The USS Grunion was launched in its first mission 66 years ago and had been declared lost at sea along with its crew of 70 men. The families of the crew grew old not really knowing what happened to their loved ones, the “lost at sea” status being especially frustrating. Recently, after many searches financed by one of the crew’s family, the lost submarine has been discovered in the icy cold waters near a tiny island near Alaska. More precisely, the sub was found by the Abeles’ search team at a depth of 5,000 feet and the find was acknowledged by the U.S. Navy which stated that the wreckage is indeed the Grunion.

The last known things about the Grunion are that during its first mission it managed to sink three Japanese destroyers but it was under attack. After that there is no real understanding of what really happened. The find manages to finally solve a part of the mystery surrounding the Grunion and eases the families’ suffering. The mystery began unfolding in 1995 when an amateur Japanese historian revealed that a ship called the Kano Maru was responsible for sinking the American submarine.

The families of the lost crew will meet next week in Cleveland where the USS Cod, an exact copy of the Grunion, will be docked. Next week’s meeting will act as memorial service and the Abeles family, responsible for the find, is hoping this will give the families some closure. The mysteries of the USS Grunion are not entirely brought to light as the tape showing the recently found wreckage shows no real damage to the submarine and no direct hits. Because of the lack of currents in that area and of the icy water the Grunion seems to be perfectly preserved and this is a good thing for those wanting to know the whole truth concerning this lost and found American submarine.