After 66 years of silence; a group of WWII US Navy Veterans share their stories of bravery, endurance and self sacrifice. After fighting the “Last Great Naval Battle of all time,” these sailors were abandoned and left in the water for days. They now fought a new battle, a battle to survive.

"Abandon Ship” is a story that needs to be told; a story of men, of bravery, of survival. Although called the “Last Great Naval Battle in history,” many people do not know the story of Taffy 3, a David and Goliath story where a small US Navy task force, code name “Taffy Three,” was surprised by a large Japanese fleet.

In a reckless disregard for their own survival, the small destroyers, called “tin cans,” by the men, immediately attacked the Japanese, hoping to draw them off the troop carriers with thousands of troops preparing for General Mac Arthur’s return to the Philippines. Outmanned and outgunned, the destroyers threw themselves against the larger Japanese ships again and again. The Japanese fleet finally withdrew but two of the three destroyers, the USS Johnston and the USS Hoel, were sunk along with Destroyer Escort USS Samuel B. Roberts and Escort Carrier USS Gambier Bay.

However that is not the end of the story, the sailors were left in the water for days before they were rescued. Most of these sailors were just boys , 17 and 18 years old.

The men of the USS Johnston and the USS Hoel have collected their stories of bravery and self-sacrifice. These stories, filled with raw emotion, tell of their battle with the Japanese and their battle with the hostile waters of the Pacific. Now the last of these heroes are old, many are sick; some have been fighting for years with the VA over disability benefits for injuries directly related to the battle.

The Tin Can Fund is a nonprofit organization created to document these stories and help raise funds for these heroes to get the care and attention they need and deserve.

We have also formed a team of professional Louisiana filmmakers who believe in these men and this cause. With over two hundred stories of their stories, we are putting together a biography series of the survivors and their shipmates, many who never returned home, from their stories, film clips, photos, and personal interviews with the last few remaining survivors. We need to capture these stories before they pass into history along with the men who lived them. We have been trusted and honored with their permission to tell these very personal and compelling stories.

Your help will go a long way towards making this a reality. It is our duty to tell their stories and document them for future generations and for history.

Now I became emotional and, seeing my home go down, I felt my eyes welling with tears, but, i thought, "Welch," you might need the liquid," so I ceased this un-seamanly display of emotion"
Edward Welch - USS Johnston