Disaster struck in the early morning hours of October 31, 1941. While escorting convoy HX-156, the American destroyer U.S.S. Reuben James was torpedoed and sunk with the loss of 115 of 160 crewmen, including all officers. Although not the first U.S. Navy ship torpedoed before the war, the Reuben James was the first one lost. After the news of the sinking reached America, many concerned people wrote letters to the Navy to find out the fate of friends or loved ones. Sadly, most of the country ignored the sinking. One who did not was folk singer Woody Guthrie, who wrote his now famous song immediately after the incident.

The Sinking of the Reuben James

by Woody Guthrie

Have you heard of a ship called the good Reuben James?
Manned by hard fighting men,  both of honor and of fame
She flew the stars and stripes of this land of the free
Tonight she's in her grave on the bottom of the sea

Chorus:

Tell me what was there names?
Tell me what was there names?
Did you have a friend on the good Reuben James?

Well a hundred men went down in that dark watery grave
when that good ship went down only forty four were saved
'twas the last day of October we saved the forty four
from the cold ocean water and that cold icy shore

Chorus

It was there in the dark of that uncertain night
that we watched for the u-boats, and waited for the fight
then a whine and a rock and a great explosion roared
and they laid the Reuben James on the cold ocean floor

Chorus

Now tonight there are lights in our country so bright
in the farms in the cities they're telling of the fight
Now our mighty battleships will steam the bounding main
and remember the name of the good Reuben James