was going to hell and the Japanese were taking over everywhere, these sailors said "not on our watch."
They didn’t think twice about risking everything to stop the bad guys.
That’s why we beat them in the Pacific, and that’s why we’re still free today.
The fact that the Laffey’s still down there after all these years – it’s like a monument that won’t ever fade away.
She’s still doing her job, reminding us what it takes to keep freedom alive.
Anyone who looks at these photos needs to remember something – freedom isn’t free, and it never has been.
The men who died on the Laffey and all the others who fought in that war? We owe them more than we can ever repay.
