Ep57: Shane Stephenson - The Buffalo Naval Park, the USS Sullivans, and Why These Ships Must Be Preserved

John sits down with Shane Stephenson, Director of Museum Collections at the Buffalo Naval Park. Shane is an archivist by trade who came to the career at 35 after a trip to the National Archives in Washington changed everything, and has spent the years since cataloging, preserving, and telling the human stories behind the three vessels docked on Buffalo’s waterfront: the USS Sullivans, the USS Little Rock, and the USS Croaker. This conversation covers the full history of each ship, why Buffalo has the largest inland naval park in the country, and what it actually means to be the person responsible for keeping these stories alive. The episode goes deep on the sinking of the USS Sullivans on April 14th, 2022 - a seiche event on Lake Erie that created a 15-foot gash in her hull, drove her six feet into the Buffalo River, and became national news overnight. Shane walks through the story of the five Sullivan brothers from Waterloo, Iowa, what happened on the USS Juneau in November 1942, and why the Croaker and the Sullivans sitting side by side in Buffalo is a more powerful historical connection than most visitors realize. He also lays out Operation Preservation and the $21 million dry-dock campaign now underway to save both vessels.Enjoying the episode?Subscribe, leave a review, and share Angles with John Richmond with a friend.🎧 New episodes every week.Visit www.richmondvona.com/angles-podcast/ for more📱 Follow us on Instagram:@anglesjohnrichmond@johnrichmondlaw@richmondvona🎥 Follow us on TikTok:@richmondvona@johnrichmondesq📺 Watch on YouTube: @angleswithjohnrichmondFollow us on Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61576886611238Disclaimer: This episode is for informational and educational purposes only. The views and opinions expressed by the guest and host are their own and do not constitute medical, legal, or professional advice. Angles Podcast does not endorse any specific health claims, products, services, or treatments mentioned in this episode. Listeners should consult qualified professionals for advice tailored to their individual circumstances.