Their Story
Remembering Joseph A. Ashley.
Joseph Allen Ashley was born on September 4, 1980 in Akron, Ohio, and spent his youth in Manchester, Ohio. He graduated in 1999 from high school where he was a member of the marching band and was also a member of the Boy Scouts. Following in his father’s footsteps, he joined the Navy in April 2001.
In February 2002 he reported for duty aboard the submarine USS San Francisco and was selected as Junior Sailor of the Quarter for the third quarter of 2004.
On January 8, 2005, USS San Francisco was underway at flank (maximum) speed at a depth of 525 feet about 364 nautical miles southeast of Guam when it collided with an uncharted underwater mountain. The violent collision resulted in ninety-eight crewmen being injured, as many were thrown as far as 25-feet.
Unfortunately, MM2 Ashley received severe head injuries. Other injuries to the crew included broken bones, spinal injuries and lacerations. San Francisco received such extensive damage that the vessel was almost lost as the forward ballast tanks and sonar dome were severely damaged.
Fortunately, the pressure hull was not breached, there was no damage to the nuclear reactor, and the submarine successfully surfaced due to the heroic action of the crew.
MM2 Ashley died on January 9 as a result of his severe head injuries, the only crewmember to die from the collision. He has been buried at Fox Cemetery in Reedy, West Virginia.