Pete Edward Bopp (1967 - 1989)

Born 21 Apr 1967 in Levittown, Hempstead, Nassau, New York, United States

Died 19 Apr 1989 at age 21 in At Sea

Biography

gunner's mate 3rd class, Levittown, N.Y.

On April 19, 1989, the No. 2 turret on the battleship USS Iowa mysteriously exploded, killing dozens of American sailors. As the Navy investigated the deadly blast, it put the blame on two sailors, crafting a sensational tale involving a bomb, a homosexual love triangle, and a substantial life insurance policy that "smacked of a cover-up," a former spokesman for the Naval Safety Center told Task & Purpose. The Navy never officially determined the cause of the explosion, but one leading theory is that an overramming of the powder bags in the old guns triggered the explosion.

Sources

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Iowa_turret_explosion
• https://www.upi.com
• https://www.businessinsider.com/the-battleship-uss-iowa-mysterious-exploded-30-years-ago-2019-4
• https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1040y_kp89JCxjWZGw3pEk2D49N91Ir994_X_8cCvxiE/edit#gid=0
• Find a Grave, database and images (accessed 12 January 2021), memorial page for Peter Edward Bopp (21 Apr 1967–19 Apr 1989), Find A Grave: Memorial #2619738, citing Long Island National Cemetery, East Farmingdale, Suffolk County, New York, USA ; Maintained by Iowa Owl (contributor 46772324) .