Never to Return: Salem's Connection to the USS Leopold

Col. Robert Nersasian will recount the harrowing tale of the USS Leopold--the worst combat loss in the history of the US Coast Guard. Join us at the Salem Visitor Center on Saturday, November 30 at 3pm, as we commemorate the 75th anniversary of the sinking of the USS Leopold. Col. Robert Nersasian will recount the harrowing tale of this U.S. Coast Guard destroyer that was torpedoed and sank off the coast of Iceland during World War II. There will also be a showing of the documentary “Eye Witnesses of World War II, USS Leopold”, courtesy of Mark Munro and Rob Sibley. This 30-minute film covers the sinking of the destroyer and interviews surviving crew members.

Col. Robert Nersasian is the co-author of Never to Return, which tells the story of how the crew struggled to survive against all odds. Nersasian’s brother, Sparky Nersasian, was a gunner aboard the Leopold and miraculously survived the attack. Tragically, 171 Coast Guardsmen would lose their lives in this catastrophic event.